Should the Government Fund Autism Therapy?

Don Imus has been a huge advocate of the US govt. funding more research for the causes of Autism. I
am a special education teacher in Texas. I have the most severe students in the school. Until you have
experienced with these children and their families go thru, you can not imagine the nightmares in their
lives because of this syndrome. There needs to be research for cures and also more programs for proper
treatment. These parents can not bare the burden alone.

A related issue is when should the school district pay for, at least in-school treatment. At my special education law blog, we discuss some of the legal issues. http://specialeducationlawblog.blogspot.com/
Please visit and note your comments there as well.


Thanks,
SpEdLaw2
spedlaw2@aol.com

There has been alot of research pointing to the mercury in immunizations as contributing to the rapidly increasing rate of autism. There is an ongoing discussion about this in Congress. It seems to me that if government caused the problem by introducing mandatory immunizations, then govt should be responsible for taking care of the fallout from it. Politicians, at any level of govt, don't need any more of our money. They NEED to be fiscally responsible with what we have so generously given them already. No checks and balances exist. If they were not so concerned with their own pay raises, government lucrative retirement beneifts, health benefits where they can get botox injections and breast augmentation, AT OUR EXPENSE, perhaps they would focus on what we hired them to do. They do work for us after all. Too bad we lose control once we put them into office. The entitlement mentality in public service is appalling. How can we as a country change this? The system IS broken

As usual, everyone overlooks the real issues. I am concerned that Aspertame, food additives, excessive sugar, aluminum cans, floruide in the water, alcohol use, drugs legal and recreational have worked their way into the gene pool or bodies of young people. Look at the 13,000 plus hours of television viewing, with millions of television commercials. The mind gets disrupted by endless 30 second commercials. We get out of the habit of being able to concentrate. Endlessly having radio, television, movies, videos, noise, distractions has created an environmental pollution. The shift to processed, dead food has replaced fruits and vegetables. The soils are depleted of micronutrients so it takes more carrots to get the nutrition of a 1930 carrot. Each thing may have a minor effect, and sounds unrelated to your article, but the effects are synergic over time and over generations. Add electronic pollution from microwaves and cooking. Our bodies are failing to adapt.

The schools can't even teach the basics and you want them doing therapy for your autistic child? I am sure the private sector could do a better job at the therapy than a school nurse could. They (govt) need to use the money they have (squandered) more wisely. Every day I see our politicians are asking (if we are lucky) for more money to do the job they have not been able to do with the jillions of $ they have already taken from us. Less (govt) is best.

Absolutely. All you have to do is be around an autistic child for ten minutes if you doubt it. As Amanda points out, there are so many other things the government is funding that we all do or do not agree on. When you realize that funding CAN help 50% of the children involved it's a no-brainer I think.

I have an idea. With all of the money going into the prison system, two wars, oil drilling and to purchase oil, and a failed drug/immigrant war, the government should channel all of that energy and money into education, autism research and care, and health insurance. Everyone would be much healthier and happier.

Absolutely. Public schools may not always be equipped, but given the rates of autism, it seems to me that the government needs to step in and help fund therapy for kids, along with private health insurance.

Yes! Anything and everything should be done to help the children. They are the future.

We definitely need to make therapy available and affordable for parents of autistic children. The numbers of children with this disorder is growing at a rapid rate and sadly, waiting lists for therapy can take years--years that children slip further away in the grips of autism. I'm all for government-funded school therapy as insurance companies are notorious for findng ways not to provide coverage. Of course, there are many factors and public school may not be the best place for children with more severe autism--and in that case, hopefully insurance would consider covering part of the costs of therapy elsewhere.