Funding Autism Treatment Takes Resourcefulness and Determination

Parents of children who have autism know it is important that they provide their children with early and intensive treatment in order to help them thrive and improve their long term outcomes. Unfortunately, parents whose children have autism also know all-too-well that the cost of intensive autism treatment—which could include specialized assessments and evaluations, instruction, therapies, interventions, diets, equipment, materials and treatment-related travel expenses—could easily overwhelm budgets, deplete savings and place a family on the brink of bankruptcy.

A Los Angeles Times article cited $70,000 per child per year as a typical cost for autism treatment. The cost of a 3-year intensive autism treatment program has been estimated as high as $300,000.

Although the cost of autism treatment can be staggering, through a combination of resourcefulness and determination, parents can find funding to help pay a significant portion of the costs of autism treatment. Here are some strategies for funding autism treatment:

· Pare Down Personal Expenses- Eliminate all unnecessary personal and household expenses. Minimize any expenses that cannot be eliminated. The money you save by eliminating waste and reducing costs can be used to pay for autism treatment.

· Squeeze Every Cent Possible out of Your Health Insurance Plan- Find out which autism treatment costs your health insurance will pay. File timely, thoroughly documented claims for all covered evaluations, treatments, therapies and other expenses.

· Sign-up for a Medical Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)-Allocate the maximum dollar amount your employer will allow that you are certain you will use annually to your medical care FSA. The funds can be used to pay for autism treatment costs directly or to reimburse you for out of pocket treatment costs.

· Apply for SSI- If your child qualifies for SSI, the funds he or she receives could be used to pay a portion of the costs of autism treatment.

· See if You Qualify for Medicaid or Other State-Funded Health Care Programs- Medicaid or other state-funded health care programs could be used to pay for certain autism treatment costs.

· Apply for Financial Assistance from State and Local Human Services Agencies- Some states and municipalities offer direct payments, vouchers and other forms of assistance that could be used to fund autism treatment.

· Apply for Grants- A number of charitable organizations offer grants to help pay the costs of autism treatment.

Trusera Autism Community

Trusera, an online health network where members can find and share real-world experiences, has an active autism community. Members can use the Trusera Autism Community to ask and answer questions, share stories, write journal entries, check out resources and connect with others whose lives are affected by autism.

Excellent Resources for Parents Raising Children with Autism

Child-Autism-Parent-Café and its sister site Autism Concepts have excellent resources for families coping with autism. The sites provide a comprehensive collection of lifespan resources for families raising children who have autism. Child-Autism-Parent-Café also provides some information that is specifically for African-Americans who have children with autism.

Autism Foundation of Ingham County Grants

The Autism Foundation of Ingham County (Michigan) offers grants to local families affected by autism. The grants can be used to pay for doctor and therapy appointments, therapy evaluations, equipment, conferences and respite care. Click on the link to find out how to apply for a grant or to offer support to the Autism Foundation of Ingham County.