Act Early Regional Summit March 25 th & 26 th 2010 Philadelphia - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Act Early Regional Summit March 25th & 26th 2010 Philadelphia

DC’s Demographics

• DC’s “split city”
• Problematic age of identification in DC
• Rates of identification over time:

Graph source: fightingautism.org

DC’s Part C Program

The DC Early Intervention Program (DC EIP)

• Single point of entry for infants and toddlers

whose families have concerns about their development

• Children can receive services at home, in a

licensed childcare center, or early intervention programs designed to serve children with delays

DC’s Part C Program: Funding

• DC EIP annual budget = $2.2 million in federal

funding.

• Evaluations & Service Coordination = No cost to

the family

• D.C. Medicaid, private insurance and sometimes

families pay for other services

• Sliding fee scale when financial assistance is

requested

Identification of Children with Special Needs

• Office of the State Superintendent of Education

(OSSE) identifies infants from birth to 3 years of age (Part C); EIP is newly under the umbrella of OSSE in DC

• The District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) +

DC Public Charter Schools identify children 3-21. (including children not attending public school, out-

• f-state children attending private school in DC)

Public Diagnostic Clinics Serving Young Children

DCPS Early Stages Center

• Free, comprehensive diagnostic testing facility;

evaluates children 3 to 5 years old + identifies school readiness services

• Available to all DC families, regardless of whether
• r not the child is currently enrolled in a preschool
• r childcare facility

Private Diagnostic Clinics Serving Young Children

• CASD: Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Children’s National

Medical Center

• The Autism and Communication Disorders Clinic, Georgetown

University Medical Center

• Child Development Clinic, Children’s National Medical Center

(serving children 0-3)

– Interdisciplinary clinical approach – Children served under certain kinds of public insurance (Medicaid)

• Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC)-

– Recently reconstituted, federally mandated – Parent led, independent body advising OSSE + office of the Mayor on early intervention services for Infants and Toddlers

• Statewide trainings

– Ongoing training + professional development for Public School clinicians and teachers through the DCPS Autism program – Annual symposia + seminars by the Georgetown UCEDD: free +

• pen to the public

– DC LEND Training Program, ASD Specialization: Children’s National Medical Center – Outreach program by the Ivymount School – Monthly trainings, speakers, and webinars presented by family advocacy organizations (DC Autism Parents, Autism Speaks)

Family-focused advocacy groups

• DC Autism Parents (DCAP)
• Family Voices of DC
• Autism Society of America, District of Columbia

Chapter

• Autism Speaks, National Capitol Area

Insurance coverage

– Law 16-198, the “Health Insurance Coverage for Habilitative Services for Children Act of 2006.”

• coverage for habilitative services for children with

developmental disabilities, including ASDs

• Services covered include OT, PT, Speech &

Language

• No coverage for services provided through school or

early intervention system (DC ST §31-3271)

– Limited coverage may be available through mental health parity act (according to Easter Seals, 2010); may be controversial

• Advocacy efforts for an Autism Waiver

– Proposed Medicaid Home and Community Based Services Waiver

• Health Insurance for Children with Autism

Act of 2009

– Introduced by DC Council Members Wells, Bowser, + Catania, November 2009 – Would require coverage for diagnosis + evidence- based, medically necessary treatment of ASDs, including applied behavior analysis – Testimony about the bill: 3/24/2010

• Problems with early identification: Lack of awareness among

primary care providers and parents of young children about ASDs

• Need for capacity building: Scarcity of professionals/clinicians

trained in diagnosis + intervention of ASDs

• Gaps in clinical services for children: Lack of easily accessible,

intensive services for children with ASDs, aged 0-3 (long lags to diagnosis, then delivery of services in public system; limited school placement options)

• Difficulty supporting families: Need for improved

access/availability of services for families with children with ASDs (family support, services for siblings, behavior mgt., training for parents on implementing interventions)

• Economic Barriers: Insurance and Medicaid restrictions
• Lack of information: Lack of population data + local research on

prevalence rates by government entities

• Racial, ethnic, + socioeconomic disparities: Striking inequity in

access to intensive services; lack of outreach to cultural and linguistic groups

• Interagency Coordination: Difficulty coordinating services and

policy across fragmented systems

Impact statement

• Goal: 80% of the DC population, across diverse cultural and

linguistic groups will be made aware of ASDs

• Improved identification of children with ASDs, combined with

improved access to ASD-specific early intervention

• Increased access to evidence-based practices in the assessment and

treatment of ASDs

• Reduce economic barriers (reduction of insurance exclusions,

waiver)

• Create a family-driven, fully functional system of care for children

with Autism and their families in DC