PRESS RELEASE

Shortage of Providers Plagues Efforts to Treat Children with Autism

OKLAHOMA CITY - In an interim study conducted at the state Capitol today, lawmakers were encouraged to focus on early intervention and treatment for children with autism.

Medical experts and agency directors testified that an early diagnosis and appropriate therapy can significantly improve outcomes for children with the disability and their families.

However, a shortage of trained providers has made it difficult for families to obtain those services even when they have state assistance.

"Clearly, the families of children with autism face difficult challenges," said state Rep. Kris Steele, a Shawnee Republican who requested the legislative study on autism. "Our mission is to determine how the state can play a constructive role in helping those families while also providing appropriate support for all Oklahomans with developmental disabilities."

Dr. Lara Mattox, a clinical psychologist with the Tulsa Developmental Pediatrics and Center for Family Psychology, told lawmakers that effective treatments are available for children with autism.

"Early intervention services are critical and, from a practical standpoint, are the area where dollars would be best spent," Mattox said. "If we can get children when they are young, they will need fewer services as they age. It's a good way to be effective with limited resources."

She said there are four major types of treatment that provide benefit for young children with autism: speech and language therapy, occupational therapy (which helps children develop fine-motor skills and sensory integration), behavioral therapy, and parental support programs.

For years, the state has actively sought to connect families of children with autism to appropriate services through the creation of the Oklahoma Autism Network.

In addition, an autism pilot program under the direction of the state Department of Human Services is currently being conducted in order to better understand how to meet the needs of children and their families. Under the program, 30 families in Oklahoma are provided $12,000 per year to obtain autism-related services.

Unfortunately, due to the limited number of legitimate providers, many of those families ended the year with a significant amount of the money unspent, according to Jim Nicholson, director of the Developmental Disabilities Division of the state Department of Human Services.

Lawmakers attempted to address that problem this year when they unanimously approved Senate Bill 2071, which required the creation of a "comprehensive autism training program" at the University of Central Oklahoma that will conduct the "training of post-graduate and post-baccalaureate behavior therapists to deliver research-based intervention services to children with autistic spectrum disorders."

"Today's meeting made it clear there are problems with our health care infrastructure for children with autism," Steele said. "However, I believe there may be cost-effective ways to address that problem."

Lawmakers are expected to meet again to continue their comprehensive examination of autism issues. Steele said the next meeting will focus on potential solutions.