Actually there are several educational and financial resources for many families and children that suffer the effects of Autism. In 2006, President Bush signed The Combating Autism Act, which sought to promote and enhance research, surveillance and education about all forms of Autism. This has stimulated a great deal of interest in genetic studies and other investigations, as well as providing the public many resources for education. Autism is considered a disability and is covered by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This allows state early intervention programs and school district programs for children with development delay to receive needed services and therapies.

The first step is to obtain a health professional that is both knowledgeable and experienced in treating Autism. This typically is a specialized pediatrician, developmental psychologist or psychiatrist, or a child neurologist. Medical care and therapies can be limited by financial factors of course, but many individuals qualify for Medicaid and for those that do not, many states allow Medicaid Waiver programs for Autism. In order to find this information, contact HealthCare Finance Administration (HCFA) or your state’s Developmental Disabilities Council. Some individuals with autistic disorders may also quality for Social Security Disability (SSI). Regardless, contact your state agencies for a case manager that can assist you with what state resources are available financially and otherwise. States that have excellent programs include Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts and others. Web resources listed below can detail your state’s resources more thoroughly.

For pre-school children, an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) should be developed with speech and occupational therapy guidance with the pre-school’s coordination, and your child should be receiving 30-40 hours of individualized combined therapy weekly from teachers, therapists and family. Likewise, it is important to track progress weekly by keeping a record of tasks and exercises performed. There is no replacement for an experienced therapist, and therefore seek someone that is well versed in dealing with autistic children. Once in school, state school programs should also continue similar services or provide means so that therapy can be maintained.

Several resources are available for many aspects of education, research developments, blog pages, support groups and important links. Some of these include Autism Society of America (www.autism-society.org), AutismSource (www.autismsource.org), The National Autistic Society, The National Autism Association, The National Alliance for Autism Research, Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and National Institute of Health (NIH). These sites provide a wealth of information that keep families informed of new developments and answers key questions about care and treatment.