NJ law keeps autism on legislators’ minds

Posted by Kathy Patrick on October 7th, 2009

On August 13, 2009, New Jersey became the 15th state to enact a law requiring many insurance companies to cover the screening and therapeutic treatment for children up to age 21 who are diagnosed with autism and other developmental disabilities.

The law is scheduled to take effect in February, 2010. Under the legislation, insurance companies will be required to provide Read More » »

Living on the edge

Posted by Kathy Patrick on July 30th, 2009

I’m the vice president of services for Easter Seals New Jersey, so I was invited to attend the Legislative Summit of the National Conference of State Legislatures in Philadelphia earlier this month.

Along with other Easter Seals affiliate and national staff members who handle state government relations, I networked with state legislators, learned about the issues facing my Read More » »

Insurance coverage for autism: not always a happy story

Posted by Kathy Patrick on October 6th, 2008

Parents of children with autism often worry whether their son or daughter is getting the right treatment, from the right provider, at the right time. Sometimes we wonder whether anyone cares.

Recently I experienced two wildly different approaches to customer service. Two months ago I made an appointment for Adam, my son with PDD-NOS, to have a central auditory processing Read More » »

Autism things considered

Posted by Kathy Patrick on June 3rd, 2008

Having a child on the autism spectrum gives me a lot to wonder about. Why were we destined to be challenged every day? How different (not better, different) would our lives have been otherwise? How much money would we have had if it wasn’t spent on interventions and support?

With all those notions clouding my brain, it can be hard Read More » »

Autism day after day

Posted by Kathy Patrick on March 5th, 2008

In my last blog post, I was wondering whether and how to tell my son Adam about his unique special needs. Who would’ve guessed a rock opera could help get the conversation started?

Here’s the story: last Thursday, the rock opera Day After Day came to town, and when Read More » »

Welcoming my son to Holland

Posted by Kathy Patrick on February 25th, 2008

When I learned my son might have lifelong learning disabilities, auditory processing problems, and behavioral challenges – I was devastated. Adam is 12 years old now, and I’ve spent the last 12 years researching interventions to mitigate the damages from his disability.

Or, you could say, I’ve spent the last 12 years learning the lay of the land in Holland.

You’ve probably heard Read More » »