Autism Foundation
of the Illinois Valley
Autism
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network's 2014 surveillance year one in 59 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is reported to occur in all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups although it is about 4 times more common in boys than in girls.
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Research has shown diagnosis as early as 2 can be reliable, valid and stable.
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Studies have shown that parents of children with ASD notice a developmental problem before their child’s first birthday. Concerns about vision and hearing were more often reported in the first year, and differences in social, communication, and fine motor skills were evident from 6 months of age
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Research shows that early intervention treatment services can greatly improve a child’s development.[1],[2] Early intervention services help children from birth to 3 years old (36 months) learn important skills. Services include therapy to help the child talk, walk, and interact with others. Therefore, it is important to talk to your child’s doctor as soon as possible if you think your child has an ASD or other developmental problem. This link can provide more details: Screening and Diagnosis for Healthcare Providers
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You may also do a preliminary evaluation although this is not a substitute for a medical screening: https://www.autism.com/ind_atec
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
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If you are like many parents after your child has been diagnosed with autism you may wonder where you turn to obtain specialized help for your child? Research has shown ABA to be an effective therapy and Illinois has an "Autism Law" that requires many insurance companies to cover ABA. Please read summary of law: http://insurance.illinois.gov/HealthInsurance/AutismFactSheet.pdf
However, even with insurance this treatment can be very expensive. First, there is premiums charges, then co-payments and/or co-insurance along with the cost of actually getting to the facility! That is where the Autism Foundation can help families obtain financial assistance!
Why do we offer financial assistance for ABA?
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According to the Association of Science in Autism Treatment
​Description: Practitioners of applied behavior analysis (ABA) aim to improve socially important behavior by using interventions that are based upon principles of learning theory and that have been evaluated in experiments using reliable and objective measurement. ABA methods are intended to support persons with autism spectrum disorders in many ways:
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To increase behaviors (e.g. to increase on-task behavior, or social interactions) and to teach new skills (e.g., life skills, communication skills, or social skills);
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To maintain behaviors (e.g., self control and self monitoring procedures to maintain and generalize job-related social skills);
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To generalize or to transfer behavior from one situation or response to another (e.g., from completing assignments in the resource room to performing as well in the mainstream classroom);
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To restrict or narrow conditions under which interfering behaviors occur (e.g., modifying the learning environment); and
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To reduce interfering behaviors (e.g., self injury or stereotypy).
Research Summary: Many studies show that ABA is effective in increasing behaviors and teaching new skills (National Autism Center [NAC], 2015; Wong et al., 2014, 2015). In addition, many studies demonstrate that ABA is effective in reducing problem behavior (NAC, 2015). A number of studies also indicate that, when implemented intensively (more than 20 hours per week) and early in life (beginning prior to the age of 4 years), ABA may produce large gains in development and reductions in the need for special services (Reichow, 2012); however, large studies with strong experimental designs are needed to confirm the results reported for intensive, early intervention.
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The United States Surgeon General (1999) concluded, “Thirty years of research demonstrated the efficacy of applied behavioral methods in reducing inappropriate behavior and in increasing communication, learning and appropriate social behavior.”
Recommendations: ABA is an effective intervention for many individuals with autism spectrum disorders. ABA interventions should be supervised by qualified behavior analysts. Because of the scientific support for ABA, professionals and families may wish to obtain additional information about this approach; resources are listed in the references below.
An important area for research is to conduct large studies with strong scientific designs to evaluate long-term outcomes of early, intensive ABA and other comprehensive ABA intervention programs.
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The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (formerly the American Association on Mental Retardation), the oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization of professionals concerned with intellectual disability and related disabilities, designated ABA-based procedures for the treatment of behavioral problems with individuals with intellectual disability and related disorders as "highly recommended" (Rush & Frances, 2000)
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