Much progress being made in treating autism

April is Autism Awareness Month, in Montana and around the nation. For families affected by autism and the professionals who treat, care for and care about their children, it is a time to educate others about autism disorders and treatment.

More importantly, it’s a time to share in the progress and success of some exceptional Montana kids.

Autism is considered a “spectrum disorder.” On one end of the spectrum, symptoms may include deficits in spoken language, repetitive use of language or objects, little or no eye contact, lack of interest in others or a persistent fixation on parts of objects. At the other end of the spectrum, individuals with Asperger’s syndrome are bright but socially awkward.

Although there is no cure for autism, there is treatment. Early intervention and therapy can result in a better quality of life for individuals affected with autism, less stress on families, decreased demand on public schools and lower lifetime costs to families and taxpayers. With hope, children with autism can look forward to independence in adulthood.

Organizations like the Child Development Center can help Western Montana families who have questions or concerns about autism. Treatment plans and programs are based on early assessments and evaluation. Trained staff members teach basic language and learning skills including conversation, daily living routines, school readiness, appropriate behaviors across settings, motor skills and many others. And there are a variety of services and a variety of ways to access and fund treatment for children with autism spectrum disorders.

Since 2009, insurance companies doing business in Montana must provide coverage for diagnosis and treatment of autism. Autism Insurance Services help families pay for services, with extra benefits for kids up to age 9.

And the Medicaid-funded Children’s Autism Waiver provides intensive instruction for kids who enter the program between ages 2 and 5. Children receive 20 hours of one-on-one training each week.

A recent report from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services evaluated the Children’s Autism Waiver after its first three-year session and took a look at how the young participants were doing as they exited from the program. The results are promising.

Here’s a look at some of the numbers.

— 65 percent receive general (as opposed to special) education services.

— 65 percent have full access to the community.

— 77 percent no longer meet eligibility requirement for other developmental disability services.

— 48 percent of participants scored as non-autistic on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, meaning that the child no longer exhibits symptoms that would result in an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis.

— 72 percent of participants are toilet trained, an increase of 52 percent from the start of services.

— 80.5 percent of participants are verbal, an increase of 47 percent from the start of services.

The successes of the Children’s Autism Waiver are exciting, and they are just part of the story. Each day, parents, teachers, therapists, trainers and others celebrate little victories, as the children they care about learn how to dress themselves, brush their teeth, ask for things they want, learn how to go to church or to a restaurant.

Autism Awareness Month is a time for Montana families to learn more about autism spectrum disorders, to ask questions and seek out assistance and services, and to support families affected by autism. This month — and, indeed, every month — is also a time to remember the good work of therapists, trainers and service providers and above all, to celebrate the achievements of Montana children with autism.

Lynn Solomon is the communications specialist for Child Development Center, a private, non-profit agency based in Missoula that has provided services to children with autism since 1976. One of the agency’s units is located in Kalispell.