Published: March 06, 2007 07:31 pm      

GUEST EDITORIAL: State’s treatment of autism needs drastic overhaul

The Centers for Disease Control says autism is a disorder that nationwide affects one in 150 children, and specifically one in 100 boys. It affects neurological functions resulting in impaired communication and socialization development in children.

According to the Autism Society of America, prevalence of this disorder is growing at alarming rates — between 10 and 17 percent each year. While many causes are suspected, such as genetics or medical problems, no single answer has been found. What is known, according to a study done by the London School of Economics, is that early diagnosis and treatment can reduce the cost of long-term care by two-thirds.

Unfortunately for parents in New York state, getting that care for those autistic children who need residential care is problematic. There aren’t enough beds across the state to handle the children. As Sen. Thomas W. Libous, R-Binghamton, noted, “With hundreds or even thousands of children with autism being forced to leave New York state for the services they need at great expense to the state and their families, we simply can’t continue to ignore this fragile population.”

Often, families travel to New Jersey — a state with one of the highest rates in the country — because it has invested in research and services.

In the wake of the death of autistic 13-year-old Jonathan Carey under the care of an Albany facility recently, Libous says he’s introducing legislation to create a subdivision within the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities that would deal exclusively with autism. And there is good reason for doing so. According to the research/advocacy group Fighting Autism, cases in the state jumped from fewer than 2,000 in 1992 to 9,500 in 2003. It’s especially a problem on Long Island where one in 85 children will develop the disorder.

Libous notes another problem.

“Children like Jonathan Carey shouldn’t be forced to live with adults in residential facilities, and they shouldn’t be exposed to employees who apparently lack fundamental training in the differences between autism and other disabilities.”

At a previous facility in Dutchess County, his parents discovered him bruised, underfed and soaked in his own urine. How many more Jonathans are getting similar lack of care across the state?

Obviously, this is a growing concern across the country. And though you might not have autistic children, we all pay when they are forced to cross the border for appropriate residential care. Isn’t it wiser to invest in better early diagnosis and care here in New York, so that the lives of our autistic children will be improved?

It’s time to reform the way the state handles treatment for this disorder.



— The Press and Sun-Bulletin of Binghamton