Texans Sue to Block Medicaid Cuts

A group of home health providers and parents of disabled children has sued the Texas health agency, seeking to block deep cuts in Medicaid therapy payments set to take effect Sept. 1.The cuts would eliminate some $200 million in Medicaid spending on physical, occupational and speech therapy services, as directed by the Legislature in a rider tacked onto an appropriations bill. The cuts would primarily affect care for children with disabilities who require ongoing therapy, but they also could impact adults requiring therapy from injuries or surgery.

A Different Approach to Therapy

Kristen Earley runs with her horse,
Star, at the North Carolina Therapeutic
Riding Center.

MEBANE, North Carolina — At age 6, Abigail Baggett wanted nothing more than to play soccer with her friends.
But battling cerebral palsy, the youngster faced major challenges, often stumbling when she tried to run up and down the field. The first time Abigail refused to go to physical therapy, her parents began searching for another outlet.

Judge Orders Therapy for Ohio Toddler

Robert and Holly Young watch as
their son, Roman, 2, plays at  home.

CINCINATTI -- A federal judge ordered state officials on Wednesday to provide speech therapy and other care to an autistic boy in Clermont County who has gone without those services for more than four months.
The judge stopped short, however, of a more sweeping order that the boy’s parents say is needed to get crucial, comprehensive care to their son and other autistic children across Ohio.

Drum Therapy for Autism

When I recently took my fifteen-year-old son with Asperger’s to his weekly therapy session, I was thrilled when he was offered the chance to participate in drum therapy. Instantly, I recalled the days when he was a toddler throwing a spectacular meltdown, beating himself with his fists until I set a drum in front of him and he pounded it instead. A broad smile came across his face as his frenetic energy transformed from self destructive behavior to music.

Drum therapy is gaining in popularity as a means of reaching children with autism. For instance, The Drumming for Autism Project in New Jersey started as a “School Peacemaker” program to address the needs of youth through creative self expression then expanded to specifically address autism.

Horticulture Therapy Provides Peace, Contributions

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- To most people, activities like planting and gardening are regarded as hobbies, distractions or household burdens.

To some, such as residents at Barclay Friends and patients at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, these activities are forms of therapy.

Horticultural therapy, to be exact.

"Gardening is an equalizer," Paula Swearingen, a horticultural therapist at Barclay Friends, said. "It takes away stigmas and social class. Being able to contribute makes people feel worthwhile."

Advocates Praise Autism Therapy Pay Bill

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Trish Washburn's son Buddy, who has an autism spectrum disorder, didn't speak until he was 4 years old.

Washburn, who lives in Colonie, said she cried at night thinking about the life Buddy would have if he couldn't talk.

"I became a crazy mom and made sure he got the things he needed," Washburn said.

Her insurance company denied payment for speech therapy, so she found grants. Buddy, now 10, talks nonstop.

The state Legislature passed a bill last week that would require insurance companies to pay for therapy for autistic children. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has not signed the bill into law yet.

Judge: Minnesota Autism Care 'Inconsistent'

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A Ramsey County judge has ruled that Minnesota's Medicaid program has been "inconsistent" in paying for intensive autism treatment for some children while denying it to others.
But the ruling stops short of ordering the state to cover the treatment for a low-income child, identified as T.O., who is at the heart of the case.
The judge sent the issue back to an administrative law judge for further proceedings.
Amy Dawson, the lawyer representing T.O., had sued the state and HealthPartners for refusing to cover the child's bills for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy. Dawson argued the state routinely paid those bills for more affluent families under a Medicaid program for disabled children, but refused it to low-income children like T.O., who was enrolled in a Medicaid managed-care program.

Families of Children With Autism Sue Over Therapy Cut

LOS ANGELES -- Families of autistic children in eastern Los Angeles County filed a class-action lawsuit Thursday against the nonprofit agency that provides them with state-funded services, alleging that it had illegally discontinued their therapy for the disorder.
The agency, the Eastern Los Angeles County Regional Center, informed more than 100 families late last summer that the therapy — known as the DIR model, or “developmental, individual difference, relationship-based” — was being eliminated for their children because of state budget cuts.
The therapy is the basis for a popular treatment known as Floortime, in which a therapist follows a child’s lead during play activities to build communication and social interaction skills.

Surfing Helping Youngsters on the Spectrum

As the number of children with autism mushrooms, so too does the list of therapies for reaching the baffling world in which they live. From horseback riding to hyperbaric chambers, the methods are as diverse as the symptoms of autism itself.
But here's a therapy that surprises even the parents of autistic kids: surfing.
"When he caught his first wave, you should have seen him," said Robyn Serafine of Deerfield Beach, whose autistic 11-year-old son, Charlie Reilly, has limited verbal skills. "He was squealing and laughing — it was pure enjoyment. You could hear him 150 yards away."
Charlie first participated in a "Surfers for Autism" event last year in South Florida, where the nonprofit began in late 2007. On Saturday, surf instructors are bringing the action to Cocoa Beach for the first time. Already, 100 kids with autism have been signed up by their families.