• Efforts to increase insurance coverage for early intervention for autism:

  Autism Center works with Microsoft Corporation to develop insurance coverage for early intensive behavior intervention in autism

  Microsoft Leading The Way In Covering Growing Children's Disorder

• U.S. Congressional Briefings and Testimony:

  Briefing on Capitol Hill, March 22, 2002

  Testimony to Public Health Subcommittee, US Senate, Sept. 16, 1999

• NIH 2003 Autism Summit Conference talk on early intervention in autism
  
  Listen To Talk Here

• UW Autism Center activities:
  
  UW Autism Center

The Federation of Behavioral, Psychological, and Cognitive Science sponsors a briefing on Capitol Hill
by Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D. “Autism: Nature, Diagnosis, and Treatment”
March 22, 2002

On March 22nd, The Federation of Behavioral, Psychological and Cognitive Sciences held a US Congressional briefing on Capitol Hill with Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D. called “Autism: Nature, Diagnosis, and Treatment. This event was funded and co-sponsored by the National Alliance for Autism Research and the NLM Family Foundation, with help from the of Representative Connie Morella and the Coalition for Autism Research and Education. Dawson presented information on state-of-the-art autism research. The level of questions from the briefing attendees was rather high and many stayed afterwards to speak with her individually.

After presenting basic data on autism, she turned to a theme involving the importance of early detection and early intervention. While the majority of autism cases are diagnosed between ages three and four, Dawson and her colleagues have developed criteria allowing them to diagnose by the child’s first birthday. This early diagnosis permits behavioral intervention strategies to be implemented at a very young age, which can make all the difference in whether a child later goes on to assume “normal” societal roles. She further noted that doctors and health professional do not tend to look for autistic symptoms, being more geared towards screening for physical abnormalities.

Although the proper behavioral interventions can make the difference between a functioning autistic and one needing to be institutionalized, insurance companies do not traditionally pay for this life-altering and money-saving treatment. Through the efforts of Dr. Dawson and others, Aetna at Microsoft recently agreed to cover the costs of early autism intervention. She is working towards getting more insurance companies on board with this by providing a method of certification.

In the fall of 1999, Dr. Geraldine Dawson provided written and spoken testimony to the U.S. Senate regarding legislation introduced in Congress that would dramatically increase the amount of funding available for autism research at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This legislation would more than double the funds available for advancing biomedical research in autism and autism epidemiology studies.

The first, the Advancement in Pediatric Autism Research Act (HR 997), calls for expenditures of $39,000,000 annually to establish five autism research centers of excellence across the country that would combine clinical and basic research in autism, attract the nations top scientists and create a network for the rapid dissemination and replication of research findings. The second, the Autism Statistics, Surveillance, Research and Epidemiology Act (HR 274), calls for the creation of five centers for autism epidemiology research, at a cost of $7,500,000 annually, that would assess the prevalence of autism in this country for the first time and seek to epidemiology research, at a cost of $7,500,000 annually, that would assess the prevalence of autism in this country for the first time and seek to find patterns of causation. These two bills have been combined into a single bill, S 512, in the Senate.

Link to written testimony to the Public Health Subcommittee, United States Senate, September 16, 1999

Photos below taken in the United States Senate at a Public Health Subcommittee Hearing , September 1999