WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. Families in North Carolina are pushing for insurance reform that would allow children to access what they call the golden standard of treatment for autism.
House Bill 497, Autism Health Insurance Coverage, passed through the state House last year with a vote of 105-7.
Advocates hope the Senate will hear the bill during the current short session.
Kyle and Bobbie Robinson are from Greenville. Their son Samuel will be three years old in August.
Samuel was diagnosed with autism at the UNC Center for Development Disabilities in April of 2013. The Robinsons immediately sought the best treatment for their son. Doctors recommended Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA therapy).
I remember thinking will he ever say mama? Or will he ever say I love you? Bobbie explained. With this type of therapy, if we could somehow find a way to make it work financially, Samuel could possibly improve.
The couple soon learned ABA therapy was hard to access in North Carolina and even harder to afford with treatments costingaround sixty thousand dollars peryear.
Kyle still lives and works full time in Greenville. Bobbie took a medical leave from her teaching joband packs up every Sunday night to come to Winston-Salem for Samuels treatments during the week.
Samuels therapy is at ABC of NC Child Development Center and Autism Clinic in Winston-Salem, one of only about three centers in the state offering such intensive and specific therapy for children with autism.
The Robinsons say since lastAugust, their son has improved dramatically with ABA therapy. His communication is evolving, his behavior is better and hesays mama all the time, Bobbie pointed out. Samuels smile says it all.
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NC family fighting for autism health care coverage