"West Wing" series actor Gary Cole speaks Wednesday at the Capitol about his daughter's autism. Cole said he was "thrilled" with the legislative package by Democratic lawmakers to deal with the nation's fastest growing developmental disability.Way to Go Parents!!!!
Rep Ron Peterson (Tulsa) Chair of the House Economic Development Committee deleted the language of Nick’s Law off SB 1895 prior to committee, yet he was forced to deal with the HUGE number of parents in attendance. His first item of business was to announce that Nick’s Law would not be heard in the committee hearing and ask that we were free to go. Many of the legislators and other guests expected us to leave. WE STAYED AND IT WAS NOTICED BY ALL!!!
One outside observer asked during the committee hearings why so many of the legislators where asking questions of the parents or just speaking to the parents in between breaks in the committee hearing. AND WE WERE NOT ON THE AGENDA!
We need to do three things by Monday .
STEP 1
Please contact the Republican House Leadership and ask that SB 2157 be heard next week (by April 10th) in House Economic Development Committee. Rep Peterson met with nearly twenty of us after the committee meeting and we got our chance to discuss with him why Nick’s Law and OUR CHILDREN need to be heard!! So very proud of all of you!! We now need to make sure that the House leadership knows that we are very serious. SB 2157 to be heard next week (by the 10th of April).
There will be a list of the contact information on the bottom of this email. It is time to get your friends and neighbors involved.
STEP 2.
Be careful what we wish for. We need to make sure that we have the votes in the committee. SB 2157 is not a compelling bill for members to vote on. It is about DHS attaching child support payments to Fire Fighter Pensions. The members will need to support Nick’s Law straight out. Rep Charlie Joyner will be the presenter during the hearing.
There are 10 republican members and 7 democrat members. We have been told by the dems in the committee and I have been told by the Dem Leader in the House that we have their vote. We need 9 votes minimum to pass. We should work to get 10. Please contact the republican members of the committee and ask for their support of Nick’s Law in the committee. Some have said that they will vote for Nick’s Law on the floor. That is a BIG DIFFERENCE. We need their support in a committee vote.
If we get the hearing, we better have the votes. If we do not have the votes, we will go another route. Bottom line in the committee, if the vote count goes against us, it is checkmate. “Final Action Rule”
STEP 3.
Contact the Democrats on the committee and thank them for their support of Nick’s Law. We were not on the agenda but they made us the main focus of the hearing by asking the question to the chair “ In my version of the bill, I see Nick’s Law as part of the bill. What happened?” They knew that Rep Peterson issued a committee substitute on the bill and deleted the language. Yet they wanted to make the point to the committee.
The name of the game is to survive and advance. Please contact the list below and make sure that the republican members are committed one way or another. It is a vote count. Please let us know when you heard from them. Anne Roberts and the steering committee will be visiting with Rep Joyner next week on the vote count prior to any committee action.
A few talking points for your discussion.
· Similar legislation was passed in Indiana in 2001. The Indiana Insurance Commission’s office has yet to report any increase in health insurance premiums due to this legislation. That is over 6 years worth of research and study.
· Arizona past similar legislation to Nick’s Law last week, joining a list of over 17 states. Louisiana, Mississippi, and Connecticut have introduced similar legislation in March.
· The Insurance Industry’s own policy group CAHI.org reports that autism insurance coverage will cost less than 1%.
· Nick’s Law is about autism insurance coverage. There is some discussion that covering additional mandates (60+) will increase costs. We are only talking about Nick’s Law.
· Oklahoma is one of the least mandated states in the nation.
Republican Leadership
Speaker of the House - Chris Benge chrisbenge@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7444
Speaker Pro Tem - Gus Blackwell gusblackwell@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7384
Chair of Economic Development Committee - Rep Ron Peterson ronpeterson@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7338
Republican Floor Leader - Rep Greg Piatt gregpiatt@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7326
Majority Whip - Rep Rob Johnson robjohnson@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7407
Co-Majority Whip - Rep Mike Jackson mikejackson@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7317
Rep. Ron Peterson - Chairman R ronpeterson@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7338 406
Rep. George Faught – Vice Chair R george.faught@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7310 338
Rep. John Auffett D johnauffet@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7394 325
Rep. Mike Brown D mikebrown@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7408 539-B
Rep. Ed Cannaday D ed.cannaday@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7375 322
Rep. Wallace Collins D wallace.collins@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7386 500-A
Rep. David Derby R david.derby@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7377 337
Rep. Jeff Hickman R jwhickman@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7339 440
Rep. Chuck Hoskin D chuck.hoskin@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7319 510-B
Rep. Fred Jordan R fred.jordan@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7331 300-B
Rep. Jerry McPeak D jerrymcpeak@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7302 501
Rep. Ron Peters R ronpeters@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7359 328
Rep. Greg Piatt R gregpiatt@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7326 442
Rep. Earl Sears R earl.sears@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7358 300-C
Rep. Mike Shelton D mikeshelton@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7367 539-B
Rep. Paul Wesslehoft R paulwesselhoft@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7343 329
Rep. Susan Winchester R susanwinchester@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7333 305-A
The Next Big Autism Bomb: Are 1 in 50 Kids Potentially at Risk?
On Tuesday, March 11, a conference call was held between vaccine safety officials at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, several leading experts in vaccine safety research, and executives from America's Health Insurance Plans, (the HMO trade association) to discuss childhood mitochondrial dysfunction and its potential link to autism and vaccines.It was a sobering event for all concerned, and it could soon become known as the Conference Call heard 'round the world.
The teleconference was scheduled by a little known CDC agency called the Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) Network, a consortium of six research centers working on "immunization-associated health risks," in conjunction with the CDC's Immunization Safety Office and the health insurance lobby -- whose companies cover some 200 million Americans.
The hot topic of the day was mitochondria - the little powerhouses within each cell that convert food and oxygen into energy for use by the body. Recent news events have implicated mitochondria in at least one case of regressive autism, following normal development.
To read more click here.
As the grandmother of a young child with autism, I have seen first-hand what a burden this disease places on families emotionally, physically and financially.
I have also witnessed first-hand the positive results of one-on-one ABA therapy. This therapy is recognized to be one of the most beneficial treatments for autism and gives parents much reason to hope for a brighter future for these children. Unfortunately, it is very costly, and without any outside assistance, it is out of reach for many parents, most of whom are young adults trying to raise a family and pay their bills.
Our state legislature recently had an opportunity to help these young people by passing SB 1537, known as "Nick's Law," which would require insurance companies to cover some of the costs for therapy and other related treatments for autism.
We asked our own senator, Todd Lamb, to support this bill only to be told he would not support a bill which placed mandates on insurance companies. (Some form of coverage for the treatment of autism is mandated in 17 other states, and studies have shown that any increase in insurance premiums is minimal.)
Apparently Mr. Lamb and many of his colleagues are more interested in catering to insurance companies than in helping Oklahoma's children. What a travesty. I hope many voters, will remember this when these politicians come up for re-election.
Donna Greve
11501 Richaven Rd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73162
The state of California has been dealing with the explosion of autism cases among young children for more than a decade, but there is another wave coming.
The oldest children, the first in a spike in autism cases that began in the 1990s, are moving into adulthood, which has experts, educators and service providers bracing for the new and unique needs of that population.
"What's uncharted is the sheer volume, which then affects the number of resources you have to develop to meet their needs," said Julia Mullen, a deputy director with the state Department of Developmental Services.
Diane Woolsey, of Wildomar, began looking at options a few years ago for her son Brandon, who at 22 "ages out" of the school system this year.
Brandon Woolsey is severely autistic and functions at a first-grade level. He needs one-on-one care, which is rare in the adult day care programs currently available, she said. He also wouldn't do well in a workshop setting because the noise and number of people would overwhelm him, Woolsey said.
But Brandon is good with his hands and does well outside, so Woolsey and her friend are hoping to start a ranch where Brandon and a few other autistic men could live and work in a structured environment tending a garden and horses.
"I said my son is always going to live with me, but the reality is he can't unless we outlive our kids," Woolsey said. "As he got older, I started thinking about what's fair to him as a young man. He deserves to be as independent as possible."
The highest functioning people with autism, with some personalized help, will be able to go to college, hold jobs and live independently.
Those with severe autism may need residential care, day programs and transportation -- all more costly to the system than children being cared for by their families.
Of the 36,952 people with autism now receiving disability services from the state, 31,376 -- 84 percent -- are younger than age 21. The state is in the process of making population projections for the next few years.
Among the developments for serving adults with autism:
The Inland Empire Autism Society and Riverside County Office of Education are working to develop more job-specific training programs for teens and young adults with autism.
Legislators last year increased the rate paid for state-approved providers who develop jobs suitable for those with autism. Such jobs require consistent supervision, little distraction and tasks that can be broken down into small, learnable steps, Mullen said.
Several local schools and agencies have hired consultants to coach them on developing micro-enterprises, which are small businesses such as coffee carts and mobile shredding services to allow people with disabilities to work at their own pace.
Colleges are accommodating students with autism with such services as note takers, private dorm rooms, distraction-free areas for taking tests, and social, academic and independent living support.
Services such as Nashville, Tenn.-based College Living Experience, a company that provides help for students with learning disabilities, are including autism. Six sites across the country, including Monterey, offer apartments within walking distance of college campuses. Advisers help with academic tutoring, social outings and independent living skills, said Mark Claypool, the company's president and chief executive officer. The program, which costs $35,000 a year, not including college tuition, has grown from 50 to 178 students in two years, he said.
Reach Janet Zimmerman at 951-368-9586 or jzimmerman@PE.com
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