Embracing Diversity in Autism Care: Beyond ABA to Meet the Rising Needs
Presentation Type
Poster
Faculty Advisor
Erin Kang
Access Type
Event
Start Date
26-4-2024 9:45 AM
End Date
26-4-2024 10:44 AM
Description
The rising rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses, with increases as high as 200% in New Jersey and 500% in children with ASD without intellectual impairment over just 16 years, emphasize the need for a diverse range of evidence-based interventions (Shenouda et al., 2023). Traditional reliance on applied behavior analysis (ABA) fails to fully address the complex needs of the autistic community and limits access to services and therapies. This study aims to review existing literature on the effectiveness and limitations of ABA, examine emerging evidence supporting alternative interventions focusing on mental health, well-being, personalized care, and analyze federal healthcare policies to identify gaps in insurance coverage for non-ABA therapies. Anticipated results include increased recognition of the diverse needs within the autistic population, identification of promising evidence-based alternatives, and highlighting the necessity for policy reforms to ensure coverage of an inclusive range of interventions. Historical efforts suggest change must be directed at rule-making bodies rather than political ones to see progress. Policy implications include restructured incentives away from prioritizing a few therapies. There will be pushback and lobbying efforts by groups related to stakeholders locally and nationally with interests in ABA or other therapies already covered by Medicare. Influence of institutional backers, whose interests might not strive for best outcomes, will be reduced. Delays and additional processes the rule-making change will necessitate will offer a more transparent process, with more time and oversight by the public and stakeholders the chance to comment publicly on any changes.
Embracing Diversity in Autism Care: Beyond ABA to Meet the Rising Needs
The rising rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses, with increases as high as 200% in New Jersey and 500% in children with ASD without intellectual impairment over just 16 years, emphasize the need for a diverse range of evidence-based interventions (Shenouda et al., 2023). Traditional reliance on applied behavior analysis (ABA) fails to fully address the complex needs of the autistic community and limits access to services and therapies. This study aims to review existing literature on the effectiveness and limitations of ABA, examine emerging evidence supporting alternative interventions focusing on mental health, well-being, personalized care, and analyze federal healthcare policies to identify gaps in insurance coverage for non-ABA therapies. Anticipated results include increased recognition of the diverse needs within the autistic population, identification of promising evidence-based alternatives, and highlighting the necessity for policy reforms to ensure coverage of an inclusive range of interventions. Historical efforts suggest change must be directed at rule-making bodies rather than political ones to see progress. Policy implications include restructured incentives away from prioritizing a few therapies. There will be pushback and lobbying efforts by groups related to stakeholders locally and nationally with interests in ABA or other therapies already covered by Medicare. Influence of institutional backers, whose interests might not strive for best outcomes, will be reduced. Delays and additional processes the rule-making change will necessitate will offer a more transparent process, with more time and oversight by the public and stakeholders the chance to comment publicly on any changes.