[Note: Shared for #AutisticHistory archive purposes. This is NOT An Autistic Ally.]
Critical Vote Approaches On Key Pennsylvania Insurance Bill
The Next 48 Hours Are Crucial to Getting Measure Passed
June 29, 2007 – The Pennsylvania legislature will vote soon on the Autism Benefit Insurance Restoration Bill, introduced in the House by Speaker Dennis O’Brien and in the Senate by Senator Jane Orie. The bill will require private insurance companies to offer coverage for autism-related health services. Click here for the latest Take Action Alert on this bill for Pennsylvania.
This past Monday, the bill received impassioned support from more than 100 families from the autism community at a rally in the state capitol rotunda, where shouts of “Cover Our Kids!” rang through the halls. U.S. Senator Robert Casey (PA) arrived during the rally and added his support for the legislation.
“This is, quite simply, an issue of civil rights for thousands of Pennsylvanians,” said Speaker O’Brien. “It’s a matter of justice.”
The Pennsylvania bill is designed to serve as a model for other state legislation as Autism Speaks continues its nationwide effort to help end insurance industry discrimination against children with autism. As a vote on the bill nears, insurance lobbyists are putting pressure on legislators to vote against the legislation. That’s why families from the autism community and Autism Speaks have lobbied at the state capitol. But now, with time running out, we need every possible voice – everyone directly or indirectly affected by autism – to be heard to get this bill passed.
If you live in Pennsylvania and you want to make sure that your legislator supports this bill, follow the links below to our latest take action notices!
Call Your Legislators
-Then-
Email Your Legislators
Learn more about the Autism Benefit Insurance Restoration Bill here.
More With Autism Insurance Reform
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Note/Warning:
Autistic people have fought the inclusion of ABA in therapy for us since before Autism Speaks, and other non-Autistic-led autism organizations, started lobbying legislation to get it covered by insurances and Medicaid.
ABA is a myth originally sold to parents that it would keep their Autistic child out of an institution. Today, parents are told that with early intervention therapy their child will either be less Autistic or no longer Autistic by elementary school, and can be mainstreamed in typical education classes. ABA is very expensive to pay out of pocket. Essentially, Autism Speaks has justified the big price tag up front will offset the overall burden on resources for an Autistic’s lifetime. The recommendation for this therapy is 40 hours a week for children and toddlers.
The original study that showed the success rate of ABA to be at 50% has never been replicated. In fact, the study of ABA by United States Department of Defense was denounced as a failure. Not just once, but multiple times. Simply stated: ABA doesn’t work. In study after repeated study: ABA (conversion therapy) doesn’t work.
What more recent studies do show: Autistics who experienced ABA therapy are at high risk to develop PTSD and other lifelong trauma-related conditions. Historically, the autism organizations promoting ABA as a cure or solution have silenced Autistic advocates’ opposition. ABA is also known as gay conversion therapy.
The ‘cure’ for Autistics not born yet is the prevention of birth.
The ‘cure’ is a choice to terminate a pregnancy based on ‘autism risk.’ The cure is abortion. This is the same ‘cure’ society has for Down Syndrome.
This is eugenics 2021. Instead of killing Autistics and disabled children in gas chambers or ‘mercy killings’ like in Aktion T4, it’ll happen at the doctor’s office, quietly, one Autistic baby at a time. Different approaches yes, but still eugenics and the extinction of an entire minority group of people.
Fact: You can’t cure Autistics from being Autistic.
Fact: You can’t recover an Autistic from being Autistic.
Fact: You can groom an Autistic to mask and hide their traits. Somewhat. … however, this comes at the expense of the Autistic child, promotes Autistic Burnout (this should not be confused with typical burnout, Autistic Burnout can kill Autistics), and places the Autistic child at high risk for PTSD and other lifelong trauma-related conditions.
[Note: Autism is NOT a disease, but a neurodevelopmental difference and disability.]
Fact: Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism.
International Badass Activists 