Military families champion autism bill

by Julian Pecquet - 01/31/12 7:27 PM ET

{mosads}The Caring for Military Kids with Autism Act, introduced last June, would require TRICARE to cover behavioral health treatments — including applied behavioral analysis — when prescribed by a physician. Just the cost of early intervention, which has been shown to dramatically increase a child’s IQ, can cost up to $50,000 a year, according to the advocacy and science organization Autism Speaks.

The bill comes amid a mysterious surge in autism over the past decade, Autism Speaks says, only about half of which can be explained by increased awareness and a broadening of the diagnostic criteria.

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