Breeonna Werner

Professor Brett Campbell

February 9, 2015

Social Issue

Autism and Funding

People with autism struggle tremendously in today’s generation. Through one of my jobs I had worked with individuals with autism including young children, as well as adults. For the parents it can be very rough. They are often mentally and physically drained from the challenges they face from trying to help their child cope with life.

After doing some research I learned that one in 68 children will be diagnosed with autism. The families that have autism within their family are known to only make 28 percent less income than parents who do not have a child with autism. The cost for medical treatment and support can be extremely expensive for these families. More often than not, one parent may have to quit their job, because most people who have autism require being supervised very closely. A lot of these people cannot take of themselves including getting dressed, bathing, making food, etc. Some may need special equipment to help with their daily lives. Many use I pads to help them learn as well as wheelchairs, or headgear if they are self-injurious.

From what I have seen, it seems as though there are not enough resources for people that have autism. Many families have to pay out of pocket for the medical expenses and specialized care for their child. Some health insurance plans will not cover most of the costs because they consider some services to be more educational rather than a medical necessity. This puts quite the strain on these families, because they have to find a way to make things work the best way that they can.

“Autism Speaks” is a large organization that support those who are autistic. After doing some research on this, I learned that it doesn’t help as much as we would like to believe. In 2012 only four percent of their budget went towards those who have autism to help them as well as their families. The rest went to their employees, and research and advertising. This seems so wrong because I know of so many people that have an autistic child that cannot get financial help and are struggling to make ends meet.

The truth is that there isn’t enough research and funding for autism. People need help. It makes me wonder where the money that is donated to organizations actually goes. Is it really helping someone’s family or the person who is autistic, or is it going to research for autism. Do we really need that much research? I don’t think so because there is no cure for autism. We still do not know what causes autism. It is a developmental disability that affects their social and motor skills. This cannot be cured.

I think people need to become more involved. It hurts to know that there are so many families out there that are struggling due to lack of funding. I know of a few clients I worked with that could not get funded for a group home, and they desperately need it, considering that their parents are incapable of taking care of them. After an autistic individual reaches a specific age, it becomes more difficult for the families to take care of them on a daily basis. These people need all the help they can get, and sadly there isn’t enough help to go around.

I would like to do more volunteer work for people with disabilities to make a difference in their lives. When I did it for a job, it was so amazing. I enjoyed every minute of it. It was not easy, but it was worth the challenges I experienced. I think more people should become involved in their community for people who have disabilities. Any bit of help can make a difference. Even though it is not financial help, it still makes you feel awesome and it gives people closure and warmth.