THE LEGISLATURE is considering a bill entitled An Act Relative to Insurance Coverage for Autism. This will require insurers to provide the coverage necessary for individuals to be screened and treated for Autism Spectrum Disorders. As chair of the Boston City Council’s Committee on Education, a former teacher, and a parent, I care deeply about the education of all of our students and I make no exception for the 11,520 Boston Public School students with special needs, of which more than 500 are diagnosed with ASDs.

This bill will improve the effectiveness and quality of our classrooms and provide much needed support to families. Lack of early detection places students in inappropriate learning environments. By increasing health coverage to include autism diagnosis, affected students can be quickly identified and placed into appropriate classrooms. The current system places the financial and social burden of identifying and treating special-needs students on school districts. Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism science and advocacy organization, projects that Massachusetts would be able to save about $7 million in early intervention costs, should insurance companies be required to expand their coverage.

JOHN CONNOLLY
Boston
The writer is Boston city councilor at large.