CHICAGO AUTISM NETWORK
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Mission Statement
Chicago Autism Network is dedicated to strengthening the local autism community by helping those in need find and afford effective autism therapy. To accomplish our mission we have established the Therapy Assistance Grant Program which gives financial assistance to families who need, but can't afford intensive therapy. We are also working on a website that will feature a user-friendly directory of local service providers to help locals more quickly connect with providers who fit their specific needs.
About This Cause
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability of varying severity often accompanied by deficits in communication, social skills, and behavior. In order to meet developmental milestones that come naturally to neurotypical children such as speaking, socializing and toilet training, the National Research Council has recommended that young people with ASD get a minimum of 25 hours of therapy per week. Without intensive therapy, many individuals with autism will fail to develop skills necessary for a happy, independent life. While the greater Chicagoland area has a wealth of autism programs, low-income families are often excluded from these services for two reasons: 1) A lack of knowledge about the services available. There are many different types of therapy that can be helpful to people with ASD. However, ASD is a broad spectrum, so two people with autism might benefit from very different types of therapy. Low-income families often lack the resources to research the different services available that would best benefit their loved one, and are thus unable to connect with appropriate service providers. 2) A lack of insurance and financial resources. 25 hours of therapy per week adds up to 1,300 hours of therapy per year. With therapy costs at $100-$160/hour, without insurance, that quickly adds up to well over $130,000 per year. Even with insurance, many families cannot afford the $2,000 -$10,000+. yearly out-of-pocket expenses. Since most service providers do not accept Medicaid, low-income families are left with just state-mandated services, which usually fall short of both the quantity and quality of services needed. By contrast, families with better education, insurance and financial resources can get basically unlimited therapy tailored to their loved one’s strengths and deficits. We believe that regardless of socioeconomic status or education, all individuals with autism deserve access to these life-changing therapies. To change the current state of inequality in access to treatment, we have been working on two solutions: 1) We are creating a website to help families navigate an ASD diagnosis. It will contain general autism information, as well as info about local services. We are currently developing a directory of local autism service providers that can be filtered according to age, location, type of program, insurance, etc. enabling families to connect with service providers as quickly as they can Google a good place to eat. We also plan to create a smartphone app to guide families through creating a care plan for their loved one with ASD. 2) In the fall of 2018 we created the Therapy Assistance Grant Program, where families can apply for up to $8,500 to help cover therapy costs and/or insurance premiums for a full calendar year. To date, we have awarded over $140,000 to help families in underserved communities access life-changing autism therapy!