Gov. Blunt seeks more funding for autism aid w/ Autism fact sheet

By Joe Hadsall

jhadsall@joplinglobe.com

Children afflicted with autism and their families will benefit from a booming state economy.

Gov. Matt Blunt visited the Ozark Center for Autism on Friday in Joplin to announce another funding initiative for autism-related services.

Blunt proposed $12.4 million in new funding to support diagnosis and treatment. About $100,000 of that is earmarked for the Ozark Center, which opened last year as part of the Freeman Health System’s network.

Nikki Straw, parent of a daughter with autism, was overcome after hearing how much the governor recommended.

“This is a godsend,” Straw said. “This is what I was hoping to hear.”

Straw was a member of a statewide committee dealing with autism-spectrum disorders. The committee turned in a list of 36 recommendations last month to deal with the disease.

Blunt’s plan for the money follows some of those recommendations, Straw said. About $6.4 million of the allocation would be used to hire more workers to help reduce waiting lists, and provide diagnoses and services.

“There are more than 200 children in Southwest Missouri on a waiting list to get diagnosed,” Straw said. “Until they get that diagnosis, they can’t get services they need. And they may be on that list for nine months to a year.”

Straw said children can only receive a diagnosis of autism from centers in Columbia, Kansas City or St. Louis. A new center will be built in Cape Girardeau on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University.

Southwest Missouri needs such a center, Straw said.

The state passed a budget that provided a $3.9 million increase for autism services, doubling the amount spent. Blunt said his recommendation is the second doubling in a row for a disease that has become an epidemic.

Blunt said a booming state economy is providing funds for the spending increase. He said he will fight for the funding if the economy takes a downturn.

“This is a priority of mine,” Blunt said. “We’ll do everything we can to sustain it, and keep going forward with creating jobs and other investments into our economy.”