CLAY COUNTY – According to the CDC, approximately one in 54 children is diagnosed with autism each year. About 2% of all children in the United States have some form of the disorder, which can encompass a range of conditions, symptoms and traits.

However, autism detection and treatment are often delayed. The wait times for undergoing a diagnosis screening and starting therapy in Florida can range from eight to 24 months, and even then, children on the spectrum may not receive the care they need until they are of school age. This can set treatment back and present challenges later in life.

So why are we seeing longer waitlists? Why are autistic children not getting the therapies they need to be successful in life?

“I think we need more evaluators. When there are not enough evaluators, then the waitlist is longer and they can’t access the services that they need. Because northeast Florida is so large, getting evaluated in Clay County can be really hard if there are only two evaluators in this county,” said Lilibeth Rodriguez, community outreach coordinator of Cultivate Behavioral Health and Education in Orange Park. CBHE is a learning center for children with autism.

“The schools can do evaluations,” Rodriguez said. “But they don’t typically evaluate the child until their fifth or sixth birthday depending on when they enter school. Typically, insurance will not cover them if they get an educational evaluation.

“So they really need a medical diagnosis to receive proper care. This is where things get tricky because families are depending on the schools to get an evaluation. They have the diagnosis and they have the school evaluation, but the insurance doesn’t accept that all the time.”

Without a medical diagnosis, insurance companies won’t cover treatment. They require an official diagnosis before they’ll pay for applied behavior analysis, the most common type of autism therapy, Rodriguez said.

“Really, it’s the standard treatment for children of the autism spectrum. It’s medically necessary support for children. We can work with children as early as they are evaluated.”

Without the proper evaluation, treatment can be set back for months, even years. “That’s something that I think that we can do better, letting people know the difference and where they can go to receive the appropriate evaluation.”

For many parents of young children, waiting for an evaluation can be frustrating and confusing. Many parents don’t know what to do or how to move forward with getting their children the proper care they need. However, some resources can help. “For children, the diagnostic piece is really challenging. And for families, they have to decide what their next plan of action is,” said Rodriguez, “but there are many things you can do. I always suggest using developmental monitoring. The CDC has a Milestone App that you can use to track your child’s development. You can make a personal profile for your child and it will give you activities based on their age. It’s fun interactions that help supports interpersonal skills or motor skills, whatever area they may be lacking in.”

Cultivate’s clinical team was at the Fleming Island Library on Thursday, Nov. 3 to present information on understanding your child’s behaviors, the functions of behavior, and understanding how Applied Behavioral Analysis can help.

For those who couldn’t attend on Thursday, another session will be offered on Dec. 8 at the Green Cove Springs Library.

“We also a virtual social skills group for ages 6 to 10,” Rodriguez said. “They meet and do a show and tell. They can have fun with it.”

If you have questions about therapies and supports for your child, contact Cultivate Behavioral Health and Education through their website or Facebook page. They will also be available to chat during the College Drive Initiative Food Truck Nights.