Rep. Zack Hawkins, D-Durham, and Monique Baker, who operates a firm that provides applied behavioral analysis for children with autism, say pending legislation would make it easier for children in North Carolina to get treatment.
MAKE IT EASIER FOR THESE FAMILIES TO HAVE ACCESS TO LIFE- CHANGING THERAPY. APPLY BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS IS AN EARLY INTERVENTION FOR YOUNG CHILDREN. IT IS CURRENTLY HARD TO GET IN NORTH CAROLINA, WHICH IS THE ONLY STATE THAT REQUIRES CHILDREN BEING TREATED BY BEHAVIORAL ANALYSTS TO HAVE SUPERVISION BY A SPECIALIZED PSYCHOLOGIST. NOW WE ONLY HAVE 62 OF THOSE IN THE STATE. EXPERTS ESTIMATE THERE ARE ROUGHLY 65,000 CHILDREN IN NORTH CAROLINA ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM. GETTING RID OF THIS HURDLE WOULD ALLOW FOR MANY OF THEM TO HAVE ACCESS TO THIS TREATMENT. JOINING US NOW TO TALK ABOUT IT IS REPRESENTATIVE ZACH HAWKIN. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TONIGHT. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> REPRESENTATIVE HAWKINS, WE'LL START WITH YOU. THIS IS PERSONAL FOR YOU AS YOU SAID. DO YOU SEE ANY HURDLES TO THIS PASSING? >> RIGHT NOW I DON'T, GERALD. I THINK WE MADE TREMENDOUS MOVES FORWARD. OVER THE LAST FOUR, FIVE YEARS, WE HAVE ISSUES. AND TODAY YOU SAW ONE OR TWO SENATORS WHO DON'T. THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE SESSION PRIOR. SO EVERY SESSION WE ARE SEEMING TO GET A LITTLE CLOSER, AND WE HAVE SO MANY MORE PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND AUTISM. WHO HAS A FAMILY MEMBER GET IMPACTED, AND WANTS TO SEE EVERYONE GET ACCESS TO CARE. I FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT THIS SESSION. >> MONIQUE, HOW COULD THIS BILL CHANGE WHAT YOU DO EVERY DAY? >> SURE. THIS WILL BE LIFE CHANGING FOR FAMILIES WHO HAVE A CHILD WITH AUTISM. I NEVER GET USED TO HAVING A FAMILY CALL IN AND HAVING TO TELL THEM THEY'RE GOING TO BE SITTING ON A WAIT LIST FOR SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR. THAT'S A REALITY ALL ACROSS OUR STATE. I HAVE TO PAY FOR SUPERVISION FROM A LICENSE PSYCHOLOGIST THAT ARE EXTREMELY LIMITED. AND HAVE TO PAY FOR TWO PEOPLE WHEN IN ANY OTHER STATE ONE HIGHLY QUALIFIED PERSON COULD BE DOING THAT JOB. AND SO IT CREATES HUGE BARRIERS TO ACCESS TO CARE. THIS COULD BE LIFE CHANGING IN MAKING THAT AVAILABLE FOR FAMILIES WITH AUTISM. >> REPRESENTATIVE HAWKINS, TALK TO US BEFORE YOUR CHILDREN WERE BORN AND HOW YOUR THINKING HAS CHANGED NOW THAT YOU HAVE TWO CHILDREN ON THE SPECTRUM. COMPARE YOURSELF THEN TO YOURSELF NOW. >> THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE QUESTION. BEFORE, HONESTLY, IT WASN'T ON MY RADAR. I KNEW WHAT AUTISM WAS, I WAS A FORMER CLASSROOM TEACHER. BUT TO UNDERSTAND, HAVING GONE THROUGH IT AND HAVING TWO WITHIN A YEAR TO BE DIAGNOSED AND TO SEE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE AND ATTENTION THEY NEED, AND TO THINK FAMILIES AROUND NORTH CAROLINA DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO IT FOR TWO REASONS. A, THEY DON'T LIVE IN THE RIGHT ZIP CODE OR COUNTY AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT INSURANCE. THOSE TWO THINGS ARE THINGS THAT KEEP MY WIFE AND I UP EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. THINKING THE SERVICES THAT WE NOW HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT OTHER FAMILIES ARE THINKING. AND THEN NOT TO MENTION THERE ARE FAMILIES, AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER TODAY THAT WANT TO MOVE TO NORTH CAROLINA, BUT DON'T BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO SERVE THE MANY KIDS AND FAMILIES THAT ARE DEALING WITH AUTISM ON THE DAILY BASIS. >> WELBY PARTISAN SUPPORT ON ANYTHING SHOULD BE CHERISHED THESE DAYS. WE WISH YOU THE BEST WITH THIS BILL MOVING FORWARD. MONIQUE BAKER, ZACH HAWKINS, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU HELPING US UNDERSTAND THIS IMPORTANT
