Dive Brief:
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data has found that one in every 68 children in the U.S. is diagnosed on the autism spectrum, and with that more employers are covering applied behavioral analytics (ABA) and offering other autistic benefits in their healthcare plans, according to Employee Benefits Advisor.
- ABA, a leading treatment strategy, tries to determine how a person diagnosed with developmental delays behaves in social situations and how they can learn and adapt for their surroundings, EBA reports.
- Autism Speaks, an advocacy group, estimates that 40% of Fortune 50 employers offer benefits such as ABA, diagnostic testing, pharmaceutical coverage and speech physical and occupational therapies as well. And more employers are getting the message.
Dive Insight:
ABA had long been omitted from plans, but more employers are offering coverage, says Lorri Unumb, vice president, state government affairs for Autism Speaks.
One employer singled out in the EBA article is JPMorgan Chase, which began offering autism benefits to its 160,000 U.S. employees starting on Jan. 1, 2014, a move that came on the heels of a "well-received Autism awareness event" occurring within the firm in 2013, according to EBA.
Autism Speaks offers information including fact sheets and a PowerPoint presentation that explains what employers can offer in benefit packages.
