1. Retrieved from: http://www. tacanow
Retrieved from: on February 10, 2012

2. Autism Facts Autism prevalence figures are growing
More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined
Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.
Autism costs the nation over $35 billion per year, a figure expected to significantly increase in the next decade
Autism receives approximately 5% of the government research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases
Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism
While there is no medical detection or known cure for autism, thousands of children have shown significant improvement resulting from early diagnosis and use of effective interventions
The increase in prevalence rate cannot be explained by better diagnosis alone. Some have suggested that autism is just being better diagnosed today versus years ago and that many cases of mental retardation are now being coded as autism. This would also assume that the experts diagnosing autism before did not know what they were doing. This is NOT TRUE. Autism is the only disorder dramatically on the rise while mental retardation, Down syndrome and cystic fibrosis remain relatively the same.   A January 2009 UC MIND Institute study refutes this notion.
While the cause of autism remains unclear, current studies show genetics and environment both play a role in the autism prevalence increase. (Genetic Heritability and Shared Environmental Factors Among Twin Pairs With Autism Joachim Hallmayer, MD; etal – Arch Gen Psychiatry. Published online July 4, doi: /archgenpsychiatry
Retrieved from: on February 10, 2012

3. Presented by: Michael Jones Carrie Gravely
County-Level Variation in the Prevalence of Medicaid-Enrolled Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Written by: David S. Mandell, Knashawn H. Morales, Ming Xie, Daniel Polsky, Aubyn Stahmer and Steven C. Marcus
Presented by:
Michael Jones
Carrie Gravely

4. Summary of Article
Resources used to identify students with ASD in the Medicaid system
How localities’ implementation of Medicaid policies differ
Medicaid is the focus because many of the services needed for children with ASD require only medical services and therefore do not qualify for funding under IDEA
Localities have different identification and treatment policies through Medicaid
Findings suggest identification policies should be improved for ASD

5. Research Methods 3 data sources
2004 Medicaid Analytic eXtract (MAX) database
National Center for Education Statistics’ Common Core of Data – revenue and number of children in SPED.
2004 Resource File – county wide demographic and healthcare resource
Only used children 9 months or older in 2004
County level data for staffing

6. Variables to the Research
No. of Medicaid enrolled children with ASD
County characteristics
County healthcare resources
County demographic characteristics
County characteristics – total expenditures per student; proportion of students in SPED; total number of elem. And secondary students; pupil-teacher ratio
County health care - # of pediatricians and pediatric specialists
County demographic-median income, percentage of whites, percentage of poverty, percentage of medicaid people

7. Results of the Research
Counties with greater per student expenditures had lower identified Medicaid ASD children
Counties with more students identified as needing SPED services had higher ASD Medicaid identified children
Counties with high per capita of pediatricians had greater Medicaid ASD
Counties with higher white population had higher identification of Medicaid ASD

8. Conclusion Counties differ in how they use the Medicaid policies.
Need outreach to minority groups and doctors to diagnose ASD
Could be geographically or ethnically targeted
States vary in their approach to Medicaid to address needs of children with ASD
May cause counties to not use Medicaid
Important to understand Medicaid policies at the local level for identification

9. Perception of the Rigor of Research
The article was written in 2010 but the data source was from 2004.
Follow up studies in succeeding years would have substantiated the findings from 2004

10. Type of Policy Regulatory Strategies for promoting support
According to Fowler (2009) regulatory policies are formalized rules expressed in general terms and applied to large groups of people (p. 241). The Medicaid Policy is third largest form of health insurance in the United States. It is then managed by States and then localities.
Strategies for promoting support
Localities need to understand the policy
Medicaid and IDEA are separate funding sources to provide services to children.

11. Benefits of Policy Money for Schools
Students with Autism comprise the Second Largest paying Medicaid Disability Category for Schools
Including Medicaid Autism can bring in much potential funding
Specially Tailored Instruction for students with Autism from Specially Trained Teachers
Schools should carefully author policies to ensure equal levels of service are provided to students with equivalent levels of impairment

12. Unintended Consequences
Reverse Discrimination
A higher percentage of white students is associated with a higher percentage of services for autism
Diagnostic criteria should be applied fairly
Disproportionality
Some disabilities occur more often in some groups than in others
Subgroups should be ignored and diagnostic criteria should be used similarly with all students

13. Lessons Learned
The Importance of Fairly implementing Identification Policies
Labels Should be Applied Fairly
Placement Guidelines Should be Closely Followed
Some discrepancies between subgroups may naturally occur.

14. References
Fowler, F. C. (2009). Policy studies for educational leaders (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Mandell, D. S., Morales, K. H., Xie, M., Polsky, D., Stahmer, A, & Marcus, S. C. (2010). County-level variation in the prevalence of medicaid-enrolled children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40(10), doi: /s