If you want to start your week on a depressing note, consider this: If your child is autistic and you aren't independently wealthy, then you can expect to go broke trying to provide your child with appropriate care.
Detroit News: "We've done music therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and more," said Shannon Gougeon whose 11-year-old son, Travis, was diagnosed with autism in 2003. She and her husband, Bob, a computer security technician, spent thousands on treatments until two years ago, when they filed for bankruptcy.
"We're not doing much now because we can't afford it," Gougeon said. "We dug ourselves in too much of a hole, and went in debt by almost $200,000."
A new state law will require Blue Cross to cover treatment, but other insurers aren't and Blue Cross's state-mandated coverage will have limits. Plus, Michigan has a shortage of autism therapists. Christ. -- JTW
