Solving three crises simultaneously
Autism is becoming more prevalent in the U.S. and no one is sure why. Frustrated by the uneven treatment their autistic kids were getting from school-based systems, a group of parents founded Autism Speaks to change how care is administered. Working state-by-state across the U.S., they worked to move autism therapy from a school-based to an insurance-based model.
They did it. And then the wheels came off.
Suddenly, families with autistic kids couldn’t access the care they had been getting through schools. They were at sea.
Behavioral therapists no longer reached their patients through the schools, and the schools didn’t know where to direct them.
Insurance companies had zero experience for risks they were suddenly responsible for assessing, managing, and billing.
ASG — Autism Services Group — was founded to provide a central resource for these groups to work together. As autism ABA therapy shifted from schools to insurers, ASG stepped in to provide families, therapists, and insurers direction and links to resources to help everyone move to the new model with minimal disruption.
We created an online hub of central information, followed by outreach to each group in print, email, and at events. And it worked. Families living with autism, the healthcare providers and therapists who deliver their care, and the insurers who pay for it were able to move through the transition with clear guidance from online and offline materials made available to each group that answered their questions and anticipated their coming needs.
Clear direction for families,
for healthcare providers,
and for insurers as the model for care changes.