If blogging can find a kidney...

... it sure as heck ought to be able to pass a bill right? As you know, this is Evan. My darling, spunky nephew.

He was recently diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. He falls somewhere between Asperberger's Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder-not otherwise specified.(They've still got more testing to do before they nail down an "official" diagnosis. For now, they're "labeling" him as PDD-NOS) Basically he's considered a high-functioning autistic child. (Amongst other things - cute, chubby, smiley, bashful, loving, caring and spunky, to name a few.) With this new diagnosis comes a new routine for Evan, which involves fairly intensive speech and occupational therapy. Oh, and by the way, insurance doesn't cover any of it. Why? Because it's related to Autism, which doesn't have a cure. However, what has been neglected by the insurance companies is that with therapy and treatment provided to children early on in life, their condition can dramatically be improved. So much so, that over time you don't know that the child even has autism. Not in every case, obviously, but in enough. Especially when they are high functioning, as Evan is. Oh, and another thing. This therapy isn't cheap. It's actually quite expensive. Gotta love insurance, right? So I have this teency, weency, little favor to ask. Make a phone call or send a letter or email to your legislator asking them to support Clay's Bill or co-sponsor the Utah Autism Insurance Bill. My sister has a sample letter on her blog or you can go here for points on what to say if you'd rather make a phone call. And if you happen to have time to do it by January 1st, that would be awesome. If not, send it in asap. Don't know who your legislator is? No worries, I don't either. You can go here or here to find out who you need to contact. Or, if you'd rather, my sister, Ashley, would gladly look that up for you. You can e-mail her at ashley_n_raines@yahoo.com. I realize that this is going to take a few minutes of your time during this crazy busy holiday season. We also realize that this particular bill may be too late to get the insurance coverage for Evan's treatment. We're looking to the future here people. Let's get the ball rolling and make some changes. It's not like I'm asking for your kidney. I've already done that. :)