Maine Isn't Treating Children With Disabilities As Required Under Federal Law

Sophie Parent used to keep to herself a lot more. She played on her own. She didn’t seek out much social interaction. “I could tell that she wasn’t going to be a snuggly kid. Affection was not high on her list,” said her mother, Alisha Parent. “If she didn’t get a lot of hugs and stuff, she didn’t seem to care one way or another.” When Sophie was 13 months old, her mom said, “Her pediatrician looked at me and said, ‘Have you ever heard of autism?’”

Sophie turned 3 in July. Today, she’s social, affectionate, empathetic and talkative.

“We walk down the street, and she smiles at everyone, makes solid eye contact with people. That took time,” Parent said. “For me to say, ‘OK, Soph, look at Mama and tell me what you need,’ we’ve seen huge progress there.”

Sophie’s steps forward show what can happen when young children with autism — whose numbers have surged in Maine over the past two decades — receive intensive behavioral treatment at an age when their brain circuitry is still developing. The intervention can change the trajectory for young children, research has shown, even allowing children to shed their autism diagnosis and go through school without the support of special education.

Read more: http://mainepublic.org/post/maine-isnt-treating-children-disabilities-required-under-federal-law