Autism Treatment Los Angeles

Happy 4th of July! How will you celebrate this year?

Last updated 10 months ago

We wish you and your family a happy and safe 4th of July! If you are looking for a fun way to celebrate, take a look at this website that lists the best 4th of July fireworks in the Los Angeles area.

STAR California will be closed on Wednesday in honor of the holiday. Normal hours resume Thursday!

Despite laws, Thousands with autism may still be without Critical Behavior Therapy! Important news article for families!

Last updated 10 months ago

NBC News Story

California’s historic move to require insurance companies to cover behavioral interventions for autism could still leave thousands of Californians with limited access to the expensive therapy.

Monday, July 2: NBC4 Hosts Experts to Answer Your Questions About Behaviorally Based Treatment for Autism

More: Mandated Coverage for Behavioral Interventions for Autism Begins Sunday

Starting this month, most plans will have to cover the intervention, called applied behavioral analysis and widely believed to be one of the most effective treatments for the autism and other developmental disorders.

The therapy involves working intensely with a child or adult to break down even the most simple of social and vocational tasks into tiny steps that can be learned by most people.

But even though the goal was to make the intervention available to most Californians through their insurance, many plans will not offer it. That’s because most of the largest employers are exempt from state requirements under a 1970s-era law that was actually meant to protect privately funded pension plans.

The law says that any company that is self-insured – meaning that they pay for the care that their employees through a fund they’ve set up to handle those expenses – are subject to federal regulation, but exempt from many regulations imposed by the states.

Most large employers fall into this category, which means that covering behavioral therapy for autism will be voluntary for them.

Some large companies have decided to comply with the law anyway, said Tammy Pederson, director of insurance for Trumpet Behavioral Health. But many have not.

“There’s starting to be huge pressure on companies to cover this,” Pederson said. “But it’s absolutely voluntary. They do it because the families need it.”

Until now, families have either had to rely on public assistance to pay for the services, or shoulder the cost themselves. Because a behaviorist will work with a child for 25 hours per week or more, the treatment can cost thousands of dollars per month.

To find out if your insurance will cover the therapy, don't just speak to customer service, Pederson suggested. Instead, call and ask for the autism unit. Workers there will be more likely to know if the plan will cover behavioral interventions in compliance with the new law.

Many families whose insurance will not cover the therapy will be able to receive it through a series of state agencies known as regional centers. These are the same agencies that have been covering for some children through the public sector.

A list of regional centers statewide can be found by clicking this link, and parents can ask that their loved ones with autism be evaluated for behavioral interventions. The therapy is also available to people with some other developmental disabilities.

But not all people with autistic-like tendencies can get for services from the regional centers, which are overstretched financially and have in recent years been forced to cut back.

Others may find that they do have insurance coverage for the therapy, but that the co-payments put it out of reach anyway.

Pederson, who is working with NBC4 to staff a call-in line for viewers trying to find out more about behavioral therapy and the new law, said it’s important for families facing expensive deductibles and co-payments to go back to their local regional centers to see if they can get financial assistance.

The regional centers, meanwhile, have been told by state lawmakers that it would be illegal for them to fund behavioral services for people who are covered under th

eir insurance.

So thousands of families received notifications in June that they will be dropped from the state-funded program unless they can show that they are not covered.

Even more confusing, each regional center is responsible for implementing its own version of the law, so there is no clear answer to questions about whether there will be help with co-payments, or whether services will be interrupted as children transition from state-provided benefits to private ones.

Phil Bonnet, executive director of the Alta Regional Center in the Sacramento area said it’s important for families to work with their local regional centers to make sure that services for their loved ones are not interrupted or imperiled as the state struggles to figure out who will be covered by private insurance and who will need assistance.

Bonnet said he does not expect families to be unceremoniously thrown out of the system in July simply because the law has changed. Rather, he said, state officials will work with families to ensure a smooth transition.

“We’re not the police, and we’re not great bill collectors,” Bonnet said. “We’re just a bunch of social workers trying to help the kids and the families.”

Are you ready to make a difference?? STAR of CA is now hiring Behavior Therapists and BCBA Supervisors! Email your resume today!

Last updated 10 months ago

STAR of California

Are you a recent college grad looking for meaningful employment? Are you a psychology or education student looking for applied experience in your field before applying to graduate school? Tired of jobs? Start a CAREER!

STAR of CA is looking for qualified, energetic people to provide state of the art behavioral services to children with autism! Work one-on-one with children, get valuable experience, get paid, and have fun doing it!

Positions Available: Part Time Behavioral Interventionist, with the possibility of a full time caseload following a probationary/training period. We are VERY motivated to hire those with afternoon (3-7pm) availability. Spanish-speaking is a plus!

Serving Ventura County, Santa Barbara, SLO, SF Valley, Santa Clarita, West LA and South Bay!

Behavioral Interventionist Job Description
- Provide ABA treatment to children with autism in home and or school setting.
- Work with families and provide parent education.

Job Qualifications
- Prefer a BA in Psychology, Child Development, Communication Disorders, Education or related field. Past experience a plus!
- Prefer past experience with children, especially children with autism
- Valid CA driver's license and reliable transportation.
- Pass an FBI/ DOJ Clearance

Benefits
- Initial and continued training in ABA methodologies.
- Earn hours towards licensure! Supervision by Board Certified Behavior Analysts
- Medical Insurance
- Dental and Vision Coverage
- 401 K plan
- Mileage and drive time reimbursements

If interested, please submit a cover letter and resume to jobs@starautism.com Come join our team!

Autism Family Night at the Santa Barbara Zoo! Thursday, July 12 from 5-8pm

Last updated 10 months ago

The Santa Barbara Zoo stays open late for a tranquil summer evening especially for families whose lives have been affected by autism.

See animals play with enrichment toys
Ride the new Zoo Train
Talk to the Zookeepers
Collect stamps on the Zoo Map
Gluten/dairy free food available for purchase

Understanding How Speech Therapy Can Help Your Child with Autism

Last updated 10 months ago

Autism is most often initially diagnosed by patterns of poor speech development and difficulties with social interaction, because the language centers of the brain are affected by autism spectrum disorders. Speech therapy can be beneficial, as it will help your child develop the basic and complex language skills that are required to improve social and learning experiences. Here are some of the differences that you may notice in your child’s life when you add speech therapy as part of an autism treatment plan.

Increased response to social cues. Language is about more than simple words, as eye contact, hand gestures, and speaking tone are all important components of effective communication. Speech therapy addresses how to identify these elements of language and interpret them accordingly so that your child can respond and speak more clearly in social situations.

Better school performance. Improvements in language skills will be extremely beneficial in schooling, whether your child is attending mainstream school programs or a more specialized institution. Communication with the teacher and classmates will be clearer and more effective, and your child will have an easier time getting the concepts of lessons while completing assignments.

Improved personal relationships. Since your child will learn ways to communicate in a more meaningful way, he or she will have an easier time making and keeping friends. This is beneficial for children with autism, as increased social interaction tends to encourage basic sharing skills while also encouraging interactive physical activity.

Speech therapy can begin early in a child’s life, as communication skills become essential before language is fully developed. You can learn more about speech therapy and other helpful modalities for managing autism by working with STAR California in Southern California. To see some of the benefits we can offer to your family, explore our evidence-based treatments online or call us today at (805) 624-6982.