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SALT LAKE CITY -- Parents of children with autism say it's not just a diagnosis or a fad, it's a lifelong thing. That's why they are happy to hear of a new statewide partnership to target autism.
For some reason, Utah has a higher incidence of autism than the national average. One in 77 8-year-olds in Utah were diagnosed in 2008. Today the president of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Utah, Robert Hatch, gave a $450 thousand grant to the U. of U. to launch a statewide autism resource partnership.
"It screams for a focus and we hope this grant will bring that catalyst, to bring the focus we need to find more answers and reduce the number of questions we have on autism," said Laura Anderson, who has a 15-year-old son with autism. "Somebody's finally stepping up to the plate and taking the lead, and moving forward at a level that we've never had before."
They hope the partnership will provide a "one stop shop" for autism resources including treatment, research and support.
"This isn't a fad, the numbers are increasing," said Anderson. "This is going to affect our community for years to come."
Email: mrichards@ksl.com.
