In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the day-to-day challenges facing autistic people and their families. As many posts have discussed, the challenges are especially great for military families.
A Facebook post from Tricare celebrating April as “Autism Acceptance Month” has struck a nerve, with hundreds of military families criticizing the Defense Department for its health care coverage of autism treatment for military families.
Families complained that recent DoD policy changes have resulted in cuts in coverage for autism treatment.
“What a gross post from a group that has made getting services so difficult for hundreds of people,” wrote Meigan Toland, commenting on Tricare’s simple April 8 post.
At last look on April 11, there were 690 comments to the post, which reads: “We can all work to make room for more inclusivity and tolerance with just a little patience, understanding and education. Learn more about Tricare coverage of Autism treatment: tricare.mil/autism.
The post “immediately, albeit unintentionally, highlighted the concerns and limitations with the changes in autism care that many military families encounter,” stated a press release from the organization Exceptional Families of the Military.
