Autism Treatment Assistance Program

      Carson City – Legislators on the Assembly Ways and Means Committee will consider A.B. 315 and A.B. 316 today. A.B. 315 would establish the Autism Treatment Assistance Program (ATAP) as the primary treatment program for children through the age of 19 years. A.B. 316 establishes regulations to assess and evaluate persons with autism who receive services though public programs.

Currently, autism services in the Nevada are divided across three divisions withinthe Department of Health and Human Services:

• The Division of Aging and Disability Services
• Mental Health and Development services, and

• The Health Division 

Consolidation of these services would ensure that state funding for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) would be used effectively, funding only evidence-based treatments.

The primary sponsor of the legislation is Assemblywoman Melissa Woodbury, R-Las Vegas. Woodbury, an educator for 16 years, has been actively pursuing ways to improve treatment to special needs children. 9 of her 16 years as an educator have been spent teaching children with special needs.

“ Having spent most of my years in the Clark County School District teaching children with special needs, three of those years devoted specifically to teaching children with autism, as well as having a nephew with autism, I have seen first-hand the impact the disorder has on the lives of many individuals with autism and their families,” said Woodbury. “ The goal of this bill is to provide consistency, improve  outcomes for children with Autism in Nevada, and reduce the long-term cost to taxpayers,” said Woodbury.



The price tag to provide lifetime care for one untreated low-functioning person with autism can run as high as $6 million. Most of that cost is in adult care.

“ I have seen the difference that early, intensive intervention can make. Autism is treatable and I remain devoted to improving outcomes both in my personal teaching interactions as well as with legislation that will open the doors for all children with autism to receive early diagnosis and appropriate, evidence-basedtreatment,” said Woodbury

A .B. 315 and A.B. 316 have received bi-partisan support in the State Assemblyand the State Senate.