Arkansas Autism Partnership
Project Description:
The Arkansas Autism Partnership is the state's Medicaid waiver program for young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It is a home and community-based program that provides intensive early intervention services for eligible children between 18 months and 8 years of age. The program utilizes all evidence-based interventions including but not limited to applied behavior analysis. The program is limited to three years of services and provides between 20 and 25 hours per week of one-one-one therapy in the child's home and/or natural community settings. The UCEDD is the administrative entity operating the program on contract by the State Medicaid agency. The direct services are provided by community-based non-profit organizations who are licensed to provide services in this program. Service teams consist of 3 tiers: Consultant (master's level professional or BCBA), Lead Therapist (bachelor's level therapist), and Line Therapist (paraprofessional with specified training and experience). Treatment fidelity is monitored by BCBAs who are independent of the service provision to ensure quality. The most unique feature of this program is the requirement for parents/guardians to be active members of the treatment team. They must be present during all therapy and are required to participate in the treatment at least 14 hours per week. This ensures that parents are knowledgeable of the strategies being used with their child and equips them to carry on therapeutic interventions when the treatment team is not present. Progress is monitored with administration of an ABLLS at least every 4 months during the program participation. Significant progress is expected and in fact has been seen, with many children starting kindergarten without the need for intensive special education and related services.
Keyword(s):
autism, medicaid waiver
Core Function(s):
Other Direct/Model Services
Area of Emphasis
Education & Early Intervention
Target Audience:
Family Members/Caregivers, Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Limited English, Geographic Areas, Rural/Remote, Urban, Specific Groups
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
State
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
