01/13/2026
๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐ก๐จ ๐
๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐๐ฌ โ ๐๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฌ
Idaho is implementing ๐ฌ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐๐ฌ
for children with disabilities, including ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐, ๐๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ. ๐๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฑ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฌ โ they are ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ that help children reach their full potential.
๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐จ ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ
๐ Nearly ๐๐,๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐ง ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐๐ก๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ข๐ for health coverage, including therapy needs. ([Idaho Capital Sun][1])
๐ Nationally, the CDC estimates ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐ง is diagnosed with autism, a rate that has steadily increased over decades. ([CDC][2])
๐ In Idaho, the autism prevalence rate is estimated at around ๐.๐๐% ๐จ๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐ง, similar to or slightly higher than many U.S. states. ([World Population Review][3])
๐ Autism interventions, including ABA and specialized therapies, have been shown to improve communication, reduce long-term disability, and increase independence โ especially when started early. ([CDC][2])
๐ Medicaid is ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐๐ฒ๐๐ซ for long-term supports and therapies that allow children and people with disabilities to remain in their homes and thrive. ([Idaho Capital Sun][1])
๐ง ๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ
Children with delays or disabilities need ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐, ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ because:
โ Therapy helps with communication, motor skills, sensory regulation, and school success
โ Early, evidence-based interventions lead to ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ -๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ
โ Lack of access can increase behavioral issues, academic failure, and mental health needs
๐จ ๐๐ก๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฐ
โ A ๐๐-๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฉ on OT/SLP/PT combined
โ No access to ๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ฒ without an adequate replacement being readily available
Parents and providers across Idaho are already reporting ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ, including regression in skills and increased crisis behavior.
Cuts like these donโt save money โ they ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ into:
โข Special education
โข Hospital and emergency care
โข Mental health crisis services
โข Long-term disability services
๐งก ๐๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐๐ก๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ
๐น Restore access to medically necessary OT, PT, SLP, and ABA services
๐น Remove arbitrary caps and base decisions on ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐ง๐๐๐
๐น Support early intervention โ it saves money and improves lives
๐ฃ๏ธ What You Can Do
๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ
๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ก๐จ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ
๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ โ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐๐
[1]: https://idahocapitalsun.com/.../medicaid-cuts.../... "Medicaid cuts threaten Idaho's seniors, people with ..."
[2]: https://www.cdc.gov/.../autism-data-visualization-tool... "Autism Data Visualization Tool"
[3]: https://worldpopulationreview.com/.../autism-rates-by... "Autism Rates by State 2025"
