“I commend the Florida Legislature for helping families of autistic children afford medical treatments, and I ask for their help in helping even more families with other special needs children,” said Commissioner Sosa. “Sadly, requiring insurance coverage for autism therapies covers only about 15 percent of children with developmental disabilities. More needs to be done to allow families to attend to the needs of their children and be able to afford basic necessities to keep a family going.”

Additionally, Florida law currently does not require a physician to refer a child to a psychiatrist, neurologist, pediatrician who specializes in child neurology, or other appropriate specialist for autism screening when a parent or guardian reports that a minor exhibits symptoms of autism. The legislation Commissioner Sosa sponsored asks the Legislature to consider making this mandatory.

“As with any medical condition, getting the correct diagnosis in a timely manner is crucial to getting the right treatment. This should be no different for children with autism, who should all be evaluated by trained specialists as soon as a parent or guardian suspects a child may need help,” said the commissioner.

The Clerk of the Board will transmit a certified copy of Commissioner Sosa’s resolution to the Governor, the Senate President, the House Speaker, the Chair and Members of the Miami-Dade County State Legislative Delegation, Senator Jeremy Ring and Representative Stephen Precourt.The resolution also directs the County's state lobbyists to advocate for the passage of the legislation, and authorizes and directs the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to amend the 2009 State Legislative Package to include these items.