The Trump administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services deserve credit for taking Medicaid fraud seriously and working to strengthen its integrity. As they consider changes to Medicaid-funded autism services, it is important that the safeguards they implement protect taxpayer dollars while also preserving access to high-quality care for families who depend on these services. That balance will help ensure reforms target fraud and abuse without creating unintended challenges for legitimate patients and providers.
Applied behavior analysis, or ABA, is an evidence-based treatment that can help people with autism build skills in communication, social interaction, learning, and daily living. During ABA therapy, a behavior technician coaches children through specific activities that encourage this development. The skills developed during these sessions can be transformative.
