Autism NOW

Military Families & ASD: A Presentation on the Unique

Challenges & Services Available
Isabel Hodge
 Office of Community Support for Military
Families with Special Needs (OSN)

• Established in September 2010 (NDAA 2010)

• Functions include:
– Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
• Department of Defense Education Activity
– EFMP Assignment Coordination
– EFMP Community Support
 OSN
Support to Families with Autistic Children
• Exceptional Family
Member Program (EFMP)
• Early Intervention Services
• Special Education Services
• Autism Study by the Ohio
State University
– Education Directory for
Children with Special Needs
• MilitaryHOMEFRONT
– MilitaryINSTALLATIONS
– PlanMyMove
– HOMEFRONTConnections
– Special Needs/EFMP Newsletter
• Military OneSource Website
Content, Consultations,
Webinars
• DoD Special Needs Parent
Tool Kit
• Special Care Organizational
Records
 MilitaryINSTALLATIONS
http://militaryinstallations.dod.mil
 Challenges
• Frequent Permanent Change of Station moves
every 2-3 years
– Move to a new County, State or Overseas Location
• Schools
• Medical
• Child care
• State and Federal Benefits, e.g. SSI, Medicaid etc
• Social/Recreational
• Deployments, Unaccompanied Tours &
Training
 Military Services
• Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)
– Case Managers located at the installation Family Centers
• Activity Examples:
– Sensory friendly movie night
– Parent Support Groups
– Fitness and nutrition programs
– Family Fun Events
– Respite Care

• School Liaison Office (SLO)

• Educational and Developmental Intervention
Services (EDIS)
• Child Development Centers and Youth Programs
 DoD Schools
• DoD Dependents Schools
– DoDDS operates 130 schools for eligible dependents of active duty and
DoD civilians overseas in 9 districts located in 12 foreign countries.
– Schools are located in: Bahrain, Belgium, Cuba, England (UK), Germany,
Italy, Japan, Korea, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey.
• Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools (DDESS)
– DDESS operates 64 schools at stateside locations in 5 districts located in 7
states and 2 territories for eligible dependents of active duty and DoD
civilians who reside on military installations.
– DDESS Schools are located in: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, New York,
North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

• Non-DoD Schools Program-- supports 3,455 students in 188 countries

 DoDEA
http://www.dodea.edu/curriculum/specialEduc.cfm
Directory for DoD Dependent Schools and Educational & Developmental Intervention Services
(OCONUS Directory)
OCONUS Directory – Kaiserslautern/Ramstein
EDIS
 USDA Partnership

• Studies expanding knowledge of special needs

issues:
– Autism Services – Ohio State University
– Benchmark on Community Support – Cornell and
University of Kansas
– Availability of Medicaid – West Virginia University
 Autism Study
Ohio State University
• Analysis of educational services available to children with autism (ages 3 to
21)
• Five states with largest military population
– California
– Georgia
– North Carolina
– Texas
– Virginia
• Online Education Directory for Children with Special Needs
– http://apps.mhf.dod.mil/efmp/directory
• Full Report: http://militaryhomefront.dod.mil/reports
• Phase II:
– Review of autism services in 10 additional states with high concentration of military
families.
– Review will also include early intervention services and availability of services for
children with intellectual disabilities and emotional/behavioral disorders in all 15 states
Example: Educational Services Reported in Use
by a School District in California
 MilitaryHOMEFRONT
http://militaryhomefront.dod.mil/tf/efmp
• Exceptional Family Member Program
• Child Care & Respite Care
• Early Intervention
• Special Education
• Children Over 21
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
& Other Federal Benefits
• Financial & Legal
• TRICARE
• Medicaid & Medicaid Waivers
• Resources
• State Resources
• Tool Box
• News & Updates
MilitaryHOMEFRONT
State Resources
 Plan My Move
http://www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil/tf/movingandrelocation
 Military OneSource
http://militaryonesource.com/specialneeds

Call a Consultant!
1.800.342.9647
 Military OneSource
Specialty Consultants

• Provides 60-minute consultations

• 12 times a year
• Conducts Needs Assessment
• Can answer questions about:
– moving benefits
– Education
– Finances
– Housing
– support groups
– medical resources, and more.
• Call Military OneSource at 1-800-342-9647 and ask for an
appointment with a Special Needs Specialty Consultant.
 Special Needs Parent Tool Kit
(Available through Military OneSource)

• Modules:
– Birth to Age Three
– Special Education
– Health Benefits
– Families in Transition
– Advocating for your Child
– Resources and Support
• Provides tools and resources
to support a special needs
family member
• Accompanied by a printed
Facilitator’s Guide and PPTs
for training
24
 Special Care Organizational Record (SCOR)
for Children with Special Health Care Needs
• Use the SCOR to:
– Track changes in medications
or treatments
– List contact information for
providers and community
organizations
– Prepare for appointments
– File information about health
history
 SCOR for Adults
with Special Health Care Needs
• Redesigned PDF enhances
usability
– Quick and easy
document navigation
– Automatic expenditure
calculations
– Accessible with screen
readers and Braille
printers
 Under Development
• EFMP Welcome Aboard Kits
• Additional eLearning lessons
• Special Needs Adult
Tool Kit

27
 eLearning

• Initial lessons
aimed at family
members
• Provides
information
and access to
resources

Available through MilitaryHOMEFRONT

28
 eLearning
• Provides:
– Meaningful experiences
– Active learning
– Intuitive navigation
• Available soon:
– EFMP Enrollment
Process
– Early Intervention
Services

29
 National Defense Authorization Act
FY 2007, Section 717

Required:
• A plan to provide services to military children with
autism within the authority of the Extended Health
Care Option (ECHO).
• In response, the TRICARE Management Activity
established the Demonstration Project, to provide
services to children with autism.
– Using ABA tutors
– Expanded monthly ECHO benefit to $3,000.
http://tricare.mil/mybenefit/home/overview/SpecialPrograms/ECHO/AutismServicesDemonstration?
 HOMEFRONTConnections
https://apps.mhf.dod.mil/homefrontconnections
Military Community & Family Policy
Facebook Page
 Subscribe to Our eNewsletter!

http://apps.mhf.dod.mil/subscribe
 Isabel “Izzy” Hodge
Program Analyst
Office of Community Support for Military
Families with Special Needs
Isabel.hodge@osd.mil