Announcing the Release of "Am I Covered?"We are pleased to announce the release of the Autism Insurance Resource Center's Coverage Determination tool!

Am I Covered? is an easy to use screening tool, that determines if a person's insurance is subject to the Massachusetts Autism Insurance Law (aka ARICA). It is designed to be used by both professionals and parents. Through a series of simple questions, it determines whether a policy is subject to ARICA.

For policies that are not subject to ARICA, it outlines some of alternatives to obtaining coverage. While the tool describes these, based on our experience, we anticipate that many users will want to contact us for information and technical assistance regarding the best approach for their situation. We continue to look forward to assisting providers and families in helping understand and access these alternatives. We think this will be a valuable resource, and look forward to any comments, feedback.

This tool was developed by INDEX, a project of The Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, a division of The University of Massachusetts Medical School, with funding from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Amy K. Weinstock
Director
Autism Insurance Resource Center

An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written education plan designed to meet your child’s learning needs while they’re young and preparing for elementary education. But what happens when they have reached graduation and are ready to take the next step? This is where an Individual Transition Plan (ITP) comes into play.

You wouldn’t wait to start planning for retirement on the day you retire, would you? If you did, you would be at a loss and behind the eight ball. The same is true with an ITP; you need to plan early, so that when your child is ready, they will be able to move ahead smoothly.

Preparing for what happens after the IEP:

• Begin with the end in mind.
• IEPs end with a high school diploma or age 22 (whichever comes first).
• Individual Transition Plans are required by the time a student turns 16 years old (14 in Massachusetts).
• Planning early allows you to set forth a life plan that develops steps to meaningful and desired outcomes.
• Consider rate of skill acquisition, the building of self advocacy, executive function skills, strengths and interests.

“When you have a child with a disability, it’s hard enough to plan for tomorrow, let alone what comes after secondary school.” To this end,