Arkansas lawmakers are considering letting more types of professionals diagnose autism, a change that advocates say could cut wait times and help more children access state-funded services.
The Legislative Task Force on Autism met Thursday at the state Capitol to discuss expanding the list of qualified diagnosticians under the Arkansas Autism Waiver program. Currently, only certain specialists can provide the diagnosis required for children to receive services through the waiver, which supports early intervention for kids with autism spectrum disorder.
Daniel Wysocki, a licensed psychological examiner who owns Wysocki Psychological Testing and Counseling in Little Rock, told the task force that expanding who can diagnose would significantly reduce the backlog families face. Families in Northwest Arkansas have reported waiting months — sometimes more than a year — to get an evaluation from the limited number of providers currently authorized.
“The bottleneck isn’t the need — it’s the number of people who can actually sign off on a diagnosis,” Wysocki said during the meeting.
The Arkansas Autism Waiver provides Medicaid-funded services to children with autism, including behavioral therapy and support services. To qualify, children must receive a diagnostic evaluation from an approved provider.
Dr. Angela Scott, a task force member, questioned Wysocki about how expanding the pool of diagnosticians would affect the quality of assessments. Wysocki argued that licensed psychological examiners already have the training to conduct comprehensive autism evaluations and that the current restrictions were limiting access without adding a clear safety benefit.
The task force did not take a formal vote Thursday but is expected to draft recommendations for the next legislative session. If the change moves forward, it would require approval from the Arkansas Legislature.
For families in Northwest Arkansas, where demand for autism services has grown alongside the region’s population, the proposal represents a potential solution to a persistent problem. Local advocacy groups have pushed for the change for years, arguing that wait times for diagnosis directly affect outcomes because early intervention is critical for children with autism.
Source: NWA Democrat Gazette
