Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon legislators seeking to improve the state’s approach to autism found themselves bombarded Tuesday night by unsatisfied advocates. Rob Manning was there.

Eugene-area House Democrat, Chris Edwards, chairs the Autism Spectrum Disorder Workgroup.

He began the North Portland town hall by sharing the mixed results he’s gotten trying to  help his six year-old autistic son.

But parent-advocates, like Ellen Dutch, told the workgroup that Oregon’s system is so bad, families are leaving the state. She’s considering taking her own teenaged son out of Oregon.

Ellen Dutch: “So we are in the process of planning our son’s adulthood, which likely means leaving the state. Unless things dramatically improve.”

Others criticized the committee for focusing on children, at the expense of autistic adults, and for failing to push an insurance mandate for treating autism.

There are more meetings in the next few months, before the recommendations will be turned into bills for state lawmakers to consider.