Insurance vs. Autism: For Parents, Insurance Is a Personal Fight

Parles points to the overall economics.

"There's no question that, the more intensive early intervention services, the better the outcome — and that either we can pay for it now and hope for [the] best outcome, or you can pay for it later in the way of adult services," she said.

Though there are many childhood disabilities that insurance still will not pay to treat, parents of kids with autism — at least, now, in Arizona — may not need to take a second mortgage to pay for that time in a chair.