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Hegseth could lead troops who'd face getting fired for actions he's done in the past; Strong Santa Ana winds return for SoCal; Southeast Asian refugees in MA fear deportation, seek Biden pardon; RSV rise puts Indiana hospitals on alert; CT lawmakers urged to focus on LGBTQ+ legislation.

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The Special Counsel's report says Donald Trump would have been convicted for election interference. Defense Secretary pick Pete Hegseth faces harsh questioning from Senate Democrats, and law enforcement will be increased for next week's inauguration.

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"Drill, baby, drill" is a tough sell for oil and gas companies in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, rising sea levels create struggles for Washington's coastal communities, and more folks than ever are taking advantage of America's great outdoors.

NV Lawmakers Asked to Increase Funding for Autism Treatment

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Wednesday, May 7, 2014   

LAS VEGAS - Nevada lawmakers are being asked to increase funding to help treat thousands of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.

Jan Crandy, chairwoman of the Nevada Commission on Autism Spectrum Disorders, is among those addressing the Interim Legislative Committee on Health Care today in Las Vegas. More funding is needed, she said, because the state is treating fewer than 300 children with autism when there are thousands more who need help.

"Nevada school districts indicate they have 5,145 children with an eligibility of autism," she said.

Crandy said her organization wants state leaders to pursue federal Medicaid funding for autism treatment that would cover 60 percent of the program's cost, whereas the current program is funded 100 percent by Nevada taxpayers. Crandy said "Applied Behavior Analysis," a main treatment for autism, can help children function best in life when they're treated early enough.

Autism and related disorders affect one in 68 children, Crandy said, while two decades ago these conditions were thought to affect one in 10,000.

"Right now, there's no one cause of autism, just as there's no one type of autism," she said. "However, it appears to be triggered by a combination of autism risk genes and environmental factors, influencing early brain development."

Attorney Jon Sasser with the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, who also will speak at today's hearing, said failing to treat children with autism when they are young could create greater costs for the state in the future.

"All of the evidence shows that the earlier you get to these kids and the earlier you treat them, the better chances for a successful outcome," he said. "We save money down the road, because if we don't intervene early, then we may have these kids in our institutions as adults, and have a long-term cost to the state."

A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms the number of children diagnosed with autism has increased nearly 30 percent in the past five years.

Today's meeting will begin at 9 a-m, at the Grant Sawyer State Office Building, 555 E. Washington Ave., Las Vegas. More information on the meeting is online at leg.state.nv.us.


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