State Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet is pushing legislation that would break down barriers for getting children access to autism diagnosis.

House Bill 5225 would enable qualified speech-language pathologists to diagnose autism spectrum disorder if the child is under 3 years old and has no co-occurring medical conditions.

“Getting a diagnosis sooner so that a child can access effective, specialized autism interventions during early brain development can make a difference that lasts a lifetime,” Manley said in a news release.

“This legislation will help to remove a bottleneck, give parents the answers they need and ensure our children receive the best support possible without costly delays,” she said.

Currently, too few psychologists and pediatricians are trained in early autism diagnosis, creating shortages that have caused statewide delays and prevented children from accessing behavioral therapies, insurance coverage and special education support, Manley’s office said.

The licensed speech-language pathologist would need to have an active autism evaluation credential issued by the Illinois Early Intervention Program, and the diagnosis must occur as part of the program, the release said.

A child that is diagnosed must be referred to appropriate medical personnel for further evaluation or management for services outside the scope of practice of a speech-language pathologist.

“This is going to get Illinois’ kids the services they need quicker,” Manley said. “I appreciate the support from parents, advocates and health professionals to get us to this point, I’m excited to push for the passage of this important bill in the Senate.”

House Bill 5225 passed the House with bipartisan support, and now heads to the Senate for consideration.

For more information, residents can contact repmanley@gmail.co