Disabilities agency may have acted as quickly as it could, senator says

A state senator who played a key role in creating an early intervention program for autistic children said Thursday that a state agency criticized for not using appropriated money for the services may have acted as swiftly as it could given the obstacles it faced.

Sen. Thomas Alexander of Walhalla told The Greenville News that while he still has questions about how long it took the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, agency officials have told his subcommittee that it took time to get the funding, federal approvals and the necessary certifications to begin offering the service to families with autistic children.

Under the circumstances, he said, the agency may have moved as quickly as it could.

A critical state audit said $9 million of $10.5 million appropriated for the new autism program went unused or was diverted by the agency, which meant that it didn’t get an additional $13.6 million in federal matching funds.

Alexander said he’s concerned about the potential loss of federal Medicaid money and wants to know more about the agency’s process for bringing providers into the new system.

By Ben Szobody
greenvilleonline.com

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