2 Mothers Of Children With Autism Raise Awareness For 'Coverage For Autism Now' Campaign

TARZANA (CBSLA.com) —Two mothers of children with autism Wednesday were encouraging the community to join the "Coverage for Autism Now": campaign.

Shannon Penrod and Nancy Alspaugh-Jackson, co-hosts of Autism Live's "Let's Talk Autism with Shannon & Nancy", were asking individuals to stand in solidarity and join the movement by writing "CAN" somewhere visible on their body or clothing. Those who participate were asked to take a picture and post it on Autism Live's Facebook page.

Organizations such as Talk About Curing Autism (TACA), Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), ACT Today!, Special Needs Network, Love My Provider and My Thiero Boys will participate in the campaign to help raise awareness of the need to provide insurance coverage to families affected by autism.

"While insurance reform has helped many, we are all painfully aware of the families who have lost insurance coverage, remain uninsured, or have no means of paying for expensive co-pays, co-insurance and deductibles," Penrod said in a statement.

One in every 68 children in the United States is diagnosed with autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"California's Senator Steinberg was clear about the state of insurance reform for the coverage of autism treatment when he recently said, 'We ain't done yet!'" Alspaugh-Jackson said. "We are asking everyone to demand every health plan in every state provide coverage for autism."

The "Coverage for Autism Now" segment on "Let's Talk Autism with Shannon & Nancy" will air on Wednesday at 11 a.m. here.