ABSTRACT
Most legislators have little experience with autism and autistic individuals although a personal, professional or educational interest can make them sufficiently knowledgeable about autism. There are a number of very important points to consider in the development of a new service. In developing the Carolina Living and Learning Center (CLLC), two assets were the previously documented success of the Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) program in developing and maintaining quality services and the ongoing collaboration between the professionals and the parents. The documented success of TEACCH in developing and maintaining new models of treatment provided the needed credibility when it came time to develop the CLLC. A balance between public and private funding is essential for Bittersweet Farms. Medicaid covers all the operating costs that are legitimately part of the active treatment program, but there are many things that Medicaid does not pay for, such as farmstead development.
