In what might be a first in the nation, Pennsylvania received approval to use federal Medicaid money to pay for support programs for autistic adults and their caregivers.

•••

The road from diagnosis to college has been long for the Snyders of Lancaster city, whose 19-year-old son, Zachary, lives every day with a mild form of autism known as Asperger Syndrome.

Yet the two-decade road is hardly done. Zachary, now a junior at Millersville University, soon will be an adult.

"We ourselves worry substantially about these issues," Zachary's father, Patrick, who serves as the School District of Lancaster's board president, said Thursday night. "What will happen if Wanda (Zachary's mother) and I die? How independent will Zachary be able to be on his own? What job will he legitimately hold on his own?

"I know Zachary can be a productive member of society; it's just: At what level?"

The Snyders are not alone in wondering what's to become of their children because of a dearth of programs and support for autistic adults.

Pennsylvania, though, appears to be taking steps to fix that.

In what appears to be an unprecedented move, the federal government announced Thursday Pennsylvania officials will be permitted to direct $20 million in Medicaid to support programs for adults living with autism.

It's believed to be the first time any state has been given such an opportunity.

"Prior to the establishment of this … program, there was nothing designed for people with autism once they reached the age of 21," Gov. Ed Rendell said in a news release Thursday.

Autism is a developmental disability striking at the normal functions of the brain. Autism, for which there is no cure or known cause, has severe consequences for a person's ability to communicate and socialize.

While much of the public focus on autism centers on children, the life-expectancy rates of a person with autism is the same as a person without it, according to Anne Bale, spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Welfare.

An unknown number of adults in Pennsylvania are afflicted by autism.

"We know there are adults with autism right now, and we know there is absolutely nothing for them," said state Rep. Mike Sturla, a Lancaster city Democrat whose 14-year-old son has a type of autism.

People can enroll in the new state program in July, and it will be running by the fall. It will provide services such as employment assessment.

"It will find out what tasks (an autistic adult) can do," Bale said. "That's important for someone with a disability. They do want to work and be part of a community."

Sturla said autistic adults can have difficulty finding employment not because they lack intelligence but because autism strikes a person's ability to interact with other people.

"For many autistics, they learn social interaction like most people learn math," he said. "That's the part a lot of people have a hard time understanding about autism.

"Some of those (autistic) adults are extremely intelligent. Now, it's just being able to find a niche (so they can find employment)."

Another benefit of the new state program would be respite care, providing a break for caretakers of adult autistics should the caretaker need to leave for a few days or visit the doctor.

Bale said the program would help about 200 autistic adults annually prepare for an independent life.

"Parents of children with autism will not be around forever," she said. "This can help give them some peace of mind their children, who will eventually become adults, will be cared for after they're gone."

E-mail: dpidgeon@lnpnews.com