News and Knowledge

OAR frequently receives questions from military reservists and their spouses regarding their eligibility for services through the Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) for their dependents with autism. ECHO coverage is available for dependents of active duty military members who are enrolled in Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP).

Accessed through the military healthcare program, TRICARE provides support for military families that have a child on the autism spectrum through the military healthcare program, including provision of autism services provider of autism through ECHO. Unfortunately those services are only available to reservists on active duty.

For the children of reservists to receive ECHO benefits, their parent must be on active duty for more than 30 days. If a parent is on active duty, he or she can enroll in EFMP and then enroll with ECHO through TRICARE. Once the parent is off active duty, the child may no longer access services through ECHO.

Accessed through the military healthcare program, TRICARE provides support for military families that have a child on the autism spectrum through the military healthcare program, including provision of autism services provider of autism through ECHO. Unfortunately those services are only available to reservists on active duty.

Because the majority of reservists do not serve on active duty for lengthy periods of time, their access to ECHO is intermittent at best. For this reason, it is very important that military reservists’ dependents with autism spectrum disorders be enrolled in early intervention programs and special education services through the public schools. This will provide some continuity of services if the child can no longer receive supplemental services through ECHO.  Read more about how to qualify for ECHO services.