SOUTHLAKE, WA- With the stroke of his pen, Governor Rick Perry made Texas the 18th state to mandate some health insurance coverage for children with autism.

While many parents of children with autism said they are happy, many businesses bearing the cost are not.

Judith Ursitti of Southlake said she knew when her daughter Amy got an earache that her health insurance would pay for Amy's medical care. So, she said she also assumed when her son Jack was diagnosed with autism at age two, her insurance would pay for his care as well. However, that wasn't the case.

"Then I discovered when it comes to the word autism for insurance companies, they just have one word, and it is denied," she said.

So, in the last two years, Ursitti and her husband have paid almost $100,000 and even considered selling their house to pay for Jack's therapy for the developmental disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate or interact with others.

But a new law in Texas, effective September 1, will help families like the Ursittis by requiring employer-sponsored health insurance companies to cover autism therapy for children ages three to five.

While the news is good for parents of autistic children, businesses worry about the cost. Small businesses say the additional state requirement makes it harder to offer health insurance for all employees.

"This type of mandate is going to increase costs for anyone providing health insurance; and small business owners simply can't afford to bear the burden of higher premiums," said Laura Stromber, Texas Federation of Independent Businesses.

But a spokeswoman for Gov. Perry said he signed the bill into law because, "Although the governor is generally opposed to additional health benefit mandates, the overall benefit of adding the limited autism provision in HB 1919 far outweighs those concerns."

Perry said early treatment helps autistic children learn better and saves the state millions later in special education costs.

"It will mean that many more children will have access to treatment," Ursitti said.

E-mail bwatson@wfaa.com