Former NBA star teams up with GOP lawmaker to help young children suffering from stuttering disorder
FIRST ON FOX: Former NBA star Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is teaming up with Reps. Addison McDowell, R-N.C., and Shomari Figures, D-Ala., to help pass legislation at the federal level that would...
By Fox News · Fox News
FIRST ON FOX: Former NBA star Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is teaming up with Reps. Addison McDowell, R-N.C., and Shomari Figures, D-Ala., to help pass legislation at the federal level that would help increase access to early detection services for children who may suffer from a stuttering disorder. Kidd-Gilchrist, who spent the majority of his professional basketball career with the Charlotte Bobcats and Charlotte Hornets before a short stint with the Dallas Mavericks, has built a reputation as an advocate for childhood stuttering disorders. The Kidd's Stuttering Act will make early stuttering detection available to kids on Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), by making them mandatory for children between the ages of two and six when they go on well visits. The bioll would also make coverage of speech therapy services mandatory under Medicaid and CHIP, among other provisions aiming at expanding access to care for stuttering. "This bill makes early stuttering detection available to kids on Medicaid and CHIP, giving us a real chance to identify these issues early on for thousands of children across the country. A four-year-old has a 75% better chance of recovery when we identify it early," McDowell said. "The work Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has done at the state and national level has already changed lives, and I’m looking forward to helping carry that progress forward legislatively in Congress." BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS HELP WISCONSIN 11-YEAR-OLD ACHIEVE SPORTS BROADCASTING DREAM After retiring from the NBA, Kidd-Gilchrist founded the nonprofit Change & Impact Inc. to help advocate for improving healthcare services, and access to such services, for those who stutter. He has built a reputation as a national advocate for folks who deal with stuttering, including through his work ushering in state-level legislation on stuttering in places like Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Nevada. Now, Kidd-Gilchrist is hoping to get legislation passed at the federal leve…