Since this time, there has been a remarkable boom in autistic cases in Minnesota, especially among Somali children. The providers of this "intensive" autism treatment have increased 700% in just the past five years from 41 in 2018 to 328 in 2023. Medicaid funds have also increased dramatically with a 3000% increase in Medicaid funds paid to these autism providers, rising from $6 million to nearly $200 million in 2023, and $250 million in 2024.

Able Child blamed the problem of corruption on lack of government spending oversight by Jodi Harpstead the Commissioner Department of Human Services in Minnesota, Willie Jett, Commissioner of Education, and Dr. Nathan Tseboh Chomilo, the Director of Medicaid & MinnesotaCare.

Earlier this year the FBI raided two autism care providers as part of its investigation into Medicaid fraud in Minnesota. These same treatment centers also are connected to the largest COVID fraud operation in the US, Feeding Our Future, that stole $250 million by falsely claiming it delivered thousands of meals to children.

A 2009 Minnesota Department of Health study found the proportion of 3- to 4-year-old Somali kids receiving autism services was as much as seven times higher than non-Somali children. More recent data show the disparity has only grown.

Reports indicate that many of the children attending treatment at Smart Therapy did not appear to be autistic. 

At least a dozen of the defendants charged for their role in the Feeding Our Future scam owned, received money from, or were associated with autism clinics.