Kyle Green | The Roanoke Times

Children play inside a large inflatable jumping structure at Pump It Up of Roanoke on Sunday. Pump It Up held a "Bounce for Autism" fundraiser to support the Autism Society of America.

Walk into the Pump It Up of Roanoke. Look around.

Most people would notice dozens of children bouncing inside the inflatable gyms, slipping down slides and screeching: "Aaahhheee!!!"

Ryan Young, a 4-year-old who greets people with friendly high-fives, might notice more in the room: Music blares out of speakers, drawings of stars are all over the gyms, and neon colors sprinkle the black carpet.

"There are so many things going on that I almost feel overwhelmed," said Susan Young, Ryan's mother.

Ryan has autism, a brain development disorder that mars his social and communication skills, and sometimes makes him overly sensitive to sensory stimulation. He and his parents were at Pump It Up for "Bounce for Autism," a fundraiser supporting the Autism Society of America.

About one in every 150 children born in the United States has some form of autism, according to a 2007 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ASA and other organizations are holding fundraisers in April, which they are calling Autism Awareness Month, for the research and the treatment of autism.

Jeff Jones, a Roanoke sheriff's deputy, was another parent who raised money to bring to Sunday night's event. His son, 3-year-old Logan, was diagnosed with autism last spring.

Jones said that his insurance company does not cover therapy for Logan, who was diagnosed as highly functional -- which means he can speak, but is resistant to change and that his hands shake when he is nervous.

The Joneses have enrolled Logan in the LEAP program, which is offered by Roanoke County Schools, and even though it's not a full substitute for therapy, it has helped Logan's development, Jones said.

"We have been very fortunate in that regard," he said.

But Young and her husband, Frank, who live in Botetourt County, and other parents who live in counties without programs especially for autistic children are not as fortunate. For that reason, they have lobbied state legislators to require private insurance companies to cover applied behavior analysis -- a recommended behavioral treatment -- along with speech, occupational and physical therapies.

Lobbyists for insurance companies raised concerns about potential costs of the proposal, and in early February the Virginia Senate killed the bill.

"I was bawling when I found out the bill died," Young said.

Young said the cost of therapy sessions -- between $200 and $300 per hour -- is prohibitive. Yet she is optimistic about her son's progress, and said that she will continue to push for legislation that will require insurers to cover some form of treatment.

Young said that she and her husband were able to hire a paraprofessional to care for Ryan last summer. Ryan, whose speech is affected by his autism, learned to use sign language to ask for more, and to use photos to ask for things such as french fries.

After his night of bouncing Sunday, Ryan's parents gave him chicken nuggets and fries, and put him to bed.

"He's happy and content," Susan said, "and that's what's important."