July 13th, 2011
I signed all the paperwork today, so Aiden is offically on the waiting list for the Waiver Program. The wait is 1-1/2 to 2 years to get in-home therapy, but this is our only option left. To pay for it out of pocket is 40,000 a year! Mercy Options was a total let down on Monday. They basically said that insurance doesn't cover their services, so I was wasting my time. The poor lady. I could tell she could feel my pain and sadness. "I'm sorry I don't have better news for you." "The best option is the Waiver Program." Aiden will be 5 years old before he can get any therapy beyond the speech and occupational therapy provided by the school system. I have every hope--perhaps naively--that Aiden will be speaking and potty trained by that time. I'm not sure what else intensive behavior therapy can do for him beyond that. I guess we will see what the next 2 years brings! In the meantime, I'm it until September, and I'm going to do everything I can to encourage and love my son!
This is a very tough
ReplyDeleteSorry. Lost power for a second. This is a very tough time for you! However, you can use this time to do everything you CAN do! A REALLY great book is on the market. It's by Temple Grandin, Ph.D., entitled, "The Way I See It". Get it. Read it. Do what she says. I did so years ago, when she wrote another book. This one is MUCH better as it gives advice to parents. It's a long road ahead. You have chosen to use this time. No time to be "down". Yes, there are huge deficits. You can make great strides and make up much of the time. If you can think it, you can do it!!! Start by watching. What is he sensitive to? Sound? Visual (if he flaps his hands or stares at things, he may have visual sensitivity)? Tactile? Do things to stimulate and teach. Use real pictures to communicate and differentiate. Can't say what he wants to drink? Put pics of different choices, cut from magazines on the fridge and point to them. After he gets this idea, have HIM point to it! Etc. Teach him to sequence by saying, "First, we do this, Second, we do this, and Third we do this." Show him and always use your fingers for first, second, third. Apply this to getting dressed, eating, and many other things. Also, use what he IS interested in to teach him. My son was so tactile defensive that he could not stand for me to dress him. However, he would let Big Bird or Elmo do it. I found some hand puppets and used them to help me teach many concepts. Use what he is interested in! Also, he should have a picture calendar. Make your own. Get a big calendar and put pics of what he will do the next day, like a pic of McDonalds, the park, etc. Also, Make games with index cards...card games. Put pics on them and lay them on the floor. Make him match the pics to each other, but make him take turns with you and other people. He must wait his turn...he might get upset at first, but this is a very important thing to learn to build on for later concepts. After he gets this, you can move on to higher concepts, where the pic doesn't totally match but is in a certain group, such as Banana in the food group, etc. That is later. Teach him to communicate even if he is nonverbal!!!
ReplyDeleteJust because you don't have insurance does not mean you can't get therapy.
ReplyDeleteYou can pay for 1/2 hr. per week and you can watch what the therapist does and copy it at home. Ask at the hospital what they can do for you. Actually, the school owes your child summer services as I've mentioned. So, ask for it. Send them a very nice letter asking them to explain why your son does not qualify for summer services. Then get back to the blog with their answer. This should really be done privately, but it isn't possible right now. Or is it?
Go to www.refresheverything.com for info about Autism blooms (something like that). This is a program to help pay for therapy for children with autism...PDD may fall on that spectrum. You may look for other programs in your area where there are scholarships for such things. Call the county commissioners office to see if they know of anything like that.
ReplyDeleteMarian, I have a document that was passed on to me with a calendar and pictures. I have been wanting to do this with riley as he is always asking for junk food and to do things when it is not time to do them. Hey...maybe this is a project we could do together. I have off this coming Tues. Are you free???
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