Re: Problems in getting services (long)

[Guest guest]

> In a message dated 9/14/00 11:21:36 AM Central Daylight Time,

tguppy@...

> writes:

>

> > 1. services from the state, 2.

> > medical interventions or lack of/insurance coverage of those problesms,

> > 3. and their school system and how they do not adequately meet the

needs

> of

> > our children.

> >

1. You must be REALLY poor to receive SSI, medicaid,et al. I have known

very few people who qualified and those who did spent NONE of that money on

interventions for the child. They mostly used it to pay bill, buy Christmas

presents, etc. I know that is not true in every case, but I have known

people who have done this.

2. Autism is still seen by insurance companies as a " mental illness " and

can be used to deny reimbursement. Our insurance will only pay for speech

therapy if the speech loss was due to an accident and not his autism. Same

for occupational therapy. I asked them if they would have paid for speech

therapy for my son if I had hit him over the head. No reply.

3. We are at the mercy of the school system. Because we do not have the

funds--and can not get assistance from the government--for a full-time home-

based program, we must rely on the school district to provide something for

our child. However, we have no say on what methodology is used. As long as

they have a " program " that should be good enough.

One other point: even if you can get anyone to agree that yes, your child

needs these services, no one wants to be responsible for paying for it. The

insurance company and MHMR says that things like aba and speech are

educational needs and that the school district is responsible for paying for

it. But the school says that they already have a program that they feel is "

appropriate. " They don't have to provide the " best " education, only an

appropriate one.

Bottom line: If you are rich, you can get many things that your child

needs,

but if not, your child gets the shaft. To any politician, I might say, "

Imagine my having to explain to my severly autistic son when he grows up why

we couldn't get him more help. " " Well, I'm sorry, Son, but we just didn't

have the money to help you. Yes, there were programs out there that really

could have made a difference for you, but we just couldn't afford them. "

Very sad.