Guest guest Posted July 26, 2000 Report Share Posted July 26, 2000 Let me know what I can do/or Unlocking Autism..I think our kids deserve much more..Warmly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 26, 2000 Report Share Posted July 26, 2000 , I'm hoping I can do something here. My friend Mike Polak just got re-elected to the state senate, and I'm going to talk with him about what steps are involved in lobbying Medicaid to pay for ABA in Georgia. Plenty of other states pay for behavioral therapy through Medicaid, and after the fight I had with Early Intervention (Babies Can't Wait--but I won!) to get ABA paid for, at least I know what I'm up against. We're paying $2,000/month out of pocket for ABA now and still renting a house, paying off debts, have no savings--you get the picture--but my son's on the way to recovery and it's been worth every penny to do this for him. A mom in Alpharetta told me that parents had lobbied Medicaid unsuccessfully a few years back for ABA coverage. I think the recent media coverage on Austin, the congressional hearings, and awareness of the epidemic increase in autism itself will better our chances this time around. I'm sure I'll need help from the list, too, garnering support, when we get to that stage. I was born here in Georgia, and this is my home. I expect to receive the same services here that I would get in other parts of the country. Period. Lesli Atlanta, GA list-owner and mom to Connor, 3.11 y.o. Nancale@... wrote: > I think here in Ga, we are so far behind with ABA type therapy for our kids. > My granadson Wynn is in Maine and since his dx(which was late, 3.5 yr) he has > recieved ABA inhome paid for by the state, through children services..not > because of an income bracket, but because he is a child with a special need. > THe first several months he had 15 hours a week and then starting in January > 1998 he has had 30 hours a week inhome ( a morning and an afternoon > therapist). Later when my daughter found a regular preschool that would take > him in the afternoons, his afternoon therapist went to preschool with him. In > the summers it reverts back to 30 hours in home. This continues until school > starts again in Aug, because he is five and services end at the time school > starts after your 5th b'day. > > I wish our kids in Ga could get this type services and not have to battle for > every little thing. It is enought to deal with a disability in a child > without having to fight all along the way. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 26, 2000 Report Share Posted July 26, 2000 Hey Shauna, Any way you can post the article to the list? I'm sure everyone would be interested! :-) Thanks, Lesli Atlanta, GA list-owner and mom to Connor, 3.11 y.o. Aurugby1@... wrote: > That is (literally) the million dollar question. Who pays for ABA? It can be > paid for many different ways. Parents (out of pocket), school systems > (usually with a HUGE fight), insurance (another argument and some insurances > actually exclude Autism in their policies), and charities. I'm sure there > are many other ways. The families I work for pay me through the school > system, out of pocket, and charity money. One family completely pays me > through a charity. If you are planning to ask your school district to pay > for it, you better have LOTS of research on ABA (which there is plenty of), > good data to support that your child is doing well in an ABA program (better > yet, doing better than the school's program), and a GOOD advocate...usually > you end up needing a lawyer as well. > What I (and many otheres) do not understand is why are school districts not > training their teachers in ABA?? It is the ONLY research-proven teaching > method for teaching children with autism!!!! Yea it costs a lot, but not as > much as much as keeping these children in the system when, who knows, they > could " recover. " If any parents out there are talking with the school > district about ABA, i have a wonderful article that analyzes cost of ABA > treatment vs. keeping these children in the special ed system for life. It is > a wonderful article and I can send it through email. > > Shauna > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 26, 2000 Report Share Posted July 26, 2000 I agree. The " fight " can be quite daunting, especially when you just got a diagnosis and the wind has been knocked out of you. I did not want to be an advocate, scientist, therapist, etc....I just wanted to be Mommy. Our " fight " for services forced us to sell our home and move to a different county. We lost everything we had put into saving up to buy a house...we didn't get to live in it for very long. The county we lived in did not want to serve our child and to be honest they didn't know how. There are so many issues that a family has to deal with...getting the appropriate services for your child should NOT be one of them. Rhonda --- Nancale@... wrote: > I think here in Ga, we are so far behind with ABA > type therapy for our kids. > My granadson Wynn is in Maine and since his dx(which > was late, 3.5 yr) he has > recieved ABA inhome paid for by the state, through > children services..not > because of an income bracket, but because he is a > child with a special need. > THe first several months he had 15 hours a week and > then starting in January > 1998 he has had 30 hours a week inhome ( a morning > and an afternoon > therapist). Later when my daughter found a regular > preschool that would take > him in the afternoons, his afternoon therapist went > to preschool with him. In > the summers it reverts back to 30 hours in home. > This continues until school > starts again in Aug, because he is five and services > end at the time school > starts after your 5th b'day. > > I wish our kids in Ga could get this type services > and not have to battle for > every little thing. It is enought to deal with a > disability in a child > without having to fight all along the way. > __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 26, 2000 Report Share Posted July 26, 2000 Let us know what we can do to help out! --- lesli mitchell wrote: > , > > I'm hoping I can do something here. My friend Mike > Polak just got re-elected to > the state senate, and I'm going to talk with him > about what steps are involved in > lobbying Medicaid to pay for ABA in Georgia..... __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 26, 2000 Report Share Posted July 26, 2000 I'll help in any way I can Lesli..Annette Re: ABA payment >, > >I'm hoping I can do something here. My friend Mike Polak just got re-elected to >the state senate, and I'm going to talk with him about what steps are involved in >lobbying Medicaid to pay for ABA in Georgia. Plenty of other states pay for >behavioral therapy through Medicaid, and after the fight I had with Early >Intervention (Babies Can't Wait--but I won!) to get ABA paid for, at least I know >what I'm up against. We're paying $2,000/month out of pocket for ABA now and >still renting a house, paying off debts, have no savings--you get the >picture--but my son's on the way to recovery and it's been worth every penny to >do this for him. > >A mom in Alpharetta told me that parents had lobbied Medicaid unsuccessfully a >few years back for ABA coverage. I think the recent media coverage on Austin, the >congressional hearings, and awareness of the epidemic increase in autism itself >will better our chances this time around. > >I'm sure I'll need help from the list, too, garnering support, when we get to >that stage. I was born here in Georgia, and this is my home. I expect to receive >the same services here that I would get in other parts of the country. Period. > >Lesli >Atlanta, GA >list-owner and mom to Connor, 3.11 y.o. > >Nancale@... wrote: > >> I think here in Ga, we are so far behind with ABA type therapy for our kids. >> My granadson Wynn is in Maine and since his dx(which was late, 3.5 yr) he has >> recieved ABA inhome paid for by the state, through children services..not >> because of an income bracket, but because he is a child with a special need. >> THe first several months he had 15 hours a week and then starting in January >> 1998 he has had 30 hours a week inhome ( a morning and an afternoon >> therapist). Later when my daughter found a regular preschool that would take >> him in the afternoons, his afternoon therapist went to preschool with him. In >> the summers it reverts back to 30 hours in home. This continues until school >> starts again in Aug, because he is five and services end at the time school >> starts after your 5th b'day. >> >> I wish our kids in Ga could get this type services and not have to battle for >> every little thing. It is enought to deal with a disability in a child >> without having to fight all along the way. >> >> >> >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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