Dually Diagnosed

[Guest guest]

Hi List-mates;

I've been wanting to post, but have been on my Blackberry and it's too difficult to post or even read when there's a lot of entries. Miki was diagnosed with a mood disorder that became bipolar at 5. She would laugh and cry simultaneously, the strangest thing to watch. I used to think exorcism was necessary (said tongue in cheek). The ONLY thing that worked for her was Risperdal. We started slowly and she never really had any bad side effects. Whenever I tried anything else she became extremely aggressive, which is what got her on the waiver through crisis in one year from 16,874 on the list. Her teachers would tell me " although all Autistic kids are different, Miki is not like any other Autistic they had seen" Most of her psychiatrists agreed that she was both Bipolar and Autistic (and RAD and Sensory and OCD...and deaf). I only had one or two that said it was part of the

Autism. I never really cared what they said to me because I became very good at getting services for her and as long as I had help and medication it was somewhat manageable...until it wasn't.

It has bothered me that I couldn't get two people at the same time in my home to help with her. It wasn't allowed. Most of the PCA and Behavior Assistants I had could not handle her alone, so I was still with her without breaks in spite of the 40 hours I had. I had no social life. Could not work after her school/ aftercare hours. She is in Carlton Palms now and the EOB I get shows that Medicaid pays them close to the national debt each month. Two assistants would have cost a fraction of that. It saddens me, I miss her soooooo much. I know I can't handle her right now and she's in the right place. I had a huge problem the last time I visited her and took her off campus, and I wasn't alone. My heart goes out to all of the kids not getting the help they need. They aren't having fun while aggressive or self injurious, no one should have to live like that and getting help when they

are young could make a world of difference.

Hugs to you all.

Jayne

I

[Guest guest]

Jayne:

Are you saying that your daughter HAS the medicaid waiver, is diagnosed with autism, AND received SIPP? Or residential through medicaid? Can I ask, how did you get her into the residential? Through a psychiatrist recommendation? Thank for any info you can help me with.

Clara

From: Jadzia Borenstein

Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2011 9:59 AM

To: deniseslist

Subject: Dually Diagnosed

Hi List-mates;

I've been wanting to post, but have been on my Blackberry and it's too difficult to post or even read when there's a lot of entries. Miki was diagnosed with a mood disorder that became bipolar at 5. She would laugh and cry simultaneously, the strangest thing to watch. I used to think exorcism was necessary (said tongue in cheek). The ONLY thing that worked for her was Risperdal. We started slowly and she never really had any bad side effects. Whenever I tried anything else she became extremely aggressive, which is what got her on the waiver through crisis in one year from 16,874 on the list. Her teachers would tell me " although all Autistic kids are different, Miki is not like any other Autistic they had seen" Most of her psychiatrists agreed that she was both Bipolar and Autistic (and RAD and Sensory and OCD...and deaf). I only had one or two that said it was part of the Autism. I never really cared what they said to me because I became very good at getting services for her and as long as I had help and medication it was somewhat manageable...until it wasn't.

It has bothered me that I couldn't get two people at the same time in my home to help with her. It wasn't allowed. Most of the PCA and Behavior Assistants I had could not handle her alone, so I was still with her without breaks in spite of the 40 hours I had. I had no social life. Could not work after her school/ aftercare hours. She is in Carlton Palms now and the EOB I get shows that Medicaid pays them close to the national debt each month. Two assistants would have cost a fraction of that. It saddens me, I miss her soooooo much. I know I can't handle her right now and she's in the right place. I had a huge problem the last time I visited her and took her off campus, and I wasn't alone. My heart goes out to all of the kids not getting the help they need. They aren't having fun while aggressive or self injurious, no one should have to live like that and getting help when they are young could make a world of difference.

Hugs to you all.

Jayne

I

"What is important in life is life, and not the result of life." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe