Protected Tomorrows Community: General Discussions: Caregiver of a Person with Disability Discussion: New Member and a Question...



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New Member and a Question...

JennyMalvin
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Dec 22, 2009, 11:55 PM

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New Member and a Question...	Can't Post

I didn't see a thread for new user introductions, so I hope it's OK if I talk a bit about myself and my family here.

I'm a 29-year-old mother of two wonderful children, Jenna (9 years old) and Jeremy (6 years old). Jenna is a bright girl involved with Scouts and her dance lessons, and my little guy has autism and works with his therapist on a regular basis.

Jeremy is responding very well to therapy, but I'm starting to worry we can't continue much longer with the treatment program. Like a lot of other people, the company I work with has had a lot of problems with insurance...a lot...and they've recently signed on with a new company that's simply refusing to cover the therapy!

I can't believe this.

My ex-husband is understanding about this, and has been trying to help, but he's just lost his job. We tried to cover the therapy on our own, but I don't think we can cope much longer.

So, I guess I'm wondering if anyone knows of some options or help or, I don't know, something we can do.

Jeremy loves his therapist, and they've connected in a way that has helped him grow significantly...I know he won't respond well to the change, and I don't want to see his progress stop at such a crucial age.

In short...help! Unsure

tmilleradvadmin
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Dec 23, 2009, 6:04 PM

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Re: [JennyMalvin] New Member and a Question... [In reply to]	Can't Post

Jenny,
We’re glad you’ve joined our community. We hope that you are able to find a lot of helpful information and good friends here.
About your questions, let’s sort them out one at a time. First, it’s great that Jeremy has a therapist that he likes, and with whom he has been able to form an attachment. And depending on what state you live in, your insurance provider may have to continue to provide that therapy, at least to a certain level of coverage. Many states are enacting laws to that effect.
Another possibility, given your status as a single parent, is that Jeremy may be eligible for SSI, or Supplemental Security Income through the Social Security Administration. Depending on your family size and income, as well as Jeremy’s level of functioning, he may be eligible for financial benefits, which might help to defray the cost of therapy.
A third possibility, again depending on where you live, is to find out whether there is a Waiver or Home Based Services Program available in your area. This is a program, usually operated by the state, which provides a stipend for the family to purchase services. Again, this could be used to defray the cost of the therapy.
I would encourage you to check out these options either by calling us and speaking with a Protected Tomorrows Advocate or searching our PT LIVE! database for your local Autism Society – they are also a great resource and source of support.
And let us know what you end up doing and how Jeremy progresses. We love to keep up with people and hear their stories, and to become a part of their lives.
Tracy Miller, M.S., Special Needs Coordinator
tmiller@Protected Tomorrows website

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