Therapy Anyone?

A lot of people put stock in the casein free, gluten free diets as a cure-all therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorders.  While I am open-minded enough to believe there can be truth to some of the claims, I am smart enough to know that there is little scientific evidence that can back up many of the claims people are making with these diets.  I actually have my 3 year old on an (admittedly, mostly) casein free diet.  Mainly because I thought there was nothing to lose and everything to gain.  Plus, the almond milk that I began giving him wasn't filling his stomach like cow's milk did and it got him to start eating food.   I plan on adding "gluten free" to his diet when I move to Washington.

The best documented and accepted treatment for ASD is ABA Therapy, or Applied Behavioral Analysis Therapy.  It is the therapy I will be paying for when I move.  In order for my child's therapy to continue and remain mostly the same, I will have to pay for four, 2 hour sessions of ABA therapy a week.  (Thank you Washington for having no ASD insurance laws!)  That is somewhere around $27/hr for the aide doing the ABA therapy and $90/hr-once a week- for the ABA therapist to supervise the progress.  I'm estimating the cost to be somewhere around $800 per month.  That's almost a house payment!  The real challenge with this cost is HOW DO I PAY FOR IT?  As a single mother of 2 ASD children, I cannot work other than from home.  So this means building websites, writing freelance articles, painting and selling the artwork.....but I will do whatever it takes.   And, that $800 does not include gas or time it takes to get to the center, which is quite a distance away.

Here's a tip for anyone interested.....when looking at any kind of therapy for your child, be sure to do the research yourself.  Don't trust others to do it for you.  You know your child and what would be best for him/her.  ABA therapy is well documented and time tested to be effective.  There are many options to get ABA therapy as well.  If you are lucky enough to find ABA through the school district where you are living, GREAT, if not, you will have to find it.  Then, after you find it you will have to research whether or not your insurance will pay for it.  If they say they don't, make SURE your state doesn't have a law preventing the insurance company from denying you coverage.  Unfortunately for me, neither Utah nor Washington has such a law. 

Never Put Off Until Tomorrow What You Can Do Today

This is my first blog entry documenting my life as a mother of two children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).  One, a toddler, non-verbal, and two, an older child with Asperger's Syndrome.  After having lived with these diagnoses for over a year now, one might think things would get easier.  They don't.  My response to the difficulties has gotten easier though.

I intended to start this blog awhile ago, documenting successful activities my children engage in together; recommending treatment programs I've found to be helpful; and educating others on the disorder(s) and the need for funding research and inclusive health insurance laws, but as a single mother of 2 ASD children, I have had little time.  I am only MAKING the time now as an outlet to vent the frustrations that come with living with and caring for children with Autism. 

I currently have a problem.  It is the fact that I cannot find, no matter how hard I try, affordable housing for us, and excellent programs for BOTH of my children IN the same area.  I currently live in Ogden, Utah and have found an EXCELLENT program for my non-verbal 3 yr old.  It is with the Weber County School District who has wonderful, caring therapists involved in their Early Intervention Program and wonderful, caring therapists and teachers in their new "Partners for Success" program (Preschool Age 3-4).  "Partners for Success" is an excellent program.  My 3 yr old has 4 hours of preschool 4 days a week with the hope of graduating down to 2.5 hours of preschool.  They are using a form of ABA therapy to gain instructional control.  My older Aspie, however, has NOTHING here.  My Aspie is very intelligent, self taught to read at 2,  and struggles socially as all Aspies do.  A "504" will get guidance from a counselor, maybe a social skills class once a week, but the funding for education in the state of Utah is poor and there are no accelerated learning programs here.  So, after looking at all options available to me, I've settled on a decision to move to Camas, Washington.  I've heard they have a good program there for Autistic children and I have friends and family in the area offering support to us.  I feel great about the move for my Aspie, but I wish I felt better about my 3 yr old's treatment options.  It looks like private instruction is my only option to equate what Weber School District is doing here.  It is a very expensive option though.