I just got some great news!! Babynet covers ABA up to age 3 and if you get into the program and start the ABA before 3, you automatically get a spot on the PDD waiver without any wait!! I'm very excited to get this news! Although, it's going to be hard to get all of the ducks in a row before the end April, I was told, but it's worth a try :)

I have two ASD kids, one low functioning and one high. My son is high functioning and he gets all his therapies through his public school, and he is doing well with it. He also got appoved for DDS (Department of Developmental Services)Services, but we have not really needed to use them as yet because our low functioning daughter has taken up most of our time.

My daughter has one on one Therapists and teachers at public school, and we have a special van that comes right to the house to pick up/ Drop off both kids everyday. Now she is very difficult to deal with because she is strong and non verbal and has tantrums where she will hurt herself, so we have found that the public school can no longer meet her needs, so we are placing her in a residential program with New England Center for children. This has been a year long process and we had to get and Advocate, however since my daughter qualified for DDS services they payed for the advocate, and now the school system and state are paying to send her to the residential program. This is going to cost $360,000 a year and they are paying for it all.

We live in Massachusetts and both of the kids are on SSI and they are on MassHealth as well so we have no prescription costs or copays when we bring them to the Dr, and that includes all the specialists at Childrens hospital in Boston they see. They have told us that the kids should qualify for rides back and forth to the city since we live about an hour away, but we do not use it right now. In Mass you have to have health insurance, but if you cannot afford it you go on MassHealth and the state pays. The kids have always been on Mass Health, but my wife and I were not, but since I am the only one that can work because of the kids and we do not make much money they have allowed my wife and I to drop my company insurance and go on MassHealth as well.

If you do the research the southern states are the worst for benifits, you also want to stay away from states that have no state tax as well because that means no services. NJ and MA are the best two states by far, but we chose MA because we are from here and because of the health insuance, but we did live in Florida with family for about 4 years, and had to come back because the services were horrible.

I live in rural Virginia and the school has given my son exactly zero services. He's very bright and his issues are behavioral, for which they've done nothing specific. He has a 504 Accommodation that we had to fight for so he can leave and find the guidance counselor if he needs to, and if he can't talk to her he can call me. The school knows that I'll talk him down and do all that I can to keep him at school and doing his work and he often talks to me on speakerphone with a staff member in the room, which is fine with me. I have nothing to hide. :)

We've done a few things ourselves, such as Pragmatic Skills classes and summer programs about socialization at the Speech and Language Center that's in my recommendations, as well as dance classes and karate since he was six years old. We are SO lucky to have found instructors that are wonderful and patient with him. I make sure they know that I'm always available to discuss ways to deal with him if they need help. I stay as hands-off as possible in front of my son and he knows that I'm on his team, but he needs to do his part and participate. There have been times when we had to leave, when he was too overwhelmed or stressed out to participate, but his instructors understand that it's better to let him go without a hassle because they won't be able to get him back in the right state of mind that day. He's been kayaking with his Dad and LOVED it to the point that he raved about for days afterward. He wants to go again and I hope that they will, but it's a bit expensive so it's a rare luxury at this point. I've also spent a fair bit of time listening to audiobooks about meditation and such things while we drive to his many appointments. I talk to him about it as we listen and I think some of it sinks in. :)

We missed it by 3 months! Its good to hear that she is getting the help she needs. I'm so happy for you guys and knowing that there are people out there who will push for your kids! That's just awesome!

Amazing news... Londyn got in an ABA program here in SC! I made a lot of calls, sent a lot of emails, and had a few meetings, but in the end, got an awesome team to help get L into the program! In 3 days these wonderful people got all of the paperwork and scheduling done to make sure she didn't miss her opportunity :) Here in SC, there is a loophole with the PDD waiver... If your child, through Babynet, can get into ABA before turning 33 months of age, they will automatically get a spot and won't have to wait :D L turned 33 months on Friday and I learned about this on Tuesday, so time was of the essence! That is why I am SO thankful to the people that got all of this done in such a short period of time! I am putting a list together of the ones that changed my daughter's life by helping with the process,and will post ASAP for anyone who may need some additional resources or may be in a similar boat here in SC... L gets 20 hrs, of ABA/wk and 2 hrs of OT and speech/wk (one of her ABAs is a Speech Pathologist too). All of her therapists have said that she is making tremendous strides from visit to visit :) It was def worth it to pursue the ABA and Early Intervention! Today she and I went into a store, held hands walking calmly to get our items, and stood in line to check out patiently! It was amazing! There was no chasing or anxiety attacks... Loving it!