Letter To My Son
Hey Son I want to talk to you about what do you do next. You got the medical evaluation that your child has Autism. Somewhere in the report it gives you recommendations. You may or may not have investigated these places already. If you have, call those places again. If you are on a waiting list tell them you are checking. If you are not on a list and they have one get on the list. Make sure they take your medicaid Managed Care Organization (MCO) insurance company. Then call them to touch base with them every two weeks. Put it on your calendar to do it.
If it was recommended you get speech therapy or Occupational Therapy for your child you look on the back of his MCO insurance card (not the medicaid one the other one). There is a phone number. Tell them the doctor's recommendation and you need a local Speech Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, or ABA provider in your network. If that does not work tell the people at your MCO you need a special needs case manager. Then tell that person what his and your needs are.
Get a notebook for your child. Put his evaluation and other papers in it. Write down the name of who you speak to, the date, the phone number, and what you spoke about. You will need it to try and 'catch' your child up and keep him up with his peers. I have seen people do it. I know one guy with autism who last I heard had a batchelors degree, a job, a wife, a house, and was working on a masters to move up at work. I know others. Your goal is to raise a happy healthy human being on whatever level. It is possible but complicated.
As always if someone tells you something that does not makes sense or is just plain stupid call someone. Call several someones. Call me.
**This is just a scenario for Louisiana. There maybe other steps depending on where you are located.
