What We Did To Get Here

The Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)therapy that Eric will be recieving in home is funded by a medicaid waiver in the state of Wisconsin that is available for this type of service. About 2 years ago Eric went to an appointment with a psychologist that does the state approved testing for autism to get the qualifying diagnosis. We have to work with a case worker from the county who helps us through the application process. We had to prove at least 6 months residency in the state of WI and provide records of household income. In some cases the parents have a copay for the therapy. Since Eric is on SSI, that does not apply to us. After all of this is together Eric's name was put on the wait list. He was on the list for about 18 months before his funding came through. There have been times that the wait list was up to 3 years, so we were fortunate to get in less than 2 years. Once we got the call that Eric's funding came in we called the therapy provider and got everything going with them. We had a 4 hour workshop at home with the provider about 2 weeks before therapy started. This is where we learned how the program works and all the rules, ect. Eric is starting off with therapy 2 days a week for 2 hours and will slowly move up. The state minimum is 20 hours, but they will provide up to the ideal 35 hours a week. Eric has 3 months to meet the state minimum hours. He is slowly being eased in. This is a big adjustment for these kids. The time commitment is huge. Eric does not do well when his routine is disrupted so they have to establish this routine and get him to trust the therapist so he is more likely to comply when the work comes in.

We are working on getting Andy on the wait list so he can recieve therapy also. Right now we are trying to get him to a doctor that will do the state accepted testing so he can get his diagnosis. That has proven to be a challenge because of the evaluations that he had at Children's Hospital of WI child development clinic. The testing they do there does not meet the state regulations for a valid autism diagnosis. We have to take him elsewhere to have the proper testing done. Problem is this testing is billed the same as the CHW visits so most likely insurance will not pay for it. We don't have a lot of money to shell out for this but we may not have a choice.

The process looks pretty simple. For some it may be. Eric should have started his therapy at least a year before. Getting medical records from the hospital proved to be harder than I thought. There was a lot of miscommunication. My disorganiation, life in general and as much as I hate to admit it, denial also delayed things. Once we got everything together it was waiting for his name to come up on the list. If there is any advantage to having to go through this again at least we know what to do and expect this time. Eric's application process was a learning experience.

1. Ask the case worker for recommendations for health care providers that do the state approved testing .
2. Hold on to any paperwork and reports that you get.
3. Keep an open line of communication with the case worker so you know what is going on with your child's status on the application or waiting list.
4. Don't delay with anything. It can take months to get the necessary appointments ect and time can run away faster than you think when life takes over.
5. Interview as many providers as you can so you can pick the one that is most appropriate for your child.
6. Be patient. The wait is worth it.