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Post by supermommy on May 29, 2012 13:24:42 GMT -6
DS1 is special needs, he has speech delay and some other developmental needs. He has never been officially diagnosed but all of his therapists and an autism specialist all agree he falls somewhere on the high functioning end of the spectrum for autism. I have been reserved in the aspect of getting the official diagnosis...not that I don't believe he has it or that it could go away or anything but I just never wanted to label my child or get the diagnosis until he was older.
However fast forward to our financial status...we have some money saved in the bank but it is to pay loans off when DH gets a raise. I can't work at all since Sam requires a lot of therapy time and attention and we can't afford daycare or a nanny, not that being in daycare is a doable anyways since he needs transportation.
I was told to apply for SSI for Sam but it needs that official diagnosis....I also would feel bad using his money to pay for things like bills and loans even though that is the point of it...to pay for living costs.
So what do you all think? Should I give in and get him diagnosed to take advantage of money that could help or stick to my original plan of not putting a label on my child and letting him be.
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Post by dara1012 on May 29, 2012 13:55:55 GMT -6
I work with people with developmental disabilities and supervise a group home for teenagers with autism. If I were in your shoes I would get the diagnosis because it can get you a lot of benefits to help your DS and family. I would suggest talking to the special education director of your school district and they can give you some information about the positives and negatives of having a diagnosis.
I understand the hesitation with labels as sometimes it can feel like you are putting him in a spot that he can't get out of, but if all of his specialists, therapists and an autism specialist feel he meets this criteria then getting a diagnosis can be helpful to qualify for different early intervention programs, therapies, etc and the financial assistance can be beneficial to your whole family.
I have seen the benefits of early intervention in the teenagers and adults I work with and have also seen how things go when the person doesn't get the services they need until they are older.
Good luck!
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Post by laurac on May 29, 2012 15:03:56 GMT -6
What Dara said. I would have referred you to Dara anyway! She's a smart cookie
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Post by sarahisis on May 29, 2012 16:24:59 GMT -6
I would've said something similar to Dara!.. so also, what she said!
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Post by ReneeW on May 30, 2012 16:16:07 GMT -6
I'm with the ladies above. I think there's a lot more sensitivity and awareness these days about kids who fall on the autism spectrum, so even if your child gets a diagnosis, overall I think people are pretty cool and understanding about it. And the benefits will be so good for your family--help with different therapies and things that can help your DS's life be better down the road.
I live in Carver County and when my older daughter was diagnosed with gross motor delays as a toddler we got free physical therapy from the county; they actually came to our house and everything. It was a huge blessing to us -- our DD would go out to a physical therapist once a week (that we paid for) and the therapist from the county came to our home once a week. It helped her immensely--and as she grew stronger the sessions became less frequent but it was such a huge help to us originally when she really needed intense intervention. So once your DS has a diagnosis, it could open up a lot of doors to you.
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