As autistic kids grow up, their needs can increase while services decline. A dad asks, is the system upside-down?
By Jason McCarver
What’s my son supposed to do?
My son is 12 years old, Severely Autistic, ADHD, Epileptic
With learning disabilities.
Lately I’ve been wondering, what services are actually available
To someone like him.
When he was first diagnosed at 3 years old, there was a plethora of services
To choose from.
Play therapy, Speech, OT, Music therapy, ABA therapy, etc.
All of these therapies are great when your kid is a toddler, once they hit
Adolescence and have been in those therapies for years, Eventually they age
Out.
If you’re lucky, you’ll get a waiver to continue services based on need.
For the most part, adolescence is when the help begins to end.
It’s also when mental health issues start to crop up, along with the autism.
So where do Autistic teenagers go for services? Depending on your city
It may be some types of programs geared towards Autistic teens and adults.
Good chance those services are going to be scarce, and mostly for the Higher
Functioning Autistics.
In my son’s case, him being on the lower more severe end, he qualifies for Mental Health
Services, but he can’t access those services until he’s older.
So what about until then?
What’s he supposed to do once he ages out of his therapies? Is he supposed to just get
On with what skills he learned?
Is he supposed to just stop developing because there’s no services?
Am I supposed to become the therapist and somehow fit that into my already full schedule?
The answer to all is yes.
It’s a total disgrace and disservice to kids like my son who show progress with services when
They’re available.
Another problem is, if you’re lucky enough to find services for your teenage kid, how long is it
Going to last?
Will insurance cover it?
Will it be affordable if insurance doesn’t cover it?
Autism can be all fun and games until you’re dealing with real life situations,
With real life consequences.
Jason McCarver battles nonsense in the Twitterverse with nuggets of personal wisdom. Follow him on Twitter @jayhood73.
Disclaimer: Blogposts on the NCSA blog represent the opinions of the individual authors and not necessarily the views or positions of the NCSA or its board of directors.