What's Next? WWYD?

bumpuser511563

I have lost my way. Well, it is more our way.

For the past 3 years since DS's ASD diagnosis, I have arranged as much services as I can get DS from the private OT for 1 hour a week until DS got OT on his IEP. I have gotten two masters degree students: one for ABA and the other for Speech for a total of 8 hours a week within our home and at our daycare. The insurance we had then accepted the ABA company our masters student started working for. We got our student in October 2013-March 2014. We followed her to 13 hours a week with ABA and dropped our SLP student for a time. Our insurance dropped us and we had to stop. We managed to get OT and PT for the summer and DH took DS to every single appointment. All we had left was our speech student who then gave 4 hours until two weeks ago because she got a job elsewhere.

We live in the middle of nowhere in such a small town. There is no tae kwon do and swimming classes. The nearest university with a SLP masters program is 92 miles. Back home is 202 miles with 3 programs I could so use for DS with a doctorate program for PT, masters for OT and SLP. DH and I moved before we had DS in hopes of looking for work because back home there is a lot of people and not enough work to go around for everyone.

I feel down that I can't help DS as much like we use to. The school services is not enough. Yet, I feel defeated.

TIA

hopecounts

((hugs)) that's hard. 

You are clearly doing the best you can for your son and that's all you can do.

It sounds like your only option might be to push for increased services through the school.

DD worked this summer with a SAHM former OT who works for a few hours while her daughter is in school/summer camps, any chance that you could find someone like that?
It was OOP and I found her by speaking with DD's teachers but she was amazing and really helped DD make progress with fine motor skills. 

funchicken

hopecounts said:

((hugs)) that's hard. 

You are clearly doing the best you can for your son and that's all you can do.

It sounds like your only option might be to push for increased services through the school.

DD worked this summer with a SAHM former OT who works for a few hours while her daughter is in school/summer camps, any chance that you could find someone like that?
It was OOP and I found her by speaking with DD's teachers but she was amazing and really helped DD make progress with fine motor skills. 

Wow, great advice!

Does the school have any after school activities that he could participate in? Ours has a free fitness class once/week and an art class (not free).

bumpuser511563

Thank you all!

I will have to see if an extracurricular activity would be something we could do.

I remembered we still have the mainstreamed daycare after school for DS and that is built in socialization that I paid for! He had been in daycare so long and given the experience to be in a mainstream setting that he could eventually mainstream soon too within the school!

Princess_Lily

We are waiting on possible st & other services through the school. Until this happens, I am working in sensory and ST daily until we have services in place -,I'm concerned about regression during the lapse.

Can you work in 30min of ST and OT with you and your child?

bumpuser511563

Princess_Lily said:

We are waiting on possible st & other services through the school. Until this happens, I am working in sensory and ST daily until we have services in place -,I'm concerned about regression during the lapse. Can you work in 30min of ST and OT with you and your child?

This is good.

Can you all please share inexpensive activities from ST and OT?

I have done fine motor with macaroni necklaces and plan to do bead necklaces next month. I read to DS every evening.

Princess_Lily

I know I've seen a ton of ideas on pinterest.

With ST, flash cards (practicing 2-3 m syllable words) seem to work great, DS is a visual learner...so repetition is great.

For OT, swinging at the playground, and biking and handwriting. We use a thick pencil to improve the writing skills.

funchicken

Is the OT for sensory or fine motor? "The Out of Sync Child Has Fun" has tons of sensory activities.

macchiatto

PediaStaff on Pinterest has TONS of activity ideas for working with him at home. I hope you're able to get more services and activities lined up; that sounds like a tough situation!

bumpuser511563

Thank you all for your ideas! I will have to look into pinterest and that book.