services update
luvmybaby28
member
I am sure that many of you will be happy to hear that I found some great services for my son this past week!
I started him in a group program 2 times a week for 2 hours. It is a small group of 5 kids and has: circle time, sensory room, communication room, music room, snack, gross motor room. I adored all of the staff there and my son loved it. They said that once a week it will be more one on one working on my son's major issues.
I also found an slp that I adore, polar opposite of the last one. She was so warm and loving, my son adored her and was talking to her and interacting with her the whole time!
My major concern is that my son sometimes naps later and I would have to wake him to go to the group. I think a big part of him loving it was because he was well rested.
Is speech never covered under ei? I might have to start paying out of pocket with insurance changes, does this vary state to state? It seems like something that should be covered under ei, but here they never cover pt, ot, st, etc.
Re: services update
So glad to hear that you found services with providers you're excited about! It truly makes all the difference in the world to have a provider who you feel comfortable with. I hope things go well as DS adjusts to his new schedule with the group therapy time/nap.
Each state (and even the individual counties within a state) is completely different as far as how their early intervention models are. Some give services free of charge to anyone. Others bill through insurance. In some cases, if your EI is billing through insurance they will offer a "sliding scale" based on income. This may make it less expensive that it would typically cost for an OOP session with a similar therapist elsewhere. In other cases, however, it can actually be cheaper to go outside of EI for therapies.
I'd ask about whether there's a sliding scale or if there is a discount for someone who is paying OOP as you are inquiring about services. We were fortunate to be offered a better rate (certainly not free, but any discount helps) by some therapists who recognized the financial burden of a family paying for multiple out of pocket appointments each week.
With all that said, I can't remember your exact situation and the age of your son, but when he turns 3 (its actually 2 in my state and some others) he'll be eligible for public pre-school through the special education program (if he qualifies through the school--you'd need to contact ChildFind to start this process). They will have available (if he qualifies) a PT, OT, and ST and all of that will be free if obtained through the public school system. The hours typically less than private clients would get elsewhere and more often in group settings, so some people choose to supplement with outside therapy. But in case you aren't aware, that may help as you plan out the finances of therapy now--knowing that it likely won't be your financial responsibility at this level for an indefinite amount of time. And of course, therapies can decrease as time goes on...
That sounds fantastic!
I did something very similar -- last summer, not long after we got our dx, one of the first things we did was enroll DD1 in a therapy group for high-functioning two-and-three-YOs with various SNs, that focused on speech, OT, social skills, and Floortime.
It was a great experience for her, and the perfect place to start work on her social skills. We met our SLP through that program and still do speech and Floortime with her privately, and she attended our latest IEP meeting.
I encourage you, as the staff gets more familiar with your son, to bounce ideas off them or ask for their opinions and/or recommendations. Hopefully they will be willing to be a resource for you!
I don't know what to tell you about EI. For us, DD1 receives services during the preschool day through the school SLP and OT. If we wish to supplement with private services, it is on us to pay for it.
DD1, 1/5/2008 ~~~ DD2, 3/17/2010
It is great you found the right fit for your family.
As MG said EI is totally different state to state. We receive ST, PT, Vision and SpEd services through EI in Maryland and do not have to pay for any of it. I feel very fortunate in this regard.
Sounds like a great deal! I also struggled with naps. I waited until DS was 3 and then we went cold turkey on naps at daycare. It was a rough transition at first- he was crankier in his afternoon sessions for sure. But it was necessary. I had to start putting him to bed earlier (he goes to bed at 7 pm now and is up at 7am). Before DS was three his therapists agreed that he wouldn't get anything out of a session if he was too tired. But he gradually grew out of it. He still naps on the weekends, a good 3-4 hours at a time.
Idk about ST- in our state st, ot, and pt are all covered under EI. Our private insurance covers st and ot as well. It is important when you talk to insurance to be very specific about what they cover. I stupidly asked them if they covered "autism services" and they said no. So DS went six months without additional private services until it dawned on me that I had to ask for ST and OT specifically.