PUBLIC PROGRAMS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS KIDS

Let me hitcha with some basic knowledge:

Under IDEA-2004, states are mandated to have programs available for persons with special needs. For children age infant-3 years, there's Early Intervention (for our area it's Child and Family Connections/Easter Seals). For school age children 3-19 years, they are entitled to free, appropriate public education with necessary services provided through the district. Services can be extended over breaks (including summer and holidays) to make sure that progress in continued (this is called ESY - Extended School Year Services). 

I was always under the impression that you needed to have a doctor's recommendation to get Early Intervention (EI) services... After talking with one of my professors a few weeks ago, I found out I was wrong. I was happy and pissed off at the same time. I was pissed that we've waited for nothing but happy that I could get the ball rolling. Well, I called 10 days ago and haven't heard a word. When I made the initial phone call, she took some basic information so we were in the system. I called today, we're not in the system. AWESOME. 

I feel like I'm constantly having road blocks thrown in our way. I feel like I'm doing other people's jobs. Oh wait, I AM doing their job.

When we went through Easter Seals for Cayden, it was pretty awful. His therapist kept calling off and canceling so he never got the services he needed and deserved. I'm unsure if I had told the story earlier but at the beginning of this school year we enrolled him in preschool, just to get him around other kids to help with socializing and, hopefully, to aid as verbal models for him. In October, we took him to the free screening at the local public At-Risk preschool. At-Risk Preschool is the free, public, appropriate education program in our area for children with special needs. They run the risk of having disorders which would prevent them from being successful in elementary school. Anyway, we went to the screening and he had NOTHING of it. He screamed, he cried, he ran around, laid down on the ground -- he was NOT going to be evaluated... at least not by their standards. It was pretty clear and obvious that this child was in need. The way he was acting, his lack of cooperation, his lack of verbal skills - it should've been flashing neon lights to these people. But you know what I was told by the director? Come back in January.

WAAHHHHAAAAAAATT!?!?! Are you kidding me?

I was so pissed. Thankfully, I have a large support group who told me not to give up and stay on them. So I did. Cayden began going to the preschool December 1st. He has made such wonderful strides, it's amazing. But what else is kind of crazy... I didn't know this... he couldn't received his Occupational Therapy (OT) services until they received his medical records. Now, here's me thinking: Hm, I'll just ask his old preschool to send over his medical records 'cause it'll be significantly quicker and easier than going through the doctor's office. So I call and ask, get a "sure no problem" and I think I'm good. Then I kept getting notices from his new preschool saying they don't have his records. WTF yo? It took me calling his old preschool every week for four weeks for them to finnnaallly fax it over.... two months later. Ugh. AND! We asked for a tuition reimbursement from his old preschool (which they were wonderful and understanding about), but it took TWO MONTHS for them to cut the check. It was kind of ridiculous. Why it took so long? I don't know, but I'm glad it's finally done.

What ELSE pissed me off is that I called I don't know how many times and it wasn't until ADAM called that something happened. And I was sitting right there -- it wasn't as if he a was a jerk or anything, he was very pleasant and it got done right away. Honestly, people, what the hell. Is it 1950 where we need the Man of the House to step in for things to get done? And I wasn't a bitch or anything, either. I was pleasant and asked very courteously and was very VERY patient -- considering it took them two months to do something that takes two seconds. Honestly. Exasperating. 

But you know what's exciting? I just got a call and scheduled Kaylee's initial meeting for her EI services, woo! Although it took me calling a second time for them to call me back but whatevs. I've learned my lessons from Cayden - I'm not giving up and I'm staying persistent. They deserve this help and I'm going to make sure that they get it. 

I'll be sure to keep you posted as to what the evaluators say about Doodles - we're very curious ourselves ; )