I Slayed a Dragon

Today, I slayed one of my dragons. Not using a sword. Not using my intellect. I slayed this dragon with an abundance of paperwork. Every email, every note home, every Tuesday Therapy post, every piece of paper I could find, I dumped on the SPOA  meeting table., along with the IEPs and evaluations that weren't good enough last week. The ICM worker was eloquent in her description of me getting the sh*t beat out of me. Hope has been approved for waiver services.


No time to celebrate. Next dragon is  family court with MK this afternoon. I will update on MK and Booboo on the other blog when I get back.


Thank you all for your prayers and support. I appreciate everyone of you.

Follow up to The State Lady

Today I spoke with the neuropsychologist who wrote the report saying GB was autistic. My question was really simple. After having her (state) agency write a report that another person, from a different part of her agency (read here) read and said the report was not enough to get GB services, was there any point of taking on THIS particular dragon. Her response was mind numbing.  She said if we repeat the exact same testing on GB's 8th birthday, she would qualify for all available services.  Not because GB would be any different in two months (she won't be), but because the norms they use to score  the testing instruments change the day she turns eight. I guess some days the dragon does win.

The State Lady

Today the state intake worker from DDSO came and spent an hour with us and met GB. She is the first step on a long road to get GB some services as developmentally disabled. The mental health people turned her down, as when she is not psychotic, she is not difficult enough to handle. Hope on the other hand, will be receiving 10 hours of respite from MHA, courtesy of the meltdown she had while we were trying to do a preliminary intake.

The DDSO worker said that GB is such a complicated kid that GB and I would undoubtedly have to meet with one of the two  state psychologists that do reviews on eligibility for my area. Sometimes it gets tiring to always have to battle one dragon or another. Then I remind myself how difficult it is to be GB and how much energy she puts into everyday. It usually makes me stop whining.

The worker said they were trying to deal with budget cuts by tightening up on eligibility requirements. I am going to call the neuropsychologist at the George Jervis clinic tomorrow and ask her what hoops I have to jump through. They are all under the same state director, so it seems silly that one person tests and recommends the service, and second, less educated person, reads the report, and sends it to a third person (another psychologist), who wants to see us again, to compare us to the report. Maybe all that duplication of service is contributing to the state budget problems.

How do parents who don't know how to fight the system get services for their kids?

Taking Slow Deep Breaths...

Today, I got up the courage to tackle my latest dragon.  Several weeks ago, I was caught by surprise when what I thought was routine neuro-psychological testing started with the head of the neuro-psych department at the George Jarvis Clinic telling me GB was on the spectrum. No, not FASD (although she said that was still there), ASD. How can a child start EI services at 7 months, special ed preschool at 33 months and receive special ed services for 2+ years from the district and have everyone miss autism? The psychologist told me about all the services GB should be receiving and is not. It was a very detailed discussion that lasted over 2 hours. I remember it happening, but I don't remember a single service that GB needs and is not currently receiving. Not one.

I have always been adept at getting the services my kids needed. I have never been particularly interested in following protocol and I absorb information about my  kids' disabilities thoroughly and efficiently. So why is it that, three weeks later, I have done absolutely nothing. I have the woman's phone number- so it is not because I don't know what services GB needs- a phone call would take care of that. It is not a lack of time; with both girls in school, I have one or two days without appointments most weeks.

I have to conclude it is fear. Fear of what, I am not sure. Fear that I will be unable to get GB what she needs? Fear that there will be something else lurking in the shadows, waiting to be found? Maybe it is fear I shouldn't have taken on Hope. I am not sure I would have if they had given me this information back in July when they first saw GB. Fear is not usually a good place to operate from.  Rather than spend more time and energy thinking about it, I decided to call the ODDS (Office of Developmental Disability Services) and request an intake package. It is a tiny step, but at least I am not running from my dragon. And, there is always tomorrow.