Question about school aged kids with special needs

[MyBlueLobsters]

I know I have a few years before I have to really 'worry' about this, but Logan (my youngest, who has Down Syndrome) will probably still need therapy during his school years, especially speech and occupational. If he does not attend the local public school, they do not offer therapy. We can not afford private therapy...so my question is this. What do you do if your homeschooled child needs therapy?? I want to start planning, because those years will be here before I know it. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!

[Laurie4b]

If he needs therapy, I'd find a way to do it. There is no way I could have replaced at home what my ds has gotten from occupational therapy, for instance. It has been a financial hardship, but he needed it.

So planning ahead would involve finding a source of income to cover the therapy. A lot of occupational therapy should be covered by insurance, though it's possible that your insurance has a clause limiting treatment based on diagnosis. (It's really exasperating, for instance, to find a particular therapy is covered if the child was injured, but not the very same therapy if he was born with neurological differences.)

[LizzyBee]

Our insurance company continued to pay for speech therapy for my youngest dd after she was school age. Would your medical insurance cover at least some of your son's therapy?

The schools here will provide services for homeschoolers, but I've been told that it's not easy to navigate the system, there may be a long wait to get services, and the quality is not as good as private therapy. I've also been told that, under federal law, schools cannot deny services to homeschoolers. However, they can put kids who are not enrolled in their school at the bottom of the list, so if they have more students needing therapy than resources, a homeschooled student may never get into the system. Anyway, you might check into your legal rights regarding services through the school system for your son.

[Ottakee]

I would keep checking on the status of the public school offerings. At least in Michigan, they have to provide it.

Another option is your health insurance company. They may or may not pay--now if he has a cleft palate, hearing impairment, etc. they are more apt to pay.

You might be able to link up with a therapist that is now retired or homeschooling, etc. that could provide services a bit cheaper.

Another option is to get private therapy but only go 1-2 times a month and then have an "at home" therapy program that you do with him.

Yet another option, visit Remudamom a lot and have him ride her horses, that will cover a lot of therapy and is FUN FUN FUN.

[Kathy in MD]

If you have a choice of insurance plans, examine them closely for the best coverage. Some employers also offer a health savings account, where you put in pre-tax money for medical expenses but need to use it all by the end of the year. This could help with insurance co-pays and extra treatments. I'd also start saving for therapy now.

I'd also push for as much therapy now that your ds can utilyze and handle while he's still a preschooler and the therapy has no charge.

[dtsmamtj]

We are not using the public school but have you checked to see if you local major hospital has its own neurodevelopmental center that may be covered by your insurance - this is how we are getting assistance currently. We still pay some, but our insurance gives us two speech therapys a month once we meet our deductable. I too have a blessing with DS, although she isn't in any therapy right now - her older brother with CAPD is. We have just worked with her here at home using the DS books for fine motor skills, gross motor skills, language, etc. So far language is her weakest area. HTH

T

[tonygirl]

I know I have a few years before I have to really 'worry' about this, but Logan (my youngest, who has Down Syndrome) will probably still need therapy during his school years, especially speech and occupational. If he does not attend the local public school, they do not offer therapy. We can not afford private therapy...so my question is this. What do you do if your homeschooled child needs therapy?? I want to start planning, because those years will be here before I know it. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!

Have you looked into SSI for yr child that has been a life saver here! Teresa:)

[Dani n Monies Mom]

Have you checked out the Deeming Waiver? I think it used to be called the Katy Beckett. But it's medicaid specifically for middle income families who don't qualify for ssi(income too high), but have a lot of medical expenses. We have several friends that have outside therapies and specialists paid for by this. Even swimming lessons and hippo therapy.

We've only just begun the process ourselves, even though dd is 13(!), but call your local medicaid office to see what steps you need to take.

http://www.parenttoparentofga.org/deeming.htm
here are some site with more info.
http://www.torey-hayden.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=98011

I found these by googling, so you'll probably come across much more info than this.

Ava

Ava