I am not sure if you all know of the battle that I have been fighting for Michael over the past 18 or so months for both mental and physical health care but it has been crazy and today I really feel defeated and it really is not going to hurt Michael if he does not get these therapies that I am fighting for but it would really HELP him for his future. I also feel as everyone close to me (except grandma) thinks I am over doing it and pushing to hard for him and that hurts even more. I really don't know what to think anymore and maybe I am just to deep in it to see what everyone else seems to see and think. This is what I found out today from his EARLY INTERVENTION REVIEW that was today:
1. He has a major speech delay
Receptive Communication Age Equivalent: 7months
Expressive Communication Age Equivalent: 11 months
But do to the fact that he has Kaiser Medi-cal they will not offer him speech therapy unless I get a denial Letter stating that Kaiser will not pay for speech therapy which Kaiser wont do because he is Medi-cal and it gets more complicated from there.
2. He should be in Occupational Therapy
Fine Motor Skills Age Equivalent: 9months
Adaptive/Self-Help Age Equivalent: 11months
Cognitive skills:
Attention and Memory Age Equivalent: 7months
Perception and Concepts Age Equivalent: 11months
So again they will not give him O.T. because they need a denial letter for this as well.
Over the past 8 months I have read books and gone to classes to learn and understand how to best help Michael. I have learn some about speech therapy, some about O.T. and a lot about sensory integration and sensory seeking children. I have been working with Michael daily for 45 minutes in the mornings and 45 minutes in the afternoon. He sees Stacie a FMTI once a week. She has been my best resource in all of this. Together we have learned the best ways to get through to Michael. He also sees his Early intervention therapist once a week. Because of all of this we have seen so much improvement in his langue and his ability to interact with people and children! But there is still a lot more and I don't know how or if I can help him go much further. To be honest I am scared because as far as discipline there is none. He really does not understand NO! He runs away from me more and more and since Tuesday running into the street!!! He can open all doors now so he can get in to anything or get out of the house! We have to move all the locks up high, he can open the frig, reach the stove and open the oven so now the Kitchen is off limits! The bathroom I wont even go there. I feel like nothing is safe for him. He eats/puts in his mouth all non food items but when it comes to feed all most nothing goes in! Our poor cats I am really supersized he has not hurt them yet! They are locked up almost all the time in our bedroom. But most of all I worry about how he is with Kaylee! He is so ruff and physical with her. He pulls her hair, crashes into her, and never gives her a moment to herself unless she locks herself in her room.
I am guessing that some of these behaviors are do to his langue delays but still what do I do? I just don't know anymore. Kaiser did evaluate him and gave him a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder level 1 and I thought that would be all that I needed to get him help but it is not.
Are all the people who think I am over reacting right? Am I just to far into this to see that he is really okay? Maybe I am. He is not even 2 yet! He is at least getting some help and if I keep working with him maybe that is all that he needs. All that I know is I just can't fight anymore and that makes me feel like a really bad mother but I am burnt out and kinda out of options. If we could I would just pay out of pocket and screw all this insurance crap believe me I would! And you want to know the really sad part is that this is just for his mental health and you should hear all the stuff for his physical health! I don't understand why Michael is my child. I am waiting for God to show me the answer to that one.
You aren't over doing it. Any intervention you can give him is going to help. And not pushing could leave him further behind. You are doing a fantastic job. Let me know if I can take one of the kids sometime(s) for one on one with the other.
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