ABA Therapy at Home Offers Hope to All Families

While a diagnosis of Autism is an emotional burden for any family, for many families it also presents a serious financial burden. Many parents find themselves faced with the choice of paying for treatment by picking up extra jobs and giving up family time or spending time at home and providing minimal treatment. For all families in this situation, neither answer is fair and neither is entirely correct. It is for families experiencing this that home ABA Therapy programs were designed.

Home ABA Training courses teach parents all they need to know in order to provide proper ABA Therapy for their own child. While there is a cost for the program as well as a small cost for replacement data collection materials, the costs are tens of thousands of dollars lower annually than the cost of hiring a professional to administer intensive ABA Therapy. In addition, many children ease into learning much easier when they are able to do so in the comfort of familiar surroundings.

With that said it is important to make clear that providing ABA Therapy requires a significant amount of time and dedication and can be difficult. In the beginning many children are averse to a drastic change in routine and can cry, throw fits, or even hurt themselves. It is very important to react to this in a way that is consistent with ABA methods as long as the child is not in danger. Responding to negative behavior only furthers associations between the behavior and attention, and ABA Training is focused on rewarding only positive behavior with attention as part of the process of training appropriate responses.

While difficult and intensive, home ABA Training can be quite rewarding. Because the therapy is designed only to prepare these children for school, where they will receive training as well as participating in classes with their peers, many parents find great reward in watching their children reach significant learning and behavior milestones. Because these parents have seen their children in the depths of Autism and in many cases unable to communicate, they have a stronger understanding of how remarkable each of these milestones truly is.

In short, ABA Therapy at home is an excellent alternative for many parents. By purchasing a proper training program and offering their child all of the same methods they would obtain from a hired professional, parents ensure that their child has truly gotten the best care possible. There is no license or certification requirement to provide ABA Training, only a dedication to helping children reach their maximum potential. With that in mind, parents of children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder should give consideration to ABA, which after many decades is still the only Autism treatment covered by most insurance companies and relied on by most school systems.

Garrett Butch is the father of a 6 year old with autism and the founder of Maximum Potential Group.

Maximum Potential has developed courses that train parents and school systems how to work with children with autism.

http://www.maximumpotentialkids.com

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Financial and Medical Assistance for Families with Autistic Children

Having a child with Autism can be financially draining for the family.
Insurance is expensive and some insurance companies do not allow predisposed conditions in their coverage.

The cost to a family who have children with Autism can be staggering . Between treatments, specialized child care (if both parents are employed), or lost income, not to mention any medical conditions associated with their Autistic child, the cost is estimated according to channel 7 news to run over 3 million dollars for the lifetime of the child.

Trying treatments to relieve the signs and symptoms of Autism have to be borne by the family as no insurance company will pay for any treatments that are not approved by a physician.

There may be some financial relief for some families who have children with Autism. A way for them to receive free medical care and some help with supplements and basic needs.

As soon as the diagnosis of Autism is received from a Doctor or Psychologist, the family should contact Social Security to obtain medical assistance for their children with Autism.

The paperwork can be lengthy as is the waiting for determination, but the long term benefits can be worth it.

They will require confirmation of the Autism diagnosis from the physician. In addition they will send you forms to fill out which basically tells them what the functioning ability of the child with Autism is.
Questions include safety issues, social issues and basic activities of daily living as well as attestations as to the Autistic child's social skills and mental capacity.

They will also require the same form to be completed by another person, preferably in a teaching or care giving capacity that echoes your assessment of the child's abilities.

Determination is not made on the diagnosis of Autism, but rather on the level of functioning that the child can achieve.

The monetary compensation is calculated on the family's income and is paid monthly to the child if capable mentally and is of age, or to a surrogate, usually the child's parent or caregiver.

If Social Security does approve your application for medical assistance for your children with Autism, this automatically puts them on Medicaid which can be a lifesaver for parents who are struggling to find adequate insurance coverage.
Medicaid also pays for incontinence products and for those that live in an area where this is available respite care which can help relieve a little of the stress associated with raising an Autistic child.

It is definitely worth the time and energy to apply to Social Security for medical assistance for your Autistic children as it can help relieve the financial burden that you will carry for the years to come.

Financial assistance for families with Autistic children may be obtained, you just need to know where to look for it. Visit us at http://www.howdoiknowifitisautism.blogspot.com for a little light at the end of the tunnel. Written by Donna Mason, the mother of 3 Autistic children looking for a way to survive and help her children.

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