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Health & Fitness

Where Do I Go From Here?

Finding out my son was autistic was just the start of our journey. Now what?

As a mother of a newly diagnosed child with Autism, I have a ton of questions. How did this happen? Was there anything I could've done? And, most importantly, what now? What do I do? 

My 3-year-old son, Lo, was already accepted into preschool under the premise of a developmental delay. He's going to get speech therapy because he's got 2 spontaneous words under his belt, "Hi" and "NOooooooooooooo!"

He also has an array of sensory issues so he is going to be receiving occupational therapy. He already sees a feeding specialist because his sensory issues prevent him from eating any solid food. At 3, he still eats baby food. 

We were given the official diagnoses last week and I am still overwhelmed with my options. The best option would be to put him in a school that specializes in teaching kids with his challenges; but, out of pocket, I am looking at $70,000.

Does insurance cover any of it? NO. Why? What is so special about Autism that insurance companies feel the need to either not cover it or cover so little that it puts people in positions where they have to choose how much they can afford to be able to help their child succeed?

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What other options are out there? Where do I go from here?

I don't seem to get very good answers from anyone. The doctors give me names of people to contact. I leave messages and get nowhere fast. I know I am not alone in this journey, but how do I find out who I can commiserate with?

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