Is Your Money Used to Treat Your Child?

Who should pay for the treatment of Autism? Who decides where the money is spent? Schools, parents or insurance companies?

Well, I'm not sure.  In essence, in the US, taxpayer’s money goes to the Federal and State governments and, in turn, is used to fund programs that provide services to our children.

Or it is supposed to anyway.

Case in point - I'm homeschooling my son with autism, I can document attempts to rectify the situation and remain in public school, he is severely delayed and, under these circumstances, I was allowed to request additional support and services for home.

Now, mind you once again, he has autism.  Arguably the most severe childhood developmental disability, so they should certainly know he needs services; this is the same agency that advocates to help children like mine!

The governing agency denied our urgent request.  They suggest I continue working with the school district.

What?

Excuse me, but it’s actually my money funding the service we qualify for - you know, the one you're denying me?

This is when I want to find every 1:150 mothers, the mothers of children with autism, and bring everyone with me to help explain to government officials that the best thing they could possibly do for us and our children is to allow parents to decide how Medicaid and other funds are spent on their child.

Can you imagine if this happened?

Instead of the school or agency receiving funds to supply our children services, services that we have absolutely no say in or about, WE would determine how that same money was used.
The implications are profound and this is my favorite one...

If, as parents, we had the power to decide what provider worked for us, do you know what would happen?

People would work harder and the quality of services would skyrocket. Because now, providers have to be competitive to get paid.

I'll save my lecture on Medicaid fraud for another time and will simply say it would also cut down on a lot of fraud.

It will happen; sooner or later the way funds are distributed and services limited will have to cease. Not surprisingly, I predict a group of parents will spear-head the effort in conjunction with adults that have a disability.

Have you considered that, when our children are adults, they too will have little to no say on the issue, like we do now as parents.

Are you horrified? I am. And so are the adults living dependent on a system like this right now.

I want my son to be independent. Independent and able to decide for himself.  I want him to be able to sit and decide what services best help him and who he wants to work with, but he can't do that without the financial resources or the right to make a choice.

So, my argument and position here is ultimately this: The money currently allotted to help our children needs to simply be re-channeled and put in the hands of the people it is meant to help, because even though we are a demographic labeled with disability, we certainly can help ourselves.

If you agree, I want to hear from you.  If you disagree, I want to hear from you even more.

What would you do if given the same money schools and government agencies receive to help your child?