The Advocacy Fight for Children with Challenges - By Jacqueline S.

My greatest challenge has been getting services for my son who has a Sensory Processing Disorder and a few developmental delays. We sought out enrollment at our county's Preschool For All program so we could receive occupational therapy services, among other resources. Months of the school year went by and no initiative was taken to connect him (and our family) with what we needed. We provided doctor's notes/diagnoses, Occupational Therapy (OT) reviews, and evaluations (he was receiving prior to enrollment), yet no progress was made.  

One example occurred when I spoke with the school principal and initially inquired into why my son was not receiving OT help in school. Her reply left me speechless and so upset. It was then that I started to fully understand that I was going to have to fight for my child throughout his school career and be his voice when it seemed like everyone else was trying to enmesh him into a crowd of voices. 

What we need most is OT services or at least some sort of assistance to help balance out the cost. Our son has been receiving help for a year and a half to aid in his educational success and overall quality of life, and to say it has been a huge financial strain on our family would be an understatement. We are a single-income family of four (child care is too costly for both of our children, so one of us has always stayed home with our kids who are 2 and 5 years old).

It would also be helpful if the qualifiers for health or medical help would be expanded for children with special needs. Even with health insurance per my husband's employer, we are still looking at $250 a week for services. It's exhausting trying to make ends meet when we're essentially being penalized for having a child with special needs.