It felt so good....
Ok, I've said a little bit about me...now more, or a bit of a vent...
My DD #2 has "issues" and most likely has SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) This has been a tough road, as it seems only Occupational Therapists really know much about SPD, and a diagnosis has to be provided by an MD. So far she doesn't "officially" have a diagnosis. She was referred to occupational therapy for "Feeding Issues" as she was (and still is) considered extremely underweight and "Failure to thrive." I fought to get an evaluation through our local regional center, and eventually got her into "Early Intervention" through our school district, and faithfully took her to them for almost a full year. The results were underwhelming to say the least. I decided to decline Summer Services, and spent the summer seeking our activities for her, and got much more response, and improvement from what I did on my own than I'd seen in a year of school-based services, and then chose to pull her out completely, it just wasn't working, and I didn't want to waste more time and energy on services that weren't helping. From a parent perspective, the school had one, and only one way to teach/engage the children...and the child was expected to respond and adapt. If their method didn't work, they just kept repeating the same "lesson" over and over. My daughter did not respond...and I was unwilling to turn a then 2 year old over to them, without me being around. The push for "preschool" for a 2-year old who'd never been away from a parent seemed, cruel and unnecessary.
While this was going on, DD has been to weekly occupational therapy at our Children's hospital, largely paid through our own private insurance. There have been substantial out-of-pocket costs, on top of the already rather pricey health insurance, and I was told by the Regional Center there were funds to pay our OOP costs. Well there is, and isn't, since the Regional Center requires extensive documentation, that has to be "just so" and is not provided by either the initial bills provided, nor by a request for itemized bills, as well as proof we've paid the bill OOP to get reimbursement, and very tight timelines to get reimbursed. After investing HOURS in trying to chase the documentation, and our local Children's hospital getting frustrated, my frustration, and deciding my time was worth more than the possible reimbursement. I gave up.
MONTHS later, the "Case Coordinator Calls...seems she just got word we'd withdrawn....MONTHS after that, I get a letter to call for a meeting for a new "Service plan" WTF?
IMHO, or "Regional Center" has done little to nothing to help....They've spent their time generating paperwork for god knows whom, and made promises that to me it appears they never intended to keep...The money to pay for therapy...impossible to get (among other requirements, was submitting the bill within 90 days of the date of service, with proof of our payment...impossible since I never got the bill before 90 days!) When I told the Case Coordinator that I was signed up to attend an educational seminar on SPD...she said "We have money for that....and then (Oh, it's too close, we can't help you.)
So in utter, total frustration, I called and left a blistering message for our Case Coordinator's supervisor...telling him to close the case immediately.....(the 2nd request for that..btw...my first call a few months ago went unreturned)
OK, it doesn't help my daughter...but damn that felt good. I may regret it later, but I don't need some agency claiming to provide help when they haven't, and exploiting me and my daughter. Help, or get the hell out of the way...but don't waste my time on yet more paperwork and empty promises,
My DD #2 has "issues" and most likely has SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) This has been a tough road, as it seems only Occupational Therapists really know much about SPD, and a diagnosis has to be provided by an MD. So far she doesn't "officially" have a diagnosis. She was referred to occupational therapy for "Feeding Issues" as she was (and still is) considered extremely underweight and "Failure to thrive." I fought to get an evaluation through our local regional center, and eventually got her into "Early Intervention" through our school district, and faithfully took her to them for almost a full year. The results were underwhelming to say the least. I decided to decline Summer Services, and spent the summer seeking our activities for her, and got much more response, and improvement from what I did on my own than I'd seen in a year of school-based services, and then chose to pull her out completely, it just wasn't working, and I didn't want to waste more time and energy on services that weren't helping. From a parent perspective, the school had one, and only one way to teach/engage the children...and the child was expected to respond and adapt. If their method didn't work, they just kept repeating the same "lesson" over and over. My daughter did not respond...and I was unwilling to turn a then 2 year old over to them, without me being around. The push for "preschool" for a 2-year old who'd never been away from a parent seemed, cruel and unnecessary.
While this was going on, DD has been to weekly occupational therapy at our Children's hospital, largely paid through our own private insurance. There have been substantial out-of-pocket costs, on top of the already rather pricey health insurance, and I was told by the Regional Center there were funds to pay our OOP costs. Well there is, and isn't, since the Regional Center requires extensive documentation, that has to be "just so" and is not provided by either the initial bills provided, nor by a request for itemized bills, as well as proof we've paid the bill OOP to get reimbursement, and very tight timelines to get reimbursed. After investing HOURS in trying to chase the documentation, and our local Children's hospital getting frustrated, my frustration, and deciding my time was worth more than the possible reimbursement. I gave up.
MONTHS later, the "Case Coordinator Calls...seems she just got word we'd withdrawn....MONTHS after that, I get a letter to call for a meeting for a new "Service plan" WTF?
IMHO, or "Regional Center" has done little to nothing to help....They've spent their time generating paperwork for god knows whom, and made promises that to me it appears they never intended to keep...The money to pay for therapy...impossible to get (among other requirements, was submitting the bill within 90 days of the date of service, with proof of our payment...impossible since I never got the bill before 90 days!) When I told the Case Coordinator that I was signed up to attend an educational seminar on SPD...she said "We have money for that....and then (Oh, it's too close, we can't help you.)
So in utter, total frustration, I called and left a blistering message for our Case Coordinator's supervisor...telling him to close the case immediately.....(the 2nd request for that..btw...my first call a few months ago went unreturned)
OK, it doesn't help my daughter...but damn that felt good. I may regret it later, but I don't need some agency claiming to provide help when they haven't, and exploiting me and my daughter. Help, or get the hell out of the way...but don't waste my time on yet more paperwork and empty promises,
posted by Opening Pandora | 11:52 AM
