Autism Scholarship

[Guest guest]

Hello all, Besides the Ohio website, where can I get more specific information about the Autism Scholarship, specifically what kinds of services it covers? Is there someone I can call? Perhaps one of you with experience with the scholarship can help too: (1) What kinds of services does it cover? Speech, OT, Listening Therapy, Music Therapy, home tutors, equipment? (2) I know it only covers what is in the IEP, so will it only cover e.g. 1 hour of speech a week as is written in IEP or can we use the scholarship for as much speech therapy as we can get (assuming speech is mentioned in the IEP) (3) What should I request be put into the IEP so that it will cover the maximum amount of services, etc. should I choose the autism scholarship? (4) Can the money be used for services

during the summer if the IEP does not allow for ESY? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Eileen __________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Eileen,

Can I email you offlist about some of your questions.

Patty

[Guest guest]

> Besides the Ohio website, where can I get more specific information about the Autism Scholarship, specifically what kinds of services it covers? Is there someone I can call?

You can contact the Office for Exceptional Children at 614-466-2650.

> (1) What kinds of services does it cover? Speech, OT, Listening Therapy, Music Therapy, home tutors, equipment?

The scholarship will cover the services set forth on the IEP.

> (2) I know it only covers what is in the IEP, so will it only cover e.g. 1 hour of speech a week as is written in IEP or can we use the scholarship for as much speech therapy as we can get (assuming speech is mentioned in the IEP)

Only those services (and amounts - i.e., number of hours) will be covered.

> (3) What should I request be put into the IEP so that it will cover the maximum amount of services, etc. should I choose the autism scholarship?

All services you anticipate using should be in the IEP including equipment and consultative services (e.g., medical doctor, psychologist, ABA consultant, speech pathologist, etc.)

> (4) Can the money be used for services during the summer if the IEP does not allow for ESY?>

ESY can be included as long as it is on the IEP (you cannot however, utilize the ASP for ESY only)

I hope this helps.

Thanks.

Debbie

[Guest guest]

paul sogan

@ 614 728 2098

-----Original Message-----

From:

[mailto: ] On Behalf

Of Eileen Sullivan

Sent: Wednesday,

December 06, 2006 1:21 PM

Subject: [ ] Autism

Scholarship

Hello all,

Besides the Ohio website, where can I

get more specific information about the Autism Scholarship, specifically what

kinds of services it covers? Is there someone I can call?

Perhaps one of you with experience with the

scholarship can help too:

(1) What kinds of services does it cover?

Speech, OT, Listening Therapy, Music Therapy, home tutors, equipment?

(2) I know it only covers what is in the IEP, so will

it only cover e.g. 1 hour of speech a week as is written in IEP or can we use

the scholarship for as much speech therapy as we can get (assuming speech is

mentioned in the IEP)

(3) What should I request be put into the IEP so that

it will cover the maximum amount of services, etc. should I choose the autism

scholarship?

(4) Can the money be used for services during the

summer if the IEP does not allow for ESY?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks, Eileen

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Beth, before you agree to the scholarship you must make sure what

the total cost is going to be. When you agree to take the

scholarship of 20,000 per year max, you waive your childs right to

FAPE by your school district or rather you let your district off the

hook for any and all costs over the 20,000 per year you recieve.

CCF and Monarch are over 60,000. Less intensive schools begin

around 25,000 per year, depending upon the amount of therapuetic

intervention your child and family need. Please know that the

family training is part of your childs therapuetic needs since you

all need to use the same methods. No I do not mean you have to

turn your home into a classroom, but you do need to use the same

discipline and reward system they use at school to reduce confusion

for your child. I highly suggest getting it in writing what your

school of choice is going to cost per year, what your insurance will

cover and what your portion will be. Trust me, you will have some

portion to pay be it copays, deductible or overage on your tuition.

If you choose not to go with the scholarship your school district

has to pay 100% of your childs educational needs be it on their

campus or at an alternative setting leaving you to only cover

additional therapy, social groups and afterschool activities that

you choose to enroll your child in. If your child has the diagnosis

of autsim, pdd-nos, or aspergers to make sure they are going to

provide your child with the appropriate services ask that someone

with experience(lots not just seen one kid) perform the evaluations

and planning for services. Most regular school providers(no offense

to any) do not specialize in these dx's and these kids have definite

needs that must be addressed and implemented on an IEP. Things you

would not know are needed without their input. The providers have a

different way of looking at things, we think potty training and they

think ADL's. Anyhow, you may need to approach your district about

his testing or have it done on your own and take the evals reports

with you. Go prepared and knowing what you need before you sign

anything. WE did not and had a rough experience with a private

provider/school. WE even had to consult with an educational

attorney to know where to go next. We went with our local districts

evals and IEP and they were very lacking due to the generalness of

the providers employed. They are good at their job, just not in the

subspecialties. WE asked for and were given specialists to do the

evals and our son now goes to a private school off the scholarship,

(district is paying 100% including bussing) his evals are to be done

there and then a new IEP will be written that meets his needs. It

has been a rough road and hopefully this will help you be better

prepared than we were when we started. Good luck to you and your

family.

G.

[Guest guest]

Ei - We get TLP through MEEC and they just include it on our invoice

as a non-line item. We also requested that Speech be treated as a

non-line item and are essentially 'double' dipping on the speech

therapy. Talk to Christy - she may give you some more ideas as to

what they can do.

Cate

>

> Hello all,

>

> Besides the Ohio website, where can I get more specific

information about the Autism Scholarship, specifically what kinds of

services it covers? Is there someone I can call?

>

> Perhaps one of you with experience with the scholarship can help

too:

>

> (1) What kinds of services does it cover? Speech, OT, Listening

Therapy, Music Therapy, home tutors, equipment?

>

> (2) I know it only covers what is in the IEP, so will it only

cover e.g. 1 hour of speech a week as is written in IEP or can we

use the scholarship for as much speech therapy as we can get

(assuming speech is mentioned in the IEP)

>

> (3) What should I request be put into the IEP so that it will

cover the maximum amount of services, etc. should I choose the

autism scholarship?

>

> (4) Can the money be used for services during the summer if the

IEP does not allow for ESY?

>

> Any help would be appreciated.

>

> Thanks, Eileen

>

>

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

I think it's important to note that each person's reason for using

the scholarship is different. Sometimes it comes down to deciding

whether it's better to go to due process or possibly even state

and/or federal court to get needed services, or to just spend the

money you would have on legal fees to supplement the scholarship.

The answer is going to be different for each person -- I don't feel

either answer is right or wrong in all cases.

We too have gotten burned by a scholarship provider, but they aren't

all like that. I will say that this is definitely an underserved

base -- affordable Autism schools. We shouldn't HAVE to even need

them...but we do, for a variety of reasons. It's not all the fault

of the school districts. IDEA is there, but it's not been fully

funded for the districts as promised by the lawmakers. I'm sure

there are tons of reasons for that too. But, there are too many of

these children trying to be included in the regular school setting.

Sometimes this works, sometimes it fails miserably. With the rise in

Autism and related disorders, the districts are overwhelmed with

children who need specialized help. In one classroom, you may have

one child with behavioral manifestations that may interfere with

another child's sensory issues, for instance...and chaos will ensue.

No one's to blame, but alternatives must be found. How do schools

and parents do that in an affordable way? I have no answer to that,

I'm sad to say.

Insurers don't help. I have been told by several of our health

insurance carriers that they will not cover speech, OT, PT, etc.,

because we should be getting that through the school. They quote

IDEA in their refusal. So, there's a lot of buck passing. If the

insurers would cover a portion, parents and providers would be helped

considerably. I believe failure of insurers to cover services is one

of the main reasons why these specialized schools end up closing,

failing, or cost a fortune.

Something needs to be done, and I've been bugging my Congress folks

until they're sick of me about it. Health insurance parity needs to

pass, and Autism needs to be covered. I have many times asked

insurance claims adjusters if they would deny anti-seizure meds to an

epileptic, or make a paraplegic wait two or three months

for " approval " on a wheelchair. That's when they backpedal and say

those situations are different. Well, they are protected under the

Americans with Disabilities Act; so are my sons with Autism. I ask

them why it's okay to discriminate against people with Autism, but

not other disabilities. They usually don't have an answer for

that...and they get really uncomfortable, because all those calls are

recorded by the company! It's way past due for insurers to have a

legal reason NOT to deny coverage.

is right...you should find out from the providers upfront

what the cost will be so there aren't any surprises. I have

interviewed providers who couldn't answer that until they evaluated

my child.... " Well it can range from $25,000 - $75,000...we'd have to

see what your child's needs are. " Hmmmm....well, those places are

probably not going to work for you. Also, I've seen spots on

applications asking you if you are suing your district for due

process, or have won a due process case against your district. If

so, they want to know if the district will be paying a portion. I

generally stay away from those as well. True...that leaves rather

slim pickings...but you do what you need to do for the benefit of

your child.

This is just my humble opinion....