Any thoughts on this???

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I'm sure most of you have seen my posts and posts by other members

regarding Hanger. I want to start by saying from what I have read

most bands/helmets that have been approved by the FDA are basically

the same. Patients have seen success with DOCband, STARband, Hanger

helmet, etc. They all have the potential to help reshape our

children's beautiful little heads. The success of any band/helmet

really is determined by the knowledge and experience of the person

making the adjustments.

The thing that bothers me is that the helmet/band and the

adjustments are covered under durable medical equipment. I believe

the band/helmet should be considered DME and that the insurance

company has the right to tell me where to go to get the helmet

made. However, I don't think the adjustments should be factored in

to the cost of the helmet. These should be billed separately. We

should be able to choose from a network of orthotists just like most

insurance companies allow you to choose from a network of doctors.

Their knowledge and expertise is what determines the success of our

children's treatment. We should be able to evaluate them and choose

who we want to go to and not be forced to see an inexperienced

orthotist employed by the DME because it was included in the

discounted cost of the helmet.

Let's face it, a helmet is a helmet. I assume they should all be

similar in price to manufacture. The real difference in price is

for the adjustments. The DOCband is the most expensive band and I'm

sure that is because you are paying for an experienced technician

who solely deals with cranial bands. Hanger charges half as much

and you get a good helmet (Hanger helmet or Starband). However, you

may get an orthotist who sees only a few children each year.

Insurance companies just know that one helmet costs more than the

other and they want to pay as little as possible. Do they know why

the prices are so different? Do they care?

Does anyone have any thoughts on this??

Dianna

[Guest guest]

Hello Dianna

These are some good statements / questions to ask. I personally

don't know what " some " insurance folks are thinking to be honest.

I've had a dilemma once b/c the insurance forced me to take a cheaper

medical equipment for myself, and they ended up paying for 2

hospitalizations before they realized that I needed the other. End

of the story they ended up paying for both + some.

I think though too that for the most part they are just a link in the

system that forces them to do what the rich folks/ corporations say.

It;s like this. If you approve too much on your shift then you might

not have a job next year. (just a personal opinion).

Sandy

> Hello,

>

> I'm sure most of you have seen my posts and posts by other members

> regarding Hanger. I want to start by saying from what I have read

> most bands/helmets that have been approved by the FDA are basically

> the same. Patients have seen success with DOCband, STARband, Hanger

> helmet, etc. They all have the potential to help reshape our

> children's beautiful little heads. The success of any band/helmet

> really is determined by the knowledge and experience of the person

> making the adjustments.

>

> The thing that bothers me is that the helmet/band and the

> adjustments are covered under durable medical equipment. I believe

> the band/helmet should be considered DME and that the insurance

> company has the right to tell me where to go to get the helmet

> made. However, I don't think the adjustments should be factored in

> to the cost of the helmet. These should be billed separately. We

> should be able to choose from a network of orthotists just like

most

> insurance companies allow you to choose from a network of doctors.

> Their knowledge and expertise is what determines the success of our

> children's treatment. We should be able to evaluate them and choose

> who we want to go to and not be forced to see an inexperienced

> orthotist employed by the DME because it was included in the

> discounted cost of the helmet.

>

> Let's face it, a helmet is a helmet. I assume they should all be

> similar in price to manufacture. The real difference in price is

> for the adjustments. The DOCband is the most expensive band and

I'm

> sure that is because you are paying for an experienced technician

> who solely deals with cranial bands. Hanger charges half as much

> and you get a good helmet (Hanger helmet or Starband). However, you

> may get an orthotist who sees only a few children each year.

> Insurance companies just know that one helmet costs more than the

> other and they want to pay as little as possible. Do they know why

> the prices are so different? Do they care?

>

> Does anyone have any thoughts on this??

>

> Dianna

[Guest guest]

,

I appreciate that you will never give up hope for children, apraxic or

otherwise, to speak. My son is almost 5 now and has some words and seems to

understand language and even has some nice prosidy that reflects the lilt and

flow of spoken sentences, but words come so hard for him. Is it his autism? Is

it his apraxia? Is it an impossible combination to which we haven't found the

right " key " ? I don't know the answer to that, but I DO know that I will not

accept that he will " never speak " ... to do that would be to give up hope and

there is ALWAYS hope, just as there are always outliers to statistics, however

damning the stats may be. I don't like studies that tell me my child won't

speak... it's the thing I long for deeply within my heart, but it does help keep

my bubble from floating too high, too - there IS a possibility that he may not

speak as the study shows many children don't ever speak, but I won't be closing

the door on my dreams for my child yet based on this study or any others like it

because there is always room for a miracle!

Keep up the good fight!

Tatyana

[ ] Any thoughts on this???

The NIH recently held a conference on autism

http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/funding/programs/10autism/detail.htm

There are a few facts (translate -fact = what we know today not tomorrow) that

you may want to read...but I want opinions on this fact here under What are the

characteristics and predictors of the school-aged children who move from

nonverbal to verbal?

A retrospective review of the literature on cases and studies of individuals

who began speaking at age 5 or older (Pickett et al., 2009) highlighted the

following factors:

" Age (most children who started speaking were between 5 and 7)-none over age

13 "

I hate quotes like this!! How can they say ZERO autistic kids who didn't speak

by the age of 13 have NEVER spoken? What about those that are misdiagnosed? What

about those that never got appropriate therapies? What about Ketchum who

just started to speak at TWENTY FIVE YEARS OLD???

http://littlemermaidmelanie.wordpress.com/

OK granted you might say " but , you yourself say that is

misdiagnosed as autistic, so she wouldn't count " But was diagnosed ALL

HER LIFE up till adulthood by numerous medical, speech, and educational

professionals as autistic, and not just in one state -but in various

states...and some of those that diagnosed her were and I believe still are

considered to be " experts " on autism. So answer that!

Clearly if Mel's parents didn't continue to dig for more answers as to why no

progress, her daughter today would still be considered a " non verbal autistic "

adult and clearly she would have remained nonverbal... and not upset that one

stat.

It's funny -we have more parents of almost teen and teen children diagnosed

with autism on nutriiveda then young- or perhaps those are the parents that fill

out the survey. But nutriiveda alone proves that stat 100% wrong as you can read

here and on the testimony page at PursuitofResearch.org.

But am I the only one that is not sleeping to notice that autism used to have

almost NOTHING to do with expressive speech??? More about not wanting to talk,

or not being able to understand what is said rather than not being ABLE to talk.

Autism a half a century ago was more of a psychological diagnosis, perhaps

language was affected, but not ability to speak. How dare anyone say that a

child diagnosed today with autism that doesn't talk by 13 years old...when did

they start counting the years because clearly it wasn't from 50 years ago! I

mean it would be one thing if this conference was held at the Boonstown Autism

Support group in a backroom of Dennys on Main Steet in Doohicky USA and stated

by a local 6th grade teacher based on what he has seen in his own experience of

13 year old children with autism in his own class...but...? I don't buy it as

fact or even possible...Not even for today!

=====

[Guest guest]

-

I agree with you 100%. I have an older son with Asperger's and my little one

with PDD/Apraxia. I can tell you with having two kids on the spectrum that the

" medical experts " shouldn't be making blanket statments about these kids. It

will totally discourage parents to the point that parents may not want to get

help or intervetion for their kids and just give up. Even though my younger son

has PDD/Apraxia and has no speech, he has way more eye contact and social skills

than the older one who has speech. Should I just give up on the little one-no

way!

FYI-right now there is a battle in the autistic community because " medical

experts " want to give the blanket diagnosis of Austims for EVERYONE on the

spectrum. Since most people with Aspergers are very high functioning in society

(ie-doctors, lawyers, engineers etc) most adults with Aspergers are having a

huge problem with now having to be labeled as Autistic.