Occupational Therapy – No Flying!
Since this is autism Awareness month I thought I’d take the opportunity to rant about the lack of medical insurance coverage for services for autistic people. I could point you towards Michael Moore’s film “Sicko” as a good starting point. If you’re not American then the terms, ‘out of network’ are meaningless. But if I tell you that being ‘in network’ doesn’t work either, then that would only add to your confusion.
How much does it cost to send two children to occupational therapy twice a week, for four and a half years? I’d tell you but I can only count up to seven, even on a good day.
Is it a good investment? It depends upon your perspective, I suppose. My perspective shows me that instead of ‘ground dwellers’ I now have ‘aerial artistes.’
No longer the patter of tiny tippy toes, instead we have earth shattering quakes and crash landings.
For the moment I am happy to observe their acrobatics. Soon we shall commence yet another campaign but I need to work on my ‘words’ prior to commencement.
Thus far I am failing miserably. “Get down from there this instant!” doesn’t cut it, as they’re already very good at the ‘getting down’ bit.
“What on earth are you doing up there!” is a pointless rhetorical statement that sends us down a blind alley about planets.
“What are you thinking of!” may just illicit a straightforward answer.
No. I shall bide my time and not let my mouth run away with me. This time I shall be sure that the words match the situation. No more nauseating little ditties to haunt the next 5 years or more.
April 8th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
The new preoccupation around him is standing tip-toe at the top of the (wood) stairs and then—-grin at Mom——
jump.
whump.
April 9th, 2008 at 12:36 am
Hi Maddy! I don’t know how you keep sane! You have been blessed immense patience.
I’ve just changed my url and I haven’t blogged for quite some time, but I’m back now and really look forward to reading your posts again.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:08 am
The penny finally dropped for me last week. This is your first trip through mother-of-boys, neurotypical or not.
Both my NT step-boyos were cabinet climbers and fliers. And body-slammers. And let us let our eyes slide away from the orifice antics.
And of course I am MOL NT. But in 1959, I accepted the challenge (from my cousin) to jump off the balcony onto the pile of laundry. Happily I hit the target, and only gave myself black eyes and a bloody nose when my knees hit my face.
There’s my “climb and fly” story
April 9th, 2008 at 3:57 am
Pssst…. to get OT for my eldest I have to pay Out-of-pocket – this will be my last paid for assessment but he doesn’t get therapy, the little one’s speech is out-of-pocket…. he only gets “consult” at school.
That probably burst numerous peoples assumptions about the glorious Cdn med system…
OK… not perfect…. but I can live with it. And IMO the out of pocket speech… is worth every nickel… or 1000 of them for every 30min.
My comment when little boy jumps, climbs etc… “SIT… NOW!!!!”
Fudge… it’s yellow out…. storm…
April 9th, 2008 at 4:56 am
Your flying boys look all too familiar. Kate is going through a similar thing right now. Her favorite take-off spot is from the kiddie kitchen in the playroom.
April 9th, 2008 at 5:47 am
Oh golly… the climbing and the jumping worries me so. Hubby keeps saying “He’s a boy, Kel.” Yeah, well, I’d like him to stay all put together in one uninjured piece, thankyouverymuch.
April 9th, 2008 at 6:18 am
I was hoping autism awareness month might mark a turning point in the lack of support and care autistic people receive, i.e. they get a damn sight more than they do already. However, I am having my doubts.
CJ xx
April 9th, 2008 at 6:30 am
OMG… no flying around here yet, but Xander did enjoy several roller coasters over the weekend at an amusement park. Is that the same sort of feeling?
I am so with you on insurance… it’s absolutely shameful how this country hasn’t started changing this.
April 9th, 2008 at 7:36 am
i once saw my son defy the laws of physics by freezing mid-takeoff when i caught him launching from the back of the sofa while clinging to the drapes.
April 9th, 2008 at 8:00 am
Great action shots.
How ’bout a trampoline?
April 9th, 2008 at 8:59 am
“Keep your feet on the floor” has been known to work around here. We also have sayings like “chairs are for sitting – not standing. Bottoms, not feet.” Unfortunately, even I can put that one to a fun, syncopated rhythm and sing it — so no help there!
Can we say vestibular and proprioceptive input? Perhaps a zip line would be a good addition to the garden. . . .might even coax them out.
We have paid out-of-pocket for speech and OT for years. Our OT was partially covered last year – a new and exciting scenario! But we are having to pay for the psych up front for the older boy, then file with insurance for its portion (emphasis on the word portion). That’s around $400 a visit. Ouch.
April 9th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Oh my! Yes, some of it is definitely “trypical boy behavior!” So glad the OT has beenhelping to reach that point, aren’t you?? ROFLMAO at the image of a zip line in your garden! I think I’d ALMOST PAY to see that one!
April 9th, 2008 at 11:51 am
My son is only 4 1/2 and it’s already getting harder and harder to “remove” him from situations when he doesn’t listen to the “stop that this instant!” I don’t know what’s gonna be like when he’s at your boy’s ages. There’s going to have a lot of bribing involved, I guess. I’m only five-three tall and I’m not getting any stronger as the years go by.
April 9th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
I used to jump over the sofa as a kid.
Most of these insurance issues I don’t really know about, since my family couldn’t afford any kind of speech or OT and these options were never brought up. What exactly is OT?
April 9th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
After much fighting with our insurance company, we did get some OT covered at out-of-network rates last year and then still had to jump through hoops to get the reimbursement checks. We actually got the check for the final August sessions in February 2008! What a world we live in – anyway, thank you for stopping by my blog.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
OHMYGOD! Was your baby boy leaping of the cat scratching post in one of your photos? Poor you, but it looks so much fun!
April 9th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Hey thanks for the comment! I live in Iowa, so that’s where I’ll be walking on Saturday, but my asppie (grandson) lives in Hewitt, Texas. His PUBLIC school is outstanding. Ever think of moving?
Anyway, best of everything to you and all 4 kids!
Sincerely,
Dianne
PS Feel free to send readers to my blog – it’s short enough to hold their attention for 30 seconds and it MIGHT raise awareness! phelans1.wordpress.com
April 9th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Yes, we bought a lovely trampoline for Joey, after he ruined a good couch and several chairs.
I keep finding Andy bouncing on it.
April 9th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
From my perspective, their acrobatics look like a pretty darn good kid-play. My sense would be: This is one of those choices they make with natural consequences…and if they feel one of those consequences in a bad landing, then they’ve learned a lesson, right?
But then, damn, you have to take that broken foot to the Urgent Care, don’t you…and who will finance it?
April 10th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
I took my son to o.t. and p.t. for over two years. He needed help walking, particularly up and down steps. We spent a great deal of time trying to get him to jump from a step onto the ground. Now his favorite pastime is launching himself off of the arm of our pathetic couch into a pile of even more pathetic pillows. He never met a bed he didn’t jump all over. We do have the trampoline, but somehow it doesn’t have the same appeal as our tired couch.
April 10th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Oh boy, we have a climber too. It sure can be interesting. Adrian learned how to open the kitchen drawers and climb up them like a ladder and jump down. Ugh..
April 11th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Due to Becca’s vision issues jumping has always been difficult for her. Therefore I have always encouraged ANY jumping … including on the bed … Now I have two little monkeys jumping on the bed!
*sigh* It truly is a good thing right? hehe
April 12th, 2008 at 12:43 am
Heh, we used to do stuff like that when we were little. When I was 9 I got my own bedroom (two brothers), and I had this bookcase that was pretty high. I really wanted to jump off of it, so one day I did. Then I found out why my mom always told me not to. My feet have never hurt so bad before or since.
It also reminds me that we used to like to build towers made of various furniture right to the ceiling. Then climb on them. We were not allowed to jump off. They were rickety, and it’s only recently that I think about how dangerous that was
. Big dinner-table-chair at the bottom, then my brother’s old highchair, topped off with a footstool.
I have never been good at jumping and I only got worse as I got older
.
June 18th, 2008 at 10:33 am
I have no recollection of a jumping phase, but I do have a certain love for wild and crazy roller coasters. I think I went on the ride “Top Gun” – it was either at Carowinds or 6 Flags over Georgia – at least 10 times in a row before I started feeling like maybe I should stay flat on the ground for a while.
Someday we should trade mailing addresses and I’ll send you a cd of stuff that I like listening to.
November 5th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Very good post! Thank you for the work done!
March 28th, 2009 at 2:45 am
Ochen pomoglo
April 29th, 2009 at 2:37 am
Tags Clouds
July 8th, 2009 at 9:20 am
Hm that sounds good but I would like to know more details.
July 13th, 2009 at 8:00 am
Thank you author