Cost of Autism Specific Education

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It is my understanding that there is at least 3400 students with autism in South Australia and rising. The government of South Australia has let the Aspect Treetops Autism specific school use the old Ashford Special School site at a peppercorn rental. The local school zoned in our area means that there are government subsidies available to help pay school fee’s. Does this apply the same at Ashford? Can I apply for the School-card? What subsidies are available to me in my situation? How much transport assistance can I get for my child? Is there long distance education?

When Treetops first began the facts were that you could not go to this Treetops Aspect Special School if you did nott have atleast $232/wk spare cash and thats for 1 child. If you have two children then it was $500 approximately. Fee’s have dropped to around $120 per week per child as of 2019. This is compared to $40 per week for Services and materials charge at the local mainstream school. It’s prohibitive for a large number of Austistic families because they simply do not have the cash.

The thought of HomeSchooling has always been around but not something I have wanted to get excited about! I don’t know it! Although, when I was a kid I did corrospondence schooling for a while. So how much money can I afford out of my budget to send my children to a school specifically oriented to teaching kids on the Autism Spectrum? I am excited about the Satellite Programs the Aspect treetops Autism School is proposing and the Distance education Proposed Program. The issue is how to pay for it?

It seems that the affordability of education equates to class sizes! Am I wrong? Does a kid with Autism who prefers to be by himself need socialization? I think I as a parent need to make our living arrangements bearable for both parent and child.

What happens to a child if they are bullied at school? Bullying and its effects at school have been well studied. Nobody wants that for their child to go through hard times. What is the criteria for entry point to Department of Education Autism Intervention Programs at Blackwood Autism Intervention Program and the Heights Autism Intervention Program, Modbury, Adelaide? What is the criteria for entry to the Aspect Autism Treetops School at Ashford, Adelaide? Would Montessori be good? Tick it off, for a try. What about Steiner education? Not that fussed about it! It can be overwhelming to consider. Do I want to stick my head in the sand about it? Do I have the energy to get excited about the idea?

The school fees at Treetops  have lowered to approximately $120/wk per child. Annual fee’s  are in the order of $7- 10,000 or so PA which may be prohibitive for 90% of ASD cases as it may be more unaffordable for those on lower incomes.  How much does it cost to educate a child in a Department of Education school?

 

 

 

Autism Siblings

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By the end of December 2014, my dear son’s  speech pathologist says that I should have my second son assessed for Autism as well. What types of Autism? Do you mean a “Classic Kanner Autism”? or a “Low functioning Autism”, or a “High Functioning Autism” or a “Savant”???  or “PDD NOS”. Oh yeah baby! That’s a classification that is Not otherwize specified. It means a pervasive Developmental Disorder not otherwize specified. The categorizations are changing in the DSM 4, to the DSM 5, (Diagnostic Manual). I have many questions and not many answers, or  everyone has a different opinion according to their values and philosophies and modalities.

What! I don’t believe it. My son is only 3 years old. How can you tell? I speak to his father who basically is incredibly protective of my son. My husband doesn’t like the Speech Pathologist saying that she is trying to ” push her own agenda”, my husband is very critical of the whole Autism diagnosis idea. “The child is the way he is and if everyone else doesn’t like it, well to heck with them!” “How does she know! He’s just being a kid!”, and “They all develop at their own rate!” Both of my husband and myself still trying to come to terms with my dear son’s diagnosis let alone another one for my second son. I can certainly see a price tag attached to an assessment process.

I had read a few books about Autism. I knew what the debates were, or I thought I did. One was being around the vaccinations and whether they caused Autism,  kiddo 2 was due fo a vaccination and me wary of  motherly discussions around the issue. I told the Dr of my worries and that if son no. 2  had the Autism Gene then it might make him more susceptible to an Autistic onset.  We vaccinated anyway because I thought “Autism is no big deal for me! I can handle this !” It would protect him from more serious conditions.

I remember taking him back to the Dr’s and he licked the wall! Honey, Don’t do that. You might get sick! How curious was that, Holy Moly. “My sweet love! Don’t lick  things in the Dr’s rooms.” I can remember wanting the kids to be still, instead of investigating  what Dr’s got in his draws, his patient bed and stethoscope. Holy moly! We need help on how to pay for therapy for both my sons. Dr we need help. Therapy takes a long time to organize. There is allot of paperwork. I need the National Disability Insurance Scheme as well. Therapists charging at an agreed fixed price, Speech therapists and Psychologists at $167.13, Occupational therapists around $125, Social Skills groups and the list of therapies and sensory toys goes on. They all cost a lot of money.

Swimming week 2013

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Another situation: Kiddo at the pool as a part of school swimming week. He wanted me to be there. He fell over and stubbed his toe. It was a horrible mess and flies were attracted to the moisture in the wound. Kiddo  lost it! He was totally freaked out by it! He screamed and shouted. It was almost like those flys suddenly became enormous garagantuan monsters. He was terrified of them.

His eyes huge with fear! He wanted me to do something and I went to help him cover the wound or wash it.

He just screamed.Right in my ear and so much that if I couldn’t do this or that I would just take him home. I swept him up in my arms, dumped him in the pram aside his baby brother as Kiddo so upset he wanted to be carried. I drove them both home in the car, me so very angry because I was totally confused as to why my son was not doing what the other kids did. I did not understand.  I could not control how he was feeling or what to do about it.

I needed to look after him as if I didn’t then who would.

 

 

Autistic Meltdown, 2014

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Another mother thinks my dear son needs help while we are on our walk at Morialta Falls and intensive support at school. (“Thanks for sharing your opinion! Grrr!)

I’m annoyed and upset, I was angry and I wanted to the person where to go,  but I can’t be rude!!! Maybe, I should get some guts!! And I should be. I have got to stay positive.  I am already defeated.

But in the end I’m pathetically thankful because she helped me investigate how to afford the financial help I’m going to need for therapists.

The idea of the paperwork associated with Disability/Learning Difficulty services/getting the help was something I did not look forward to. I don’t believe how hard life can be at times! I feel that this is unfair. I want to so much stick up for myself and my son.

The prospect of my son’s Autism diagnosis scared me when I was dealing with health issues where my own mother (Nanna) nearly died of a pulmonary embolism in the aortic valve of her heart. My own father  (Grandpa) arriving  on my front doorstep in July 2014 literally with Renal Cell Carcinoma Stage 4 and no supports in place. I went into complete overdrive to get them supports. I used my social work nous. So the grandparents got attended to with appropriate housing found. So  thankfully the grand parents are fine and kicking on!

I wanted to believe that everything was fine with my son! I wanted to support and love and be proud of my son! My husband says, “In the grand scheme of things …. yadayadayada…!”.

I wanted the happy moments of mummyhood! I chose to believe my son did not have Autism because as previously stated in the post of 2013, where the therapist (referral from  the Dr) said my son did not fit the criteria for Autism.

The teacher at school waving her red flag!

I can’t stick my head in the sand!

By 2014 he had developed enough noticeable quirks to fit the diagnosis of Autism.

Quite a few different opinions about what is up with my child from family, extended family, therapists, and members of the public.

I was trying to find answers.

They did not help.

Go with my gut as this is my child.

This morning the schedule is my son is to go school outing, for a walk  at Morialta Falls, and its a very cold morning. He has done it heaps of times before. He is used to it! Why should anything be different! (He is used to doing it with his family and not in a group context!) Did I understand this before he went on the outing! NO!

Another over the top behavior:  screaming/crying because of his cold hands or maybe it is because he thought his hands were turning blue. Is this Alice in wonderland movie? I can’t ignore it! “Rub your hands together my love!”, but he would not. I show him how to do it! I rub his hands for him and cover his hands with his sleeves by pulling them down.

He could not understand that he would create warmth in his hands by doing so. He was lost to his meltdown. He would not even try! I was annoyed! I can’t ignore the magnificent exhibition of behavior and something must be done, some calming strategies. My Yoga upbringing all out of my head.

Should I take him from the group. Should I just let him be miserable on this walk and alone/suffering and is taking him from the group going to set up an expectation that if he gets upset like this he will do it every time he wants to exit a situation.

This is not a good day!

I want to rewind.

Should I just say, “That’s enough!” and take him home?

Everyone in the group, on the walk avoiding him because they did not know how to deal with it.

Another mother offering some help.

I felt so alone.

“What is wrong with my son!? I am feeling like a completely incompetent mother because I, as his mother, can’t contain his meltdown.

I have an Aquired Brain injury and am feeling very incompetent because of my history. What to do? I took him home in the end.

Autism Diagnosis Days, 2014

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I can’t write today! I love it and need to blog. I’m tired! It’s very cold outside blowing a gail. Its freezing. It’s been bucketing down overnight. I can’t believe how much actual rain there is and my dear son is going on a school excursion, to the Zoo today, with assistance of his father.

Confusion. “He doesn’t have Autism”!  And the teacher at school is waving a red flag. Get his hearing checked. Go to Speech Pathologist. Go to Peadiatrician. Does he have enough traits to fit the criteria for Autism Spectrum. In the grand scheme of things does it matter? No! This piece of the jigsaw doesn’t fit here. It fits there. No it does not but ….?! You are supposed to do this and you are doing that?! Its ok, I accept my son’s as they are. To be realistic, I don’t understand.  I don’t understand and this is driving me crazy.  It doesn’t fit. My kids struggle at school. I can’t hear. I can’t process.

O rightio! So can you hear me? Yes Mum! But I think you can only hear parts of the words that I say and not the complete word. Is that it?!

The Speechy helps me understand that my dear son only hears parts of words and it is the same for kiddo no. 2. I find out that instructional video’s o “How to..” do things is what is needed. I find jollyphonics. I find many things and some of them are useful.

 

 

 

Grief from Miscarriage, 2009

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Happy. Second pregnancy, happy times. Building hopes and dreams of  baby.  Did I drink too much coffee at the time? I think I remember picking up a pot-plant. I started to bleed after that. Maybe the pot plant was too heavy. I’m so sorry that I picked up that Pot Plant as what happened was I started to bleed, I couldn’t stop it. I was getting ready for a local market. I was trying to look for a reason that this happened. Its’s ok to cry.

I rang the hospital and they said I was probably having a miscarriage. I remember a great pain  in my uterus, my cervix was opening to let the sac fall out. The body will discard what it does not need. It’s Darwin’s Law. I went to the toilet and my baby fell out or the sac of tissue that  was the start of something new. I was very distressed and this happenned at the same time that my much loved grandmother died, Oh dear!

I remember feeling worthless/like a piece of rubbish/ I was very hard on myself. I must be a bad mother. My loss engulfed me. Anger and negativity. The hormones of a lost pregnancy and  the rebalancing of my hormones. Very tired. Depression.

I vented my grief/anger at my husband who was going through his own grief about the situation.  Where to go to debrief about miscarriage. I did talk about it some people dearest to me that  did not believe me. Which hurt allot!

I wanted to scream at the world but it fell on deaf ears. I did have some people to talk to who listened. If this happens to you. Take care of yourself. Don’t be too hard on yourself! Find an association of women where you can share experiences safely. The grief/emotions are hard to deal with. If you feel you are getting depressed, please talk to someone. Be with someone who supports you and know that you are not alone.

POSSIBILITIES OF WHAT TO DO:

  1. Call Lifeline
  2. Call SANDS 1300 0 72637
  3. Get information of miscarriage support services from your local hospital
  4. Research for local support groups at your Local council
  5. Research Bub Hub/Internet for local agencies
  6. Garden
  7. Do something loving for yourself

 

Miracle Baby, 2011

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Hard work trying to get pregnant. Hard work after they are born.  My second child is born. I am delighted, I know a bit more about babies. Right from the very start of my son’s life he cryed and cryed signalling some sort of distress. My goodness sometimes he was like a little red beetroot.

His skin was so itchy, he scratched all the time. He scratched his face ripping his skin got infected with a bacteria. Antibiotics were needed from the Dr to control this. Tired parents. Afraid that baby would scratch himself so severely. My grandmother used to bind my hands when I had chicken Pox so I would not scratch. In desperation, I bandaged his  hands , and lovingly put mittens on his hands preventing scratch. It was not until another mother said, that it looked like Eczema I was prompted to action. Off to the Dr.

Called the hospital everyday to try to get an appointment to see the specialist. Skin prick tests and more tests and I got creams and lotions. Stopped drinking cow’s milk so it would not come through my milk, started to drink Soy milk. The Dr said that by bandaging him for 20 minutes a day in wet cloth so the moisture would absorb in the skin would be a good method. I wet bandage mummified my baby 20- minutes a day.

My second child was born and did not grow hair for the whole of the first year. What happened instead the hard scabs would grow on his head. His father and I peeled off in the bath every day. It was visibly distressing to look at. I had never seen it before and didn’t know this sort of reaction.  With a bit of research I understood it was the bodies protective mechanisms trying to cope with this  skin condition. Wary of Cortizone prescribed by the Dr. Parents at the end of our tether. We didn’t know what to do. We asked the Dr and applied the prescription. None of the natural remedies seemed to control the discomfort of the itchy eczema skin  fast enough.

Gradually over the years the itchy skin has got less.  He was waking up  between 3-5 times a night with angry dry skin. My friend, who owned a skin care company suggested that I use Avocado oil and Macadamia oil which has the Omega 3 fatty Acid in it that seems to be what my sons skin needs because he has been sleeping. It’s fantastic.

I first used straight cold pressed extra virgin Avocado oil bought from the Grocery store which I love. It does have a tendency to sit on the skin and take a while to absorb so it can get on your clothes and linen, which means it stains. Working it into a lotion may be preferable for some.

“No, I don’t want to take my shoes off!” and Sensory Processing Issues

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Annual assessment wit Occupational Therapist.  Son would not take his shoes off when asked to do some standing/balancing tasks! He said he did not feel comfortable to do it so …. He was not pushed to do so and that means???… He was trying to manipulate me (his mother) to buying him an x-box . I won’t buy an X-box. I sold the last one as I thought my son was getting too anxious using it.

I thought the X-box and  computer  raise his anxiety level and he is acting out  content seen on the X-box.  The $400-$600 X-box is not worth it! I remember from times past having to ask him over and over again to turn the computer or x-box off! “Just one more minute!” he would say. There is only so many times you want to say that to your son.