I was searching for a particular article in the archives of a Sydney newspaper today and I stumbled across this instead.
You can also read another article about this situation here.
They are both articles about an Australian footballer who has a 3 yr old son recently diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
And this little boy gets 4 hours A DAY of therapy. Most of our children don’t even get 4 hours a week!
Wouldn’t it be nice if all parents of children with an ASD could access that level of therapy. All of our children deserve that but sadly- it just isn’t affordable for all.
But I am still stoked for their little boy that he is getting the help that he needs.
And I don’t begrudge this couple at all. They are amazing. They are aware that they are more financially fortunate than most people and have set up this great charity site 4 asd kids.
Maybe I should get my hubby to take up footy and try to get famous?
Just a thought……:D
I wish there were even minimal services for us adults. I guess the folks who could help us know that the older generations who weren’t able to get interventions and therapies as children will eventually quietly die off and no one will notice because everyone talks about autism as a “childhood illness.”
There’s really good therapy available in my town for adults with asperger’s but it’s very expensive and doesn’t take the government medical insurance I’m on. That means the only adults who can get the therapy are the ones who need it the least!
But it’s not just us oldsters who face the problems. I hear from younger generations that as soon as they turn 18, they “disappear.” That is to say, all the government help goes away because asperger’s and autism are “childhood illnesses” so unless they’re having enough difficulties that they need to be institutionalized, agencies tell them they can’t help them because they’re legal adults and their IQs are over 70 so there’s nothing for them.
So even the kids who were able to get all kinds of early intervention and school programs get left out in the cold when they grow up. If the early interventions weren’t enough and they still need support and therapies, they’d better be successful enough to pay for them …. but wait, if they’re that successful, they probably don’t need them.
It’s just awful. Especially since the interventions and therapies we need are so cost effective and can make the difference between sitting on government disability doing nothing and working a career an dbeing a contributing member of society!
You have raised a very good point Sparrow that hadn’t even occurred to me . I admit that I’ve been a bit narrow minded and haven’t though that far ahead because I’m not yet there…
I wasn’t aware that it is really that bad for any AS individual over 18. That’s disgusting actually. I’m shocked.
You’ve prompted me to do some further research into how teens and adults with AS are treated in Australia.
You’re absolutely right when you say that the interventions are so cost effective that the long term disability allowance could be lessened.
I’m so sorry to hear that such a rotten hand has been dealt to you and others in the same position.
Hopefully things are much better in Australia. I know from my reading that things are streets ahead in England from what they are here in the states. The impression I’ve gotten is that when it comes to dealing with autism, the United States ranks last among industrialized nations.
It’s ironic to live in this “land of opportunity” and wonder if I’m even going to be able to work as a janitor, let alone use my doctorate degree, when I finish school or whether I’ll still be stuck “trying to climb up a greased slide” because of my social deficits.
Thankfully for us we don’t live in the hugely coveted USA!!. I believe that for my children that Early Intervention and support right through the schooling years is the key to setting them up for a productive adulthood. It is very sad that people who are in their late teens/adulthood were not able to access these services when they were young, but i refuse to believe my children will struggle hugely as late teens/adults, i refuse to live my parenting life with the belief that my children will not be successful!.
I understand what you are saying Fi, I also at first was like WOW if only ‘I’ had gotten that much therapy time..but you know what then i spun it for myself… that family is #1 providing this therapy for other families(only a few i know) but more importantly #2 Their family is drawing alot of media attention and community awareness, that can only be a good thing right?.
Woohoo!
Finally I have put a firecracker under you and witnessed you all fired up!
I love what I’m reading.
You go girlfriend!! You’re right. The awareness they are creating is a good thing. And I’m going to choose to believe that my kids will be successful and productive too.
P.S. I LOVE this side of you that I’m seeing Miss J!
you’ve got to get my passion points Fi, then i live up to the natural hair colour…lol
So….I found your “buttons” hmmmm. I could have taken the easy way out years ago and asked ‘I’ what they were LMHO!
you have been disliking my relatively calm nature all these years fi? im affronted
No you’re not! You don’t get affronted
The cost involved in therapy is scary. If I won the lottery tomorrow I know where it would all go and I would be very happy to do that. Jen.
If I came into a lot of money all of a sudden- I would build a school designed to let our kids be themselves. A nurturing and caring environment.