Sticker Shock
Jaysus, check out the cost of this camp for children w/special needs. It's supposed to be a great program--a couple of my friends send their kids there--but tuition-wise, on a per diem basis, it's an Ivy education. That's the thing: there are interesting, innovative programs out there if you have the money for them. It's really difficult to get coverage for anything besides, say, OT (even though sensory integration isn't medically recognized and isn't well-backed by research--but it's still covered) or PT, unless you can manipulate the system well enough to get a Katie Beckett waiver, and in NYS they're not exactly givin' it away (yes, I've asked and applied, and ITO persistence, I'm above average). We even have trouble getting coverage for speech. I find therapy for the kids to be an expensive hobby.

I'll save the rant about being told ABA is an "experimental" therapy and the very nasty voice mail I left with some insurance company drone in North Carolina when we got denied coverage.

Another minor rant: awhile ago I was trying to get someone at Sidikman's office interested in following up on some state legislation that would cover autism treatment. His office didn't take good care of this particular constituent: the guy didn't even want to take my name, and I never heard back. Anyway, I'm sure that thing is dead in committee, and when I've brought it up on various email lists, no one has shown any interest in pushing for it. I realize people are busy raising their disabled kids. As I've said before, we really need to get better organized.