I have been in this situation many times with my son J. I have had to find new providers and services for him several times during our autism/ADHD journey. It hasn’t been easy, and I’ve reached out in different ways to different people and organizations over the years. I thought it would be helpful to share how I’ve found services in case it will help other parents.

Searching online is always an option for finding services, however, you may or may not find the best information that way. Here are some other ways I have successfully found autism and ADHD programs and services for my son.

1. Reach out to other parents of autistic/ADHD children for recommendations

I have found that recommendations from other parents is one of the best ways to start finding providers when I needed new care or services for J. Of course, when he was first diagnosed, I didn’t do this because I didn’t know any other parents of autistic children. However, as I’ve made friends in the autism community, this has been a great step to take whenever a new need has arisen.

2. Talk to the special services/education director or speech therapist at your child’s school

If your child is receiving services at school through an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), then talking to the school’s special services director or even your child’s speech therapist can provide you with valuable information. They know so many resources and providers in your community, and they can give you contact information to get you started. I found them so helpful when my son was in elementary school.

3. Ask your autistic child’s case manager if your child has the Medicaid waiver

If your child has an autism Medicaid waiver, I found our case manager to be a wealth of information. Even if the services or care I was looking for wasn’t something covered by the waiver, she knew so many resources in the community and could point me in the right direction. It was usually a good starting point for me to inquire and do additional research.

4. Call your health plan’s member line

Believe it or not, I’ve found good services and providers by calling my health plan’s member services line and talking to a customer representative. The good thing about doing this is that I knew what the insurance coverage would be for the care I was seeking, and the providers were in-network. Some representatives are more helpful than others, but this could be a good option especially if the care is going to be more expensive and you want to be sure you know what your benefits cover.

5. Call your local autism and/or ADHD organizations to find services

Another way to find autism and ADHD services or programs in your area is to contact your local autism and ADHD organizations. Most states have a local chapter of the Autism Society, and many areas may have local or regional organizations. I used to serve on the board of directors for the Autism Community Connection, which is an autism organization serving the county I live in. We received calls and emails often from parents asking for recommendations and information about care and other resources in our area.

Once you have recommendations, you can then talk to your child’s doctor about their thoughts and possible referrals (depending on your health plan’s benefit requirements if it is a covered service). You may want to reach out to the providers and see if you can interview them

first. I have an article about the process and questions I used to find my son a good therapist. I found doing some homework first and then talking to my son’s doctor usually gave me better results. She said it even helped her in some cases because I found more information that she wasn’t aware of at the time!

It’s so important that you find the care and services your autistic child needs, and then find the provider that will be the best fit for them. Are there other ways you’ve successfully found autism care and services for your child? If so, leave a comment so that we can share and encourage each other on this journey.

Additional resources

If you’d like to learn more about some care and services for your autistic child, check out these resources.

The Parent’s Guide to Occupational Therapy for Autism and Other Special Needs (affiliate link)

Caring for Autism: Practical Advice from a Parent and Physician (affiliate link)

The Complete Guide to Autism & Healthcare: Advice for Medical Professionals and People on the Spectrum (affiliate link)

Taking Care of Myself 2: for Teenagers and Young Adults with ASD (affiliate link)

The Autism Mom’s Survival Guide (for Dads, too!): Creating a Balanced and Happy Life While Raising a Child with Autism (affiliate link)

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What is a Picture Exchange Communications System?

According to the Indiana Resource Center for Autism, a Picture Exchange Communications System is “a modified applied behavior analysis program designed for early nonverbal symbolic communication training. It is not a program designed to teach speech, although the latter is encouraged indirectly, and some children begin to spontaneously use speech while enrolled in the PECS program. The PECS training program was developed at the Delaware Autistic Program. PECS training occurs during typical activities within the natural settings of the classroom and the home. The communication training occurs within a broader positive behavioral support context entitled the Pyramid Approach. Training techniques include strategies such as chaining, prompting/cuing, modeling, and environmental engineering.”

How would your autistic child use a PECS?

PECS allows for autistic children, especially those who are non-verbal, to use picture or word cards to ask questions, respond or say things.

If your autistic child is non-verbal, primarily echolalic or has limited speech abilities, PECS may be a good tool for them to use to communicate. As children use the picture cards to communicate their wants and needs, they are awarded with the items or tasks they request. This helps to facilitate better communication.

Does PECS support verbal language development?

While PECS is not specifically a speech tool, it can help encourage verbal speech. You still will need your child work with a speech therapist to develop verbal skills.

My son J was highly verbal, so he didn’t use PECS as a system. However, his speech teacher in elementary school did use elements of PECS to teach him social skills, create social stories and use the picture cards to develop visual schedules for him.

Should your autistic child work with a speech or an applied behavioral analyst (ABA) therapist using PECS?

Parents and teachers should be trained by a person who has been through a program to teach PECS. The PECS system is taught in six phases, so it is important to be trained by someone who knows how the system works properly.

The six phases include:

Phase 1: In the first phase, the facilitator and parent or teacher helps the child identify the pictures of the objects they want. Then when they have both the picture and object, the adult will say something like, “Oh, so you want [object]?” to help them better note their need or want.

Phase 2: The second phase encourages the child to select the desired picture of what they want from the communication board and show it to the adult.

Phase 3: In the third phase, the child learns to select the correct picture from multiple options of various types. If they choose the wrong one, the adult corrects them.

Phase 4: During the fourth phase, the child learns to communicate “I want” when handing the picture to the adult. This could be with verbalization or sign language.

Phase 5: In this phase, the child learns to use the pictures to answer the question of “What do you want?” by using a sentence strip.

Phase 6: In the final phase, the child acquires the skills to communicate with the pictures to answer the following questions:

• What do you want?
• What do you see?
• What do you have?

When you look at the six phases, you can understand why it’s important to have a trained facilitator teach you and your child how to use the program.

How do you find a PECS system facilitator?

If you’d like to teach your autistic child how to use the Picture Exchange Communications System, one place to start is with your child’s Special Services director and teacher at school. They may know of local facilitators through ABA centers, occupational therapists, speech therapists or others who are trained to teach PECS. Their special education teachers may also be trained to teach PECS.

You also could reach out to your state’s local chapter of The Autism Society or another local autism advocacy group to see if they have a list of facilitators in your area. Many times, they have these resource lists available for parents.

Have you tried PECS with your autistic child? What was your experience and what advice would you give other parents? Leave a comment below to share and encourage each other on this journey!

Additional resources

Want to supplement your PECS system or try a modified version? Take a look at these resources available.

Smile4autism Visual Communication Book,162 ASD Laminate Icon Picture Cards (affiliate link)

PECS® Starter Kit- Picture Exchange Communication System® (affiliate link)

Smile4Autism Small 1.5″x1.5″ Loose Visual Picture Cards (affiliate link)

Large Kids Visual Schedule for Classroom & Home School (affiliate link)

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Who provides nutrition counseling for children with autism?

If you are looking for nutrition counseling, the best expert to see is a registered dietitian (RD) or registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). According to the Cleveland Clinic website, both are a credentialed specialist who “apply their knowledge of nutrition to develop dietary strategies to meet the health needs of populations and individuals.”

Dietitians provide food education, meal planning and other services related to nutrition. For those who specialize in working with autistic children and adults, they also can help with the following:

• Identifying nutrition deficiencies
• Reducing mealtime stress
• Creating meal plans for specific diets if your child has been diagnosed with a digestive issue
• Helping parents expand their child’s food choices
• Decreasing anxiety related to food

When should you consider nutrition counseling for your child?

My son J went through a period where he lost a lot of weight due to decreased appetite from a medicine along with a stressful social situation at school. We were really worried about him since he was eating so little, and we wanted to maximize the nutrition in the foods when he did eat. His primary care doctor referred him to a dietitian at our local hospital system. She was great about teaching him how certain foods packed the nutrients, especially protein, that he needed. She developed a plan for him with the foods he liked and when he would generally eat. He didn’t follow everything, but I felt much better that he was eating food that was providing his body the vitamins and minerals he needed. He finally got through that phase and now eats more and has expanded his palate to a larger variety of food.

So when should you consider nutrition counseling for your child with autism? You may want to seek a registered dietitian’s help when:

• Your child is diagnosed with a gut or digestive issue.
• You feel like your child is not getting enough of the nutrients they need for proper development.
• Your child is struggling with stress and anxiety related to food.
• You want to work with a dietitian to encourage your child to eat more new foods.
• Your child struggles with eating due to food allergies.
• You need help with meal planning for your child to ensure they are getting the nutrition they require.

How can you find a dietitian for your child?

Dietitians work in a variety of settings. You can find one through any of the following ways:

• First start by asking your child’s primary care physician or pediatrician for a referral to a registered dietitian.
• You could also look on your health plan’s website or call the member services line to find out which dietitians are in-network nearby that are covered by your insurance.
• Ask other parents of autistic children in your area who you know through school or activities if their children have ever seen a dietitian and if they could recommend the one they saw.
• Call your local autism organization. Most of them have lists of local resources, so they may be able to point you to local registered dietitians.
• Inquire to your child’s case manager for the autism waiver to see if it is a covered service in your state.
• Search for RDs who are available in your area and research them online.

Have you sought nutrition counseling for your child with autism? What was your experience and what tips would you give other parents for finding nutrition counseling? Leave a comment below so that we can share and encourage each other on this journey.

Additional resources

Do you want to find out more about this subject? Check out these resources that are available.

Special-Needs Kids Eat Right: Strategies to Help Kids on the Autism Spectrum Focus, Learn, and Thrive (affiliate link)

Autism Recipe: Using Trust and Joy to Take Control of Wellness (affiliate link)

My Magical Foods – Get Picky Eaters to Choose Veggies and Fruits! (affiliate link)

The Disconnected Kids Nutrition Plan: Proven Strategies to Enhance Learning and Focus for Children with Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and Other Neurological Disorders (affiliate link)

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What is recreational therapy?

According to the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification, recreational therapy is “a systematic process that utilizes recreation and other activity-based interventions to address the assessed needs of individuals with illnesses and/or disabling conditions, as a means to psychological and physical health, recovery and well-being.”

Their website notes, “the purpose of the RT process is to improve or maintain physical, cognitive, social, emotional and spiritual functioning in order to facilitate full participation in life. Services are provided or directly supervised by a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS).”

What are examples of recreational therapy?

A recreational therapist, or CTRS, can use a wide array of activities as part of a child’s recreational therapy. Those include sports (e.g., karate, basketball and more), games, crafts, or the arts (e.g., music, dance, painting and more). They sometimes will even base the therapy on interactions with animals or outings into places in the community with the child.

I remember looking into recreational therapy for my son J with his case manager for the Medicaid waiver. I liked the idea of it, but we instead chose music therapy (which can be within recreational therapy), patient assistance and care (PAC) and behavioral therapy with his waiver benefits. Also, at the time, he was taking martial arts classes at our local YMCA, so he was involved in an individual sport. I’ve known others who have had recreational therapy for their autistic children and were really happy with the results.

How can recreational therapy benefit my child with autism?

Recreational therapy can provide many benefits for your autistic child. They can include:

• Increases your child’s self-esteem
• Makes your child feel included
• Supports independence and decision-making
• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Improves physical health if participating in a sport or other physical activity
• Promotes a better quality of life
• Increases socialization and social skills
• Helps sensory regulation depending on the activity used in the therapy
• Assists with better body awareness if participating in dance, gymnastics or other activity that uses balance
• Improves focus and attention if using martial arts or other activities that require self-discipline

Where do I find recreational therapy services?

If your autistic child has a Medicaid waiver, then talk to  your child’s case manager. They will have a pick list that includes providers in your area that offer these services.

MyRecreationTherapist.com is a website that lists CTRS that you can search. You have to set up a free account to get access to their directory. This may be a good way to find one if your child doesn’t have the Medicaid waiver but are interested in this type of therapy for your child.

Have you tried recreational therapy for your child with autism? If so, what was your experience? Leave a comment below so that we can share and encourage each other along this journey.

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What is equine therapy?

The technical name for equine therapy is hippotherapy. No, it doesn’t have to do anything with hippopotamuses 😊 The word “horse” is derived from the Greek “hippo” word root. According to the Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary, hippotherapy is “therapy to treat neurological, physical, cognitive, or communication deficits in which a patient (as one affected by cerebral palsy, stroke, autism, or multiple sclerosis) sits or lies on the back of a horse for the therapeutic effect of the horse’s movement.”

With so many other treatments that my son J was receiving, I admit I didn’t look into equine therapy very deeply when he was younger. I wish I had as I think he would have enjoyed it, and it could have helped with his anxiety when he was younger. Whenever he has been exposed to horses, he always enjoyed interacting with them. Our friends had a horse, and he met it at their home. Although he didn’t spend much time focused on it, he enjoyed “meeting” the horse but then was more distracted about what was in the barn – including the rooster!

Benefits of equine therapy for those with autism

Several studies have been conducted on the benefits of equine therapy, especially for children who have autism. The interactions with the horse and the work conducted by the therapist has shown to have lasting positive effects.

Equine therapy can help those with autism improve their:

• Interpretation of social cues
• Emotional control
• Social wellness
• Irritability levels
• Hyperactivity levels
• Word fluency
• Behavior
• Self-advocacy
• Fine and gross motor skills

Riding on horseback while being directed by an equine therapist has shown to be most effective, however, the interactions with horse and activities in the barn also help the child participating in therapy.

How do you pay for equine therapy?

Unfortunately, most medical insurance plans do not cover for equine therapy, however, it is always worth contacting them to double check. Therefore, many end up paying out-of-pocket for equine therapy.

There are some organizations that provide grants for equine therapy for individuals, so they are definitely worth applying to if you believe this type of therapy would benefit your child. Check out these grant programs:

• The Healing Hoof Foundation – Their goal is to “to provide equine therapy for as many people as possible, regardless of someone’s financial situation. To help us achieve this goal we provide grants on a limited basis for those in need.” Their website includes the application to download and submit for the grant.
• Autistic Children of America provides funds for equine therapy to families who cannot afford to pay for equine therapy.

You can also do a search to see if any organizations or equine therapy centers provide grants in your local community.

How to find equine therapy

The best way to find an equine therapy center near you for your child with autism is to do a search on the Internet. I couldn’t find a website with a comprehensive list of centers nationwide. Yet, when I typed in “find equine therapy center near me” in search on Google, several places appeared.

Two organizations certify equine therapy centers — Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association and the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH). You may want to check to see if the center is certified.

Additional Resources

Want to find out more about equine therapy? Check out these resources.

The Equine Assisted Therapy Book: Relationship Between Horse and Human in Therapeutic Process (affiliate link)

Beyond Words: The Healing Power of Horses (affiliate link)

Has your child with autism tried equine therapy? If so, what was your experience? Leave a comment so that we can share and encourage one another on this journey.

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What are the most common treatments for autism and ADHD?

Our kids on the spectrum may face several challenges. Those can include communication, social situations, emotional control, lack of executive function skills, sensory issues and more. Therapies and treatments are available to help them learn to cope or overcome them. Some of the most common ones are below.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

ABA therapists work with a child to adapt their behavior to their environment, mostly home and school. They can help the child improve their language, communication and social skills. In addition, ABA therapists assist in decreasing problem behaviors as well as improve school performance, social skills and attention spans.

Art Therapy

Art therapy focuses on using to art to help autistic people access their emotions, learn how to process the world around them and even help develop life skills.

The American Art Therapy Association notes on their website that “art therapy is an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship. Art therapy, facilitated by a professional art therapist, effectively supports personal and relational treatment goals as well as community concerns. Art therapy is used to improve cognitive and sensorimotor functions, foster self-esteem and self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience, promote insight, enhance social skills, reduce and resolve conflicts and distress, and advance societal and ecological change.”

Cognitive Behavior Therapy

For cognitive behavior therapy, a clinical therapist works with the child to better understand their feelings and behaviors. The therapist helps the child understand the “why” behind them. They also can help them rethink their response and learn how to better manage situations in the future. Social skills groups can be a great addition to one-to-one sessions with a therapist. Cognitive behavior therapy also is incredibly important if your child is also dealing with depression, anxiety or another mental health condition.

Hippotherapy (or Equine Therapy)

So how can riding horses help your child? The American Hippotherapy Association defines hippotherapy (or more casually known as equine (horse) therapy) as “how occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech-language pathology professionals use evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning in the purposeful manipulation of equine movement as a therapy tool to engage sensory, neuromotor and cognitive systems to promote functional outcomes. Best practice dictates that occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech-language pathology professionals integrate hippotherapy into the patient’s plan of care, along with other therapy tools and/or strategies.”

Medications

Deciding to use medications for treatment of autism and especially ADHD can be emotional for parents. You should work closely with your child’s doctor to understand the potential benefits and risks of each medicine. For more information about deciding whether or not to use medication as an ADHD treatment for your child, read this blog post.

Music Therapy

If you are not familiar with music therapy, you may wonder what it is. The definition from the American Music Therapy Association describes it as, “Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program. It is a well-established allied health profession that uses music therapeutically to address behavioral, social, psychological, communicative, physical, sensory-motor, and/or cognitive functioning.”

Music therapists create individual goals and plans for each child based on what skills need to be improved for an optimum quality of life. My son J participated in music therapy for about four years and really loved it. In fact, he wants to become a music therapist himself as a career.

Nutritional Therapy

Some autistic people are affected by gluten, dairy and other foods or additives. In addition, many deal with sensory issues regarding food. We deal with this with our son J and also his lack of appetite due to his ADHD medication. A dietitian can help your child by creating an eating plan to ensure they are receiving adequate nutrition in their diets. Your child’s clinical therapist may also assist with behaviors related to eating.

Occupational Therapy

The American Occupational Therapy Association defines occupational therapy as “the only profession that helps people across the lifespan to do the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of daily activities (occupations). Occupational therapy practitioners enable people of all ages to live life to its fullest by helping them promote health, and prevent—or live better with—injury, illness, or disability.”

Occupational therapy can help children with autism in a number of ways such as:

• Increasing attention span
• Developing gross motor skills for activities such as riding a bike
• Enhancing fine motor skills to improve handwriting and holding/using objects like scissors
• Improving daily personal skills like brushing teeth or helping with toilet training
• Increasing body awareness to better understand personal space
• Integrating sensory therapy to improve sensitivities to sound, balance and body position
• Developing visual skills for reading and writing
• Improving coping and problem solving skills
• Increasing communication and social skills

Physical Therapy

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines physical therapy as “therapy for the preservation, enhancement, or restoration of movement and physical function impaired or threatened by disease, injury, or disability that utilizes therapeutic exercise, physical modalities (such as massage and electrotherapy), assistive devices, and patient education and training.”

You usually hear about physical therapy after an injury, so how can it help those with autism?

• It can help build muscles to help improve balance, coordination, strength and posture.
• Physical therapy helps to increase motor skill ability in children with autism.
• It supports better behavior and mood with the release of endorphins during therapy sessions.

Recreational Therapy

According to the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification, recreational therapy “is a systematic process that utilizes recreation and other activity-based interventions to address the assessed needs of individuals with illnesses and/or disabling conditions, as a means to psychological and physical health, recovery and well-being.

The purpose of the RT process is to improve or maintain physical, cognitive, social, emotional and spiritual functioning in order to facilitate full participation in life. Services are provided or directly supervised by a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist.”

Speech Therapy

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines speech therapy as the “therapeutic treatment of impairments and disorders of speech, voice, language, communication, and swallowing.” One common trait of autism is difficulty with communication. That can include speech delays, literal use of language, difficulty understanding non-verbal communication, inability to speak, and communication social skills deficiencies. Speech therapists can help the child:

• Develop and implement treatment plans for verbal skills by helping the child to improve spoken language, strengthen muscles, and speak more clearly.
• Work on non-verbal skills by helping them understand body language and facial expressions as well as learning how to use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices and tools.
• Learn social skills such as start and keep conversations going, improve social communications, respond to questions, and understand social rules related to communication.

How do I decide which treatments are best for my child?

With so many therapies and treatments available, how do you decide which ones are best for your child with autism and ADHD? You have only so much time and money. Therefore, you want to choose the ones that will be the most effective.

First, you should think through your child’s biggest challenges. Those are the things you want to focus on first. Also, what are your child’s interest and which therapies do you think will be the most effective for them? Once you have the list, talk to your child’s primary care physician to determine the best way forward.

You also want to understand which therapies are covered by your medical insurance. It’s best to know the extent of that coverage, especially in-network verses out-of-network providers, benefit limitations, etc. It’s also good to touch base and ask the special services director at your child’s school about which therapies or programs are offered by the school system. That can be a huge time and cost savings since your child would receive those services during the school day. Finally, do you have your state’s Medicaid waiver for your child? That can cover some treatments like music and recreational therapy that your health insurance does not. It’s a long wait but the sooner you apply, the better.

Our experience choosing treatments

I wish this was any easy process, but some of it includes trial and error to determine what best fits your child.

Here is a list of treatments that we decided on for our son J over the years:

• Occupational therapy – J had ultra-sensitive hearing that was causing him distress, plus he was very clumsy and off balance much of the time. He saw an occupational therapist for about six or seven months, and these issues improved greatly. He still has sensitivity with his hearing, but it’s not nearly as strong as it was before therapy.
• Cognitive behavior therapy – J began seeing his current clinical therapist when he was seven years old. She has been such a lifesaver to our family over the past decade. Not only has she helped J through so much, but she has trained us a parents to help him too. In addition to 1:1 sessions, she had him participate in a social skills group over a summer. We are still in touch with some of the parents and kids from that group!
• Speech therapy – J received social skills and communication help from the speech therapist at school all through elementary school. This is definitely one of the best treatments he received!
• Medication – J sees a psychiatrist who oversees his medications for ADHD, depression and sleep issues. It was a difficult decision to make, but the benefits he receives is definitely worth any risks.
• Music therapy – J participated in music therapy for several years before his music therapist moved out of state. This was probably his favorite treatment, and he would have kept going even longer. He really bonded with his music therapist and decided not to re-enroll to work with someone else. His music therapy was covered by his Medicaid waiver.
• Nutrition counseling – We are starting some sessions with a dietitian this month to make the most of the nutrition when he will eat. He does not want to eat for much of the day because his stimulant medication for ADHD suppresses his appetite. He unfortunately has lost a lot of weight, and his doctor switched him back to a medicine that isn’t quite as bad as the one he has been taking. (Which was so effective in helping his focus and attention, but the not eating downside is just too much.) We hope we can optimize his nutrition with the food he does eat to make sure he is getting enough nutrients and calories.

Once you decide on treatments, don’t hesitate to discontinue if you don’t see benefit from it. You also may need to change therapists or providers if you don’t think they are the right fit for your child.

What treatments or therapies have been the best ones for your child with autism and ADHD? What advice do you have for parents about choosing treatments? Leave a comment so that we can share and encourage each other along this journey.

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What is a Medicaid waiver?

According to the Arc of Indiana website, Medicaid waivers “allow Medicaid to fund supports and services for children and adults with disabilities in their family homes or community residential programs instead of institutions. Medicaid Waivers allow an individual to use traditional Medicaid services and the additional services available through the Medicaid Waiver program.” Many times, they are referred to as home or community-based services.

Each state has their own program and eligibility requirements. The upside is that the majority of programs are not based on the parents or legal guardian’s income, so more children may qualify than traditional Medicaid. The downside is that the wait time for the waiver in some states can be years. That means that you want to apply for the Medicaid waiver as soon as your child is diagnosed with autism.

What types of services and care does a waiver cover?

According to Medicaid’s website, “States can offer a variety of unlimited services under an home and community-based (HCBS) Waiver program. Programs can provide a combination of standard medical services and non-medical services. Standard services include but are not limited to: case management (i.e. supports and service coordination), homemaker, home health aide, personal care, adult day health services, habilitation (both day and residential), and respite care. States can also propose ‘other’ types of services that may assist in diverting and/or transitioning individuals from institutional settings into their homes and community.”

Why should I apply for a waiver for my child?

Even though the wait times for a Medicaid waiver can be long (depending on the availability and backlog in your state), I found that applying for the waiver really benefited my son J. In fact, I waited a few years before I applied. I regretted the wait once he started receiving services because he could have been receiving more treatments earlier. My state’s wait was incredibly long at the time; however, it went quickly once I did apply because additional funding had been provided to our state Medicaid program to reduce the backlog.

So why should you apply for the waiver for your child? Here are seven reasons.

1. Access additional services and care not covered by your private health insurance

Private insurance has some specific services that it will cover and has others it won’t. Generally, you do not have coverage for treatments such as music therapy, participant assistance and care (PAC), recreational therapy and others that your state’s waiver may cover. This gives you more options for your child. My son J took music therapy for several years under the waiver. It really helped him with his anxiety and better cope with school. In fact, he loved it so much that he now wants to pursue music therapy as a career once he graduates from high school!

2. Cover summer camp costs if camp is available through PAC providers

We were fortunate to have my son’s camp costs primarily covered through his autism waiver because our local autism group used PAC providers to run it. If you have a local group that runs an autism camp through PAC providers, you should look into whether the waiver will cover the cost of camp.

3. Establish a relationship with a case manager to help navigate services

One of things I have found to be most beneficial is having a dedicated case manager for my son. She has helped us not only navigate the services through his waiver, but she provided additional information and resources when I needed them. His case manager was also great during the pandemic and checking in on him every couple of weeks to ensure he had everything he needed.

4. Assist with the costs of care and services for autism

The financial struggle because of autism is real for parents. A study published in Pediatrics in 2014 estimated families spend $17,000 more on autism medical and other expenses than families that do not have a child with autism. Research also found that lifetime costs of caring for a child with autism is about $1.4 million. Insurance and government assistance cover part of it, but families are burdened with high out-of-pocket costs when they also have lower income levels. The Medicaid waiver can help you with the cost and care of services for autism.

5. Save money on health insurance deductible and coinsurance/co-pays with services you can obtain through the waiver instead of insurance

Some care and services offered through the waiver are ones that technically are available through private insurance. However, if you have dollars available through the waiver, then you can obtain your child’s services through it and save the money that you would have paid in copays or coinsurance through your health insurance.

6. Access much needed respite care to provide a break for you as parents

One of the wonderful services covered through the waiver is respite care. It’s difficult to find childcare for an autistic child, and respite care can really help. You can use it as after-school care (only for your autistic child though – not any other children) or periodically when you need a break from caring for your child.

7. Help your child learn independent living skills

Through PAC services, you can have a provider take your child into the community and learn independent living skills. This may be going to a local fast food restaurant and ordering and paying for themselves. They may also take them to places in the community and have them take other steps that will help with independent living. For instance, they may take the bus somewhere and learn to use the bus schedule. These services have a lot of opportunities to help your child.

Does your child with autism have your local state Medicaid waiver? If so, what have you found to be the biggest benefit for your child? Leave a comment and share with others to help support one another on this journey!

The post 7 reasons to apply for your state’s Medicaid Waiver for your child with autism appeared first on Autism & ADHD Connection.

Our sleep story

Our son J has struggled with sleep since he was a baby. During my maternity leave, I remember walking him in the stroller for 45 minutes at a time just to get him to take a nap. Thankfully, our babysitter found a way to get him to nap consistently during the day at her house once I went back to work.

Over the years, we tried all kinds of bedtime routine changes and herbal and medication options. Some worked okay for a while, but other attempts weren’t helpful at all. That meant that sleep was better on some nights than others. Bedwetting was an issue for J and that certainly would wake him up at night.

J is now a teenager and still has difficulty sleeping. He sleeps better now than he ever has. At times though, I will find him awake and sitting in the living room in the morning, saying he wasn’t able to sleep, despite taking the medication. It is frustrating because I know it affects his ability to concentrate in school (he has enough challenges with the ADHD!), makes him feel sickly and reduces his quality of life.

Common sleep issues for autism and ADHD

Why is it so hard for our children with autism and ADHD to achieve good sleep? While experts do not know the exact causes of sleep problems in people with autism and ADHD, they’ve linked it to a few reasons:

• Many autistic/ADHD children have additional health conditions such as depression, anxiety, epilepsy or gastrointestinal problems. Some of these also are known to impact sleep negatively, causing insomnia and other sleep issues.
• Some children with autism and ADHD take one or more medications. For those who take stimulants for ADHD, insomnia and disrupted sleep are among the known side effects.
• Studies show that some autistic children experience what is called “inverse melatonin production.” That means this hormone that helps us fall asleep at night is produced at greater quantities in the morning instead of night-time for some people with autism. This effects their sleep-wake cycle.
• Children with autism are more likely to wet their beds at night than neurotypical children. This also interferes with their sleep.

Some of the most common sleep issues associated with both autism and ADHD include:

• Insomnia
• Fragmented sleep
• Early waking
• Bedtime anxiety
• Difficulty waking up
• Nightmares and/or night terrors
• Sleepwalking
• Restless Legs Syndrome
• Sleep apnea
• Shorter sleep time
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Delayed sleep-wake patterns (tendency to get tired much later and then want to sleep in later)

Bedtime routine reboot

If your child is struggling with sleep issues, the first place to start usually is the bedtime routine. When J was younger, we had some success with him sleeping better after some bedtime adjustments.

Sleep experts recommend the following for bedtime:

• Establish a healthy bedtime routine for your child. For example, try a bath, quiet time, brushing teeth and then reading time before lights out.
• Ensure your child’s sleep environment encourages good slumber. It should be dark and cool. If your child is scared of the dark, then use a night light in their room that will not keep them awake. (Some night lights are too bright, so make sure you find one that doesn’t light up the room too much.)
• Help your child learn to fall asleep on their own. This can be tough if your child is afraid of the dark or wants to be cuddled as they fall asleep. However, this is essential to your child learning to sleep well.
• Dress your child in soft, comfortable pajamas for bed. If their bed clothing is itchy or uncomfortable, your child most likely will stay awake.
• Enforce a quiet time for an hour or more before bed. This helps to ensure your child won’t be overstimulated before going to bed. The activity will keep them awake.
• Encourage physical activity during the day. The more active your child is throughout the day, the more likely they will be to sleep better at night.
• Keep electronics out of your child’s room. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that no televisions or other electronics be placed in children’s bedrooms. At night, have your child leave their phone, tablet or handheld gaming device in another part of the house when they go to bed.
• Avoid giving your child any food with caffeine in it during the evening hours.
• Feed your child dinner at a time when they won’t be hungry at night, yet it gives their systems enough time to digest their food so they don’t feel too full and can eliminate their bladder and bowel before going to bed.
• Help your child feel less anxious at bedtime by talking about worries or fears earlier during the day.
• Assist your child with quieting their mind with relaxing techniques such as deep breathing and progressive relaxation exercises.

Treatments for sleep problems

While changes to the bedtime routine are probably best to help your child sleep, there are some treatments available if those don’t work alone.

• Melatonin supplements can help some children fall asleep. If you want to try these, make sure you talk to your child’s doctor first and follow their directions.
• Some doctors will prescribe certain medications to help children sleep better. Talk to your child’s doctor about what medicine could help your child. Note that your child could be referred to a psychiatrist for medication management.
• Some parents have found that weighted blankets (affiliate link) help their child sleep better.
• If you believe your child has sleep apnea, talk to your child’s doctor right away. They may refer your child to a neurologist or other specialist for diagnosis and treatment.

Sleeping well is essential for our body and minds. If your child has trouble sleeping, try the bedtime routine changes first. Talk to your child’s doctor if those don’t help enough to make sure your child is examined for any underlying condition or for treatment of sleep.

Does your child with autism and ADHD have difficulty with sleep? What has worked well for your child to sleep better? Leave a comment so that we can share and encourage one another on this journey!

The post Autism, ADHD and Sleep: How to help your child get a good night’s rest appeared first on Autism & ADHD Connection.

Connection between art and people with autism

Most autistic people are visual thinkers and learners. That is why visual schedules can help our children better understand what to expect of their day. Visual teaching tools help many learn better at school.

In fact, Dr. Temple Grandin wrote in her book, “Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism,” (affiliate link) about how she thinks in pictures instead of words. Dr. Temple Grandin is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University. She is well-known for sharing her experiences as an autistic person and advocate for those with autism.

It is no surprise that art can be a key outlet for autistic people to express themselves and process their emotions.

When my son J was younger, art was a big part of his activities. He loved to draw and would create his own characters and comic books. At the time, he was fascinated with the “Captain Underpants” book series (affiliate link), so he tried to emulate that style in his drawings and own comics. He would spend hours creating images and developing story lines. Many times, he was happiest when creating these projects, and he was very good at it too.

What is art therapy?

So how is art therapy different than general art classes? Art classes teach art-specific techniques and skills to students. Art therapy focuses on using to art to help autistic people access their emotions, learn how to process the world around them and even help develop life skills.

The American Art Therapy Association notes on their website that “art therapy is an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship. Art therapy, facilitated by a professional art therapist, effectively supports personal and relational treatment goals as well as community concerns. Art therapy is used to improve cognitive and sensorimotor functions, foster self-esteem and self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience, promote insight, enhance social skills, reduce and resolve conflicts and distress, and advance societal and ecological change.”

How does art therapy help children with autism and ADHD?

So how can art therapy benefit children with autism and ADHD? Here are just 10 of the ways it could help your child.

1. Shares ideas through pictures – Art therapy encourages autistic children to share their ideas through images they create.

2. Express feelings through artwork – Children with autism sometimes have a difficult time identifying and expressing their feelings, however, art therapy can help them express what they are feeling through pictures.

3. Better response to facial expressions – Parents of autistic children have noted that their children respond better to facial expressions after art therapy.

4. Improves imagination – Scribbling, painting and even doodling can help unleash imaginative thoughts and improve imagination in autistic children overall.

5. Develops fine motor skills – Working with pencils, crayons and paint brushes along with manipulating paper and other materials with their fingers help autistic/ADHD children further develop their fine motor skills.

6. Manage sensory issues – Art therapy can help children with autism improve their sensory issues, such as handling sticky materials and desensitizing other textile sensitivities.

7. Encourage social skills – Art brings people together, and it opens up people – including children – to communicate. Some art therapy is done as group sessions, which can further enhance social skills learning in children with autism and ADHD.

8. Reduce off-task behaviors – Art therapy helps improve focus and attention, helping to reduce off-task behaviors.

9. Feel more accepted by peers – Art can help autistic children connect with others, helping them to feel more accepted by their peers.

10. Decrease stress and anxiety – Art therapy can help autistic/ADHD children feel calmer, thereby decreasing their levels of stress and anxiety.

How can I find an art therapist?

Art therapists are health care professionals who are trained in both art and therapy. They must have a master’s degree in art therapy or related field, and they can be credentialed through the Art Therapy Credentials Board.

If you are interested in learning more about art therapy and want to find an art therapist near you, check at the American Art Therapy Associations’ therapist locator.

Has your child with autism tried art therapy? What was your experience? Leave a comment to share and encourage other parents on this journey.

The post 10 ways that art therapy helps children with autism and ADHD appeared first on Autism & ADHD Connection.

Why is speech therapy important?

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines speech therapy as the “therapeutic treatment of impairments and disorders of speech, voice, language, communication, and swallowing.”

One common trait of autism is difficulty with communication. That can include speech delays, literal use of language, difficulty understanding non-verbal communication, inability to speak, and communication social skills deficiencies. Good communication skills are a cornerstone of being successful in life, so it’s important that our children with autism obtain the assistance they need to learn how to communicate well. Improving communications skills also increases the ability to read and write well, which leads to better school performance.

Our son J had speech therapy all through elementary school. He had a fabulous speech therapist who worked really well with him, and she taught me a great deal as well to help him at home. She focused mostly on helping him to understand body language and facial expressions, learn conversation starters, comprehend how not all language is literal and worked with him on various communication social skills. His speech therapist really helped him to improve his communications skills during those five years.

How does speech therapy help children with autism?

Speech therapy helps children with autism in several ways. A speech therapist may work with your child to:

• Improve overall language and communication skills.
• Develop and implement treatment plans for verbal skills by helping the child to improve spoken language, strengthen muscles, and speak more clearly.
• Work on non-verbal skills by helping them understand body language and facial expressions as well as learning how to use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices and tools.
• Learn social skills such as start and keep conversations going, improve social communications, respond to questions, and understand social rules related to communication.

Supporting your child’s speech therapy at home

So how can you as a parent support your child’s speech therapy at home? Talk to your child’s speech therapist for any specific exercises or tasks they would like you to work on with your child. In addition, try these six suggestions at home.

1. Read

Both reading to your child and having them read to you can help your child improve their speech. You can read a short book to your child, and then have them read it back to you. They can hear how the words are pronounced, and then they can practice while reading out loud themselves.

2. Listen to your child

Talk to your child and ask questions. Then really listen to your child’s answers. Be patient and don’t try to rush them as they try to find the words to respond. If they have difficulty with saying certain words or trying to find the right words to use, help them but only after letting them try to figure it out for themselves.

3. Use straws

Give your child straws to use both for drinking and sucking or blowing out air. This will help strengthen their muscles for speech. One idea is to have the use a ping pong ball and straw to suck in air and pull the ball toward them, and then to blow out air to push it away.

4. Role play

One of the best ways to support social skills training at home is to role play. You can role play conversation starters, facial expressions and social situations scenarios. We used to do this our son J when he was in speech therapy, and it was a great way to support it at home.

Need some ideas for role playing? Check out these role play game suggestions for children with autism to help support speech therapy at home.

5. Work on speech sounds

Ask your child’s speech therapist how you can help your child practice speech sounds at home. They may have some specific sounds they would like for your child to work on at home. For some general ideas about how to work on speech sounds, try some of these fun activities.

6. Keep it short

Don’t feel like you need to spend all your evenings and weekends working on speech with your child. In fact, research shows that a fewer short bursts of speech therapy practice is more effective. Therefore, two 5-minute sessions per day is enough to work support speech therapy at home. Need some more ideas? Check out these home speech activities to use with your child.

What exercises or practice have you tried at home to support your child’s speech therapy? Share in the comments below so that we can encourage each other on this journey!

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