Sometime we may think God doesn't listen to our prayers. It isn't that he doesn't listen, he just wait for the right moment to give us a proof how much marcy he has for us.
Having a child with special needs brings challenges and sometimes unexpected expenses. In my experience with Tommy's Down syndrome diagnosis, I can say we have been very blessed. Tommy doesn't have heart surgery or any type of surgery. Developmentally, he was doing really good. Howsoever, we cannot say the same about his Autism diagnosis.
I remember one time in a meeting with the school staff where I expressed my concerns about Tommy possibly having Autism, one of the person in the meeting said that the Autism diagnosis won't help to get him more services. About three years have passed after that meeting, and I can say: I am glad I followed my mother instincts to evaluate Tommy and his Autism diagnosis was comfirmed.
Today, God has proofed me that I am not walking alone in this journey. Tommy got a Grant from East Missouri Autism Project for Occupational Therapy. Howsoever, there was an issue. It is a small grant and the provider I previously chose is out-of-network with our insurance company. And the Grant was combined with health insurance. There was another issue, the provider I chose has high rates, so Tommy wouldn't get many sessions from it. On top of this, we would have to paid out of pocket and then East Missouri Autism Project would reimburse us. At the same time this was going on, by casualty (divine intervention), I found out about a place that provides Aqua therapy and gets funded through East Missouri Autism Project. So I called Tommy's case manager in the Department of Mental Health who is coordinating the grant to switch providers. But she said it wouldn't be possible because they don't fund Aqua therapy. She said to try to get a provider in network with our insurance company so Tommy could get Occupational Therapy. I tried to find the providers in our area who could come to the house and do the therapies at home. There are just three providers close to where we live. Two out of network and one in network. There was one provider that called my attention who is out of network with our insurance company. But I decided to contact them any ways. They were willing to work it out to see if the insurance company will accept a GAP EXCEPTION Because they understand that kids do better when services are provide at home and parents get trained to support their kids special needs, so at the end there are better outcomes in benefit of the child.
The insurance company has agreed in a pre-certification that they will fully cover Tommy's speech therapy and the therapies will be provided at home with the out-of-network provider. Tommy will also get Physical and Occupational therapy at home from the same provider for a very low copay. After we meet the deductible, they will probably cover for all therapies. We got this due to new laws that has been implemented in our state to support kids diagnosed with Autism.
Probably God thought that this was not enough. So the Grant from East Missouri Autism Project has been approved and it is in the process for Tommy getting Aqua Therapy at the same location where he receives private paid swimming lessons. The funding is approved, I have to finish filling out the paper work and Tommy will put in a waiting list to start his sessions in January. The services for Aqua therapy will be for about 7 or 8 months due to the rates per session are a lot lower than traditional therapies.
In the past years, I kept in the back of my mind that maybe that person in the meeting was right. I was not getting the services Tommy was needed or the funding for those services. But I put it in God hands and kept praying. Every time that I had to make a phone call in the last weeks related to Tommy's grant, I prayed for God's divine intervension. And now, his Autism diagnosis has gotten more services for him.
THANKS GOD TO LISTEN TO MY PRAYERS!
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