Disability Queensland Assessment.
Today my youngest son had his appointment with Disability Queensland. The process goes something like this..... You have a child with a disability. You apply to Disability Services (government organisation) for help and support. You wait 4 months for an appointment. Then you have an initial assessment.... by the way this is only a new format as in previous years you needed to fill out a 40 page document. This will determine whether or not your child is "disabled" enough to move through to the next level of assessment. Once you get through to this stage, then you need to wait and wait by the phone, until cob-webs grow under your arm-pits. Then and only then, you maybe lucky enough to receive a phone call, email or letter telling you that your disabled child's needs are not high enough to warrant any type of assistance. I have not yet met anyone who is lucky enough to receive funding support from DSQ. Most of the families I know, have been through the process once or twice and simply do not bother to apply any more. I have act been told by an advisor who works for DSQ, receiving funding or assistance is like winning the lotto - rare!
Pondering on the past week, experiencing the seizure, the sensory meltdowns (another area not seen as severe enough to be warranted as a dysfunction or disability) I have been coming to the reality of my child's situation. The therapy expenses are looming... so what do you do if you cannot afford therapy ?.......
I guess your child just doesn't receive it!
I think it is quite sad that we have, as a society, the means and ability to provide quality intervention for Autistic children.... we just cannot implement it because of red-tape and unrealistic funding guidelines. Families in general do not have a stack of cash locked away to pay for therapy. Some therapist you can claim against... but they are generally so booked out, it's hard to access them. In fact with rising costs of fuel, utilities and groceries....everyone, especially in Brisbane since the floods that devastated our city at the beginning of the year, is feeling the pinch. If Government agencies can can provide funds for political campaigns, lavish lunches, obscene bonus payout figures and other political perks used to buy voters... then why cannot they not provide funding for children who need help... help to support their disability ? Just to live day to day.
Maybe changes should not be focussed on the disability sector. We do live in a privileged country. Disability expenses should be provided without question or constant assessment. It should just happen, without parents having to feel constantly degraded asking for assistance. In the past 4 years I have had to find around $10,000- $20,000 (out-of-pocket) .... just to cover therapy costs for my two boys. I would hate to think of how lost my youngest child would be without that therapy and without the support network I have in place for him. In my case.... it has been worth every cent!
Maybe the government needs to revisit the policies of Centrelink, the C.S.A - Child Support Agency.. who allow parents to walk away from all financial and child rearing responsibility... (it is just way too easy to walk away now days) and constantly rising Private Health Expenses. Australian families are really at a disadvantage not to have private health. The Public Health option means long waiting lists and the lacking availability of specialists to support special needs. Maybe Government Ministers should not be focusing on Early Intervention as the solution for the large number of children who require assistance, but instead how the Australian Public Health system is letting these kids and their families down. My mind boggles at the thought processes made by some of these advising Departments. For example.... presently millions have been invested into the HCWA package for families with children who have Autism... but only up to the age of 7 years. A new and much needed initiative... yes.... of course! But the agenda of this policy, is that this intervention will in fact... "cure" or suddenly change the level of need required by these children who do suffer from Autism... Do they honestly believe that this small amount of funding will transforming them magically into fully functional, independent children? They must do.... otherwise why would they cut off ALL FUNDING AND SUPPORT after the child turns a particular age. In fact this type of practice only causes the children and families.. more distress, creating more mental health statistics. If Government advisors really knew anything about Autism they would know that therapy cannot stop. It needs to be accessed constantly. Children with Autism in most cases, are at a high risk of regression.... An analogy.... The driver cannot take their foot of the accelerator or the power to the car runs out and the car stops running!
It all sounds a bit bleak doesn't it? Well this is the reality of the situation. This is life!
I guess at this point, parents have two options;
1. Sit back, totally overwhelmed and give up trying to battle a system that is seemingly never going to change,
or
2. Rise up and fight it. Rise up and find a way to pay for that therapy. Rise up and do what-ever you have to... what ever it takes.
What will you choose ?
For me....
I think my choice is obvious!
I guess your child just doesn't receive it!
I think it is quite sad that we have, as a society, the means and ability to provide quality intervention for Autistic children.... we just cannot implement it because of red-tape and unrealistic funding guidelines. Families in general do not have a stack of cash locked away to pay for therapy. Some therapist you can claim against... but they are generally so booked out, it's hard to access them. In fact with rising costs of fuel, utilities and groceries....everyone, especially in Brisbane since the floods that devastated our city at the beginning of the year, is feeling the pinch. If Government agencies can can provide funds for political campaigns, lavish lunches, obscene bonus payout figures and other political perks used to buy voters... then why cannot they not provide funding for children who need help... help to support their disability ? Just to live day to day.
Maybe changes should not be focussed on the disability sector. We do live in a privileged country. Disability expenses should be provided without question or constant assessment. It should just happen, without parents having to feel constantly degraded asking for assistance. In the past 4 years I have had to find around $10,000- $20,000 (out-of-pocket) .... just to cover therapy costs for my two boys. I would hate to think of how lost my youngest child would be without that therapy and without the support network I have in place for him. In my case.... it has been worth every cent!
Maybe the government needs to revisit the policies of Centrelink, the C.S.A - Child Support Agency.. who allow parents to walk away from all financial and child rearing responsibility... (it is just way too easy to walk away now days) and constantly rising Private Health Expenses. Australian families are really at a disadvantage not to have private health. The Public Health option means long waiting lists and the lacking availability of specialists to support special needs. Maybe Government Ministers should not be focusing on Early Intervention as the solution for the large number of children who require assistance, but instead how the Australian Public Health system is letting these kids and their families down. My mind boggles at the thought processes made by some of these advising Departments. For example.... presently millions have been invested into the HCWA package for families with children who have Autism... but only up to the age of 7 years. A new and much needed initiative... yes.... of course! But the agenda of this policy, is that this intervention will in fact... "cure" or suddenly change the level of need required by these children who do suffer from Autism... Do they honestly believe that this small amount of funding will transforming them magically into fully functional, independent children? They must do.... otherwise why would they cut off ALL FUNDING AND SUPPORT after the child turns a particular age. In fact this type of practice only causes the children and families.. more distress, creating more mental health statistics. If Government advisors really knew anything about Autism they would know that therapy cannot stop. It needs to be accessed constantly. Children with Autism in most cases, are at a high risk of regression.... An analogy.... The driver cannot take their foot of the accelerator or the power to the car runs out and the car stops running!
It all sounds a bit bleak doesn't it? Well this is the reality of the situation. This is life!
I guess at this point, parents have two options;
1. Sit back, totally overwhelmed and give up trying to battle a system that is seemingly never going to change,
or
2. Rise up and fight it. Rise up and find a way to pay for that therapy. Rise up and do what-ever you have to... what ever it takes.
What will you choose ?
I think my choice is obvious!
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