Last Night's Town Hall

The local representatives are doing three town hall meetings in the area, a brilliant idea right before an election. So I loaded the boys up and took them over to the high school to speak to State Senator Colgan and Delegate Parrish about autism and how the state might consider examining how to better serve the educational and medical needs of children on the spectrum. I was supposed to be first to speak, but since Jim was about five minutes away, I deferred until his arrival. Jake was being too much of a terror to actually say anything until I had help.

When the husband arrived, he took Jake and walked him around the school. I sat and watched Jimmy nap peacefully while I listened to an 86 year old man speak about global warming. Kind of down home, but very wise. He was a sweet old Southern gentleman. After he was done, I was invited back up to the microphone. I spoke about Jimmy, my experience with Kaiser, going to Richmond in August (see August's posts) to speak in front of a state committee about autism and insurance issues, my experience with the education system. All of it. Exhibit A slept all the way through my speechifying. But it felt good. Both gentleman seem interested, took notes, and inquired as to who authored the previous bills.

I told them I thought the state should engage in a thorough discussion of autism and the medical and educational issues around it. That there should be a single educational standard to children with autism. I should have live with the fact that if I lived three miles down 28 in Fairfax County, Jimmy would have 30+ hours a week in school and receive ABA. Currently, living in Manassas Park, he gets 17.5 and very new and limited ABA services. I shouldn't get recommendations for care from my doctor that my insurance company has no intention of providing. Either way money will be spent by the state on kids like Jimmy - either as children, giving them the medical care and education they need to becoming functioning, taxpaying citizen or on the back end, supporting them through adulthood. The choice seems natural to me.

In the end, my comments seemed pretty well received. Someone approached me with some recommendations for trying to get additional government help and I spent some time today following up on that. I'll let you know how it goes.