Coping with a Lack of Services After Autism Diagnosis
Coping with a Lack of Services After Autism Diagnosis
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 68 children receive an autism diagnosis. In boys the stats are greater. 3-year-old Landon Thompson is one of these children. Landon’s mother, Brandi Johnson, knew that her son was not developing like her other four children. “With the fifth kid, you realize [when] things are off or not where they should be,” she said. His walking and motor skills were fine, but he did not murmur or speak. A family doctor provided her with a referral to First Steps – Kentucky’s early intervention system.
On the waitlist for over a year
While in the program, Brandi took her son to the Weisskopf Child Evaluation Center at the University of Louisville in order to receive a proper diagnosis. However, her son was put on a waitlist for an appointment for over a year. Dr. Scott Tomchek, assistant director of the center, said that they are currently working on cutting down the wait time, but demands are continuously growing. He also noted that in order to diagnose developmental disorders such as autism, a child needs to be evaluated through play, as well as through different types of assessments. “Autism isn’t diagnosed through a blood test or MRI, but through interaction with family,” he said. “Across Kentucky and across the country, there’s a real shortage of developmental behavioral services. There’s not the access the community needs,” he added.
After the one-year wait time was over, doctors at Weisskopf diagnosed Landon with autism. “When Weisskopf gave the diagnosis, it was like being thrown to the wolves. I did not know what to do next,” said Brandi. She then found Jennifer Foster, a local advocate whose own son, Christian Foster, attends North Hardin High School. Foster helped Brandi better understand her son’s condition by walking her through his steps.
About Carla Kinder preschool
Kinder started teaching preschool in the early 1990s but took some time off to be a stay-at-home mom. In 2009, she returned to teaching and saw that the number of children with special needs had increased. Center Time in Kinder’s preschool class is a time when students can pick how they wish to spend their time by doing activities that they want to do. They learn by using their hands to explore their surrounding environment. “We know what is behind the play, but they don’t. They are just having fun,” said Kinder. It’s amazing how much they learn from each other,” she added. Kinder noted that preschool is an important time in a child’s life – “the interventions we give them at an early age help them be successful as they get older,” she said.
Landon improved dramatically
Landon started preschool at Carla Kinder Panther Academy in 2016 and since then, he has made great progress. His mother said that he went from saying only 5 words to using 25-30 in his speech. Landon is continuously learning to communicate and socialize and his speech pathologist, Marci Kauffeld, is striving to help him along in his efforts. She teaches him and other students to move their mouths in order to sound out each letter of the alphabet. “People take for granted being able to speak,” said Marci.
Read on to learn about the current state of autism resources.