Better state for disability services?

Jennifer - posted on 03/13/2013

My daughter suffered a stroke at 11 which caused significance damage to her brain as well as limiting the use of her right arm and hand. Due to a cut in hours at my husbands current job we are looking to relocate to Texas or back to Wisconsin where the jobs market is better. We are a middle class family and don't qualify for Medicaid. I've read that Texas is very limited as far as resources go. Can anyone one share their experience with the state of Wisconsin?

Rochell - posted on 09/14/2011

The SSI medical is what pays for all of his services, and they also pay for his summer camps, which he loves and it keeps him on the school schedule. PA has great oppurtunities for Autistic Children.. and also.. and I don't know if this was passed everywhere.. but in PA, Autism is now a medical disability and not a mental disability.

Rochell - posted on 09/14/2011

If we get under 2000 for the month, then we get the payments for SSI, but no matter what.. we get full medical for him which is well worth it! My other children don't qualify for medical because of the income ... My husband got a job a year ago disqualifying us of the SSI payments, but he is marked as permanently disabled so he keeps the medical and when he turns 16, he will get his SSI checks mailed to him, and then his amount will go up when he is 18. To us the medical was the most important part.. we would never make it if we didn't have that.

Alice - posted on 09/14/2011

How do you get SSI? Do you have to be below the poverty line? We do here. Maybe we will move to PA someday, it sounds great! Luckily my sons are making progress outside of school. I have started bringing them home early on some days and working with them myself.
Thanks for all the input.

Rochell - posted on 09/14/2011

I live in PA and I wont ever move because of the help and services we get. To top that off, PA is one of the only states that when your child gets SSI, you also get full medical ontop of the SSI from the fedral and state. We have a behavioral health specialist, TSS services and my son has an aide at school at all times. Sometimes it gets hard having people in our home, but at the end of the day, I am thankful they are here. We had absolutely no waiting time for anything, just made an appt, and went from there with everyone's diagnosis. Good luck!!

Alice - posted on 09/12/2011

It makes me so sad that some kids get all that and in TX you get nothing.

Erin - posted on 09/12/2011

We live in WI (Milwaukee suburbs, just moved from IL thankgoodness because i hear their services are terrible) and WI is supposed to be one of the better states for autism services, We have a waiver program here that covers 35hrs per week of intensive in home aba therapy, (you get around 20-25 hrs week because the 35 includes meetings, travel, etc). Your child must be under 8 when they are enlisted in the waiver program, and you must agree to do the program for at least 1 year, you can continue the program for 3 yrs the the child may qualify for less-intensive programs. We were on the wait-list for about a year when we our number came up (last month) and then you get started with in home aba. You only have to pay a monthly fee if you are a certain percentage over poverty level, we pay $80 per mth, which isn't bad at all considering its approx $40,000 per yr for aba! I thought 1 year was a long wait, i cannot imagine 9 years! In the mean-time we were also approved for a medicaid card for my son, so his dr visit copays were paid for, prescriptions etc, and we were on the family support program which we haven't used but you can get funds for various things like locks, weighted blankets, respite care etc. We have private insurance through my husbands employer, but it is a self-funded policy and his company does not pay for aba just speech,ot etc. so thats what we were doing in the mean-time, as well as the birth-3 program here was was nice.

Alice - posted on 03/23/2011

Thank you for all the information. Unfortunately, my husband studies other planets, so Houston is where he can find a job at this time.
Lyn, I grew up in Niskayuna (Schenectady) so maybe near where you live. My parents are still there.
Hope we can move sometime -- definitely before the twins are 21!
Thanks again!

Lyn - posted on 03/23/2011

Similiar to Michelle live in upstate NY. We do not pay for any medical bills and are reimbursed for travel when we have to go to Boston Children's , nor for her medical equipement. We have also had an alarm system given to us for the fear her opening the door and wondering off. Fence's can also be provided if safety is a concern. You can get an access pass to all state parks and parking for such. The amount that is provided is amazing and their are non for profit companies that provide you with a case worker when you qualify for medicaid that provides all this information for you. I know three people who have moved into our county from other states. The county is wonderful (and not a big city) and the specific town I am in has created a wonderful program at the school for pre-K and in the school district the K- 5 program is quite impressive. Above and beyond what I would have thought. I feel blessed to have landed into this area before we even had out little one unknown to the challenges she would face. I know it would be a temperature change that is for sure! My brother moved to Texas years ago. However, cost of living is different and NY has been struggling with a huge deficit that they are hashing out in the news now with a new politicians in place. Taxes can be high depending on which County and than which Town you live in. However, huge support in our County and in our Capital District Area for Autism. Contact me personally if you need to know anything else about our area. I know it is a far change. Hopefully you will get a lot of feedback with lots of choices.

Michelle - posted on 03/22/2011

we live in new york and all of my sons therapies are provided through the county special ed speech and phsyical therapies... His medicaid won't cover his supplement therapy though but covers everything else...

Becky - posted on 03/21/2011

I live in PA and my son is covered by medicaid. Docs, he wears a brace on each leg and they are covered. The only time I had to pay was when I got him flexon glasses frames. I didnt have to pay all of it thought.
I have never had trouble or been on waiting list.

Dorothea - posted on 03/21/2011

Ohio is pretty decent, depending on where you go. I live in SE Ohio, and I loved my son's preschool, but haven't been very happy with kindergarten, and will be homeschooling him next yr. (He's 6 and has CP.) Of course the bigger cities have better services, but I'm pretty happy where we are. Good luck!

Kathy - posted on 03/18/2011

Don't come to Illinois. We are 50th in services.and even when you sign up for the aid- its by lottery and you may not be picked ever.

Heather - posted on 03/18/2011

I'm in Mass- it's one of the best states for special needs families. We get 28 hrs/wk of aides paid for by the state, as well as medicaid, The state also pays about 90% of our private health insurance premium. Our school system is strapped, but the aides and teachers and therapists really have his best interests at heart. We're very lucky!