It took three years but I finally got them their diagnosis and now I don’t know what to do next. Their school always gave us issues when we held them to the expectation that my kids would get the help they needed from their school. They refused to let my youngest stay a full day last year for his first year of school, and now CMH (community mental health of Northern michigan) is trying to say he no longer needs their services and should stay in his normal classroom, like they’re trying to get rid of him. And with my daughter, they refused to get her onto an IEP before we forced them to. Now that I have the diagnosis, what are my options to ensure my children get the help they need?
Unfortunately it is greatly dependent on your local situation. I could give you some excellent advice for my home town, some passable advice for the small Northern European country I live in. Nothing at all outside of it.
Are there any local advocacy groups you can get in touch with?
That’s right. Depending where you are in northern Michigan you could be up against some ideology that resists helping your kids. I moved to SE Michigan with my autistic child from California and actually received better services and help. It was the #1 thing I looked for before buying a house and moving. If you aren’t getting the help you need you may have to provide it yourself or see what your insurance will cover. Public schools vary greatly in this state.