December, 2014

Month: December 2014

31
Dec
2014

“The Power of Yoga”

Introduction

Yoga has been a constant part of my life as I grow personally and professionally. It has been even more important as I find myself in a new city and on a new career path. I currently work in the field of autism and health services research. Recently, I took a yoga class that unexpectedly brought these two parts of my life together: yoga and learning about autism.

A Personal Story

My friend and I had taken this yoga class a couple of times together. It is a restorative yoga class, and the main purpose of it is to relax. In past classes, we had noticed that the teacher of this class was very thorough with her cues. She was also patient and thoughtful and had a very calming voice and presence. Near the end of the class, the teacher explained how much yoga has helped her as a person on the autism spectrum.
I was instantly struck by how brave she was for sharing that she has autism. At the same time, I was bothered that this felt inspirational. Sadly, the stigma associated with autism is such that someone may be seen as being brave for telling a group of people that she is on the autism spectrum. I admire this small, perhaps unintentional, effort to chip away at the stigma connected to autism.

Yoga for Autism

I am also amazed by the power of yoga. I knew about yoga practices for pregnancy, depression, victims of trauma, weight loss, and for those recovering from addiction, but I had never heard about yoga for autism. Based on what I know about autism, it makes perfect sense. Yoga focuses on quieting the mind and unifying the mind and body to bring peace.
Radiant Child Yoga is one organization that runs trainings for learning how to teach yoga to children with autism, ADHD, and different abilities. They believe that yoga helps children with special needs by:

• activating calming hormones

• giving children self-regulation tools by focusing on breath and movement

• balancing brain hemispheres and improving mood

• organizing and relaxing the nervous system

• building self-confidence & self-affirmation

Even after ten years of practicing yoga, I am constantly reminded of the awesome power of yoga to clear the mind, open the heart, and strengthen the body. I believe the practice can truly benefit anyone and everyone and wish that yoga could be accessible to everyone who wants to try it.

For more information on this topic, please see the following websites:
Radiant Child Yoga https://childrensyoga.com/yoga-for-adhd-add-and-differently-abled-children/
Yoga Movement Therapy for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder https://www.yogamovementtherapy.com/classes-workshops/yoga-for-children-with-autism-spectrum-disorder/
“Classroom Yoga Helps Improve Behavior of Kids with Autism” by Eliza Barclay https://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/10/12/162782583/classroom-yoga-helps-improve-behavior-of-kids-with-autism

17
Dec
2014

Long Term Planning for Children with Disabilities

categories: Family

As the parent of a young man with special needs, I have long thought about for his future when I am no longer here to care for him. How do I make sure that his wishes for how he wants to live his life are respected? This is a concern for all parents of children with disabilities who will not be able to live on their own without help.
A will and special needs trust are needed to preserve any benefits the person with disabilities receives. Parents should contact a lawyer who is an expert in estate planning to write both the will and the trust.
A Letter of Intent is a letter that shows your vision for your child’s life when you are no longer here. As the person who knows your child best, it is very important that the parent(s) of a child with disabilities write this letter. It not a legal document, but it should be kept with your will, trust, and other important papers. The letter will guide the person(s) who will be caring for your child when you are gone. It will include your child’s likes, dislikes, hopes, and dreams. This letter should be written with as much help as possible from your child – it is his/her life! It should include the following:

Caregivers
• Choose carefully.
• Choose more than one person in case the first person can’t or won’t care for your child when the time comes.
• If possible, honor your child’s choice.
• Love isn’t always enough, make sure the person you choose can give your child the love and the care he/she needs.
• Name caregivers choices in your will

Medical
• Current medical providers
• Current medication – what is given, how it is given, and for what reason
• Medications that have not worked or have caused problems
• Allergies
• Relevant medical records and evaluations should be attached

Family and Friends
• Names and contact information of the important people in your child’s life
• Describe these people; who they are and what they mean to your child
• Share memories your child shared with these people and favorite interests and activities they share.

Social
• Favorite sports/activities
• Teams on which he/she is a member
• Camps or vacation locations he/she enjoys
• Spending money – how much every week to spend as he/she wishes

Education
• Educational history
• Academic skill levels
• Daily living skill levels
• Special interests and skills
• Child’s educational/job training goals
• Plans for future education/job training
• Behavioral plan

Employment
• Job history with job description(s)
• Skills and interests
• Job training history
• Type of work your child likes
• Level and kind of support needed

Home
• Where does your child live now?
• Does your child want to live with a certain friend or family member?
• How about a group home?
• What is needed to make the home safe and comfortable for your child?

Other information
• Funeral and burial/cremation wishes
• Religious/spiritual beliefs and practices
• Any other information you think future caregivers need to know about your child

Plan now, review yearly, and make changes to the plan as needed.

Here are some websites that have more helpful information:

www.fcsn.org
https://www.disabilityinfo.org
https://www.thearc.org

03
Dec
2014

Autism Insurance What to do if you receive a treatment denial No doesn’t always mean no

categories: Autism

As a project director of the Autism Insurance Resource Center of Massachusetts, I work with families who try to get autism therapies covered by insurance. The good news is when a family finds out their insurance covers autism services. The bad news is when this same family gets a denial for the autism services they thought were covered.

What should you do if you receive a denial?

1. Find out exactly what is being denied.
Make sure you know what service is being denied or not approved and why.

2. Get the reason in writing.
If you get your answer over the phone, that’s not good enough.

3. Request your claim file. This is free. These are your records the insurance company keeps about your insurance claims. Your insurance company has 30 days to send you your claim file.

4. Request a copy of your insurance company’s Medical Necessity Guidelines. These are free too.

What is medical necessity and what does it have to do with an appeal?

Most insurance denials are due to “lack of medical necessity”.
It is the standard used to decide whether a treatment or service is appropriate and effective based on the diagnosis. For example, pain medication would be considered an appropriate and effective prescription for a patient with chronic migraines. However, a prescription for an antibiotic would not be considered an appropriate and effective treatment for migraines. The insurance company would not pay for the antibiotic prescription because it is not medically necessary to treat the migraines.

How do I file an appeal?

1. File your appeal in writing. This is absolutely the #1 thing people don’t want to do. No one writes letters anymore. But if you want any chance at winning an appeal, you are going to put your phone down and get on your keyboard.

2. Write down everything and anything that is related to this denial; your insurance number and plan information, the date of service denial, the provider name and the treatment that was denied.

3. Quote directly from the denial letter, state the reason used by the insurer (medical necessity is usually the reason) and explain why it is medically necessary.

4. Be clear and provide references to your medical records.

5. Include your doctor’s letter of support.

6. Write a Personal Statement about your loved one and why they need this treatment.

How long does this take?

The insurance company must issue a decision within 30 days for a service that hasn’t yet been received and 60 days for a service that has already been received, but then denied. If there is a medical emergency, you can ask for a faster review. You will either receive a notice that your appeal has been approved or you will receive a denial of your appeal. Don’t give up. NO may turn in to approved!

More information on appeals can be found through the Office of Patient Protection (OPP). www.mass.gov/hpc/opp.
A Guide to Appeals can be obtained for FREE from Health Law Advocates.
www.healthlawadvocates.org

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