Bright Feats Show

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We interviewed a local mom, Michele. She has 2 boys, one of whom has Asperger syndrome and one with a sensory processing disorder. In this episode she continues to share with us her experiences raising special needs children. She shares some books that are helpful to her and gives us terrific tips about getting insurance to support your child’s therapy activities. You won’t want to miss this episode.
Following is a question and answer summary of our continued interview with Michele. Enjoy!

1. What resources do you use at home to help your family? “One book I love is 10 Minute Life Lessons for Kids by Jamie C. Miller. It has activities you can play with your children to teach them values like honesty, trust, and love. One of the activities is about a special star. It teaches children that everyone has a special star inside. We looked at a variety of apples and compared how they are the same and different. Some were big, some were green, some were bruised and so on. Then we cut each apple sideways and revealed the star formed by the seedpods. Even though everyone is different on the outside we all have a special star on the inside. This book has 52 different games to do with your children.”
2. What other books do you use at home? “I also love a book called Perfect Parenting by Elizabeth Pantley. It is in a dictionary format. If you have an issue with your child you can look up that specific issue. For example, not staying in bed at night. This book explains why it happens and gives you five different solutions to the problem. It includes ideas for homework, hitting, interrupting and much more.
3. Please share with us your book about manners. “It is called 365 Manners Kids Should Know by Sheryl Eberly. The book explains a manner and then provides games and activities to help your child master that skill in everyday life. There are dates attached to the book that you can use but it probably takes more like a month to practice and reinforce a new skill to reach mastery. As an added bonus I am able to provide encouragement and verbal reward and praise as my children improve their manners.
4. How do you get your insurance company to help cover doctor and therapy expenses for your child? “It isn’t easy. The key is to make sure the different doctors and therapists you are working with know the right insurance codes to get the job done. A lot of times you have to prepay ahead of time and try to deal with the insurance company on the back end. It is a difficult process and wasn’t effective so I went back to our place of therapy and said I need something else. The insurance company will often tell you what you need. I have even let the insurance company and therapy provider talk together. The key is for you to follow up. I check back every month. Don’t give up and don’t take an immediate “no” as an answer. Keep trying. Our employer advocated for us too. Once you are covered for a service the door is open to get the same service covered again. Our employer went to the insurance company and got us a direct contact. A diagnosis can make it easier to get support too. Keep going up the chain of command to get what you need. That is what insurance is for.”

We hope you enjoy the conclusion of our interview with Michelle. It is our mission to connect families with medical, educational and special needs resources. If we can help you please contact us at www.BrightFeats.com.

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