briebrienyc

Article I wrote on cuts for therapy

‘Don’t give up on our children’
Published Tuesday, February 01, 2011 5:33 PM
Summerville Journal Scene ®

Dear Editor,

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I am sending you this letter regarding my daughter Sophia Guarneri. Sophia is three years old and has Autism, she cannot speak, she has sensory issues and she is not able to do many other simple tasks a normal child her age should be doing. I am sure by now you are aware of the budget cuts (Medicaid reductions) that children with special needs are facing. The South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is planning to make drastic cuts, that will affect Sophia’s quality of life. One of the many proposed cutbacks is Sophia’s therapy services for OT/PT/ST will be cut from 250 visits to 75 shared visits among the 3 disciplines; this cap of visits is a significant decrease in available services to Sophia. The decision to make this cap retroactive to last July will result in no therapy for months. Sophia currently gets OT and Speech twice a week in our home. She has severe sensory issues also, Sophia eats dirt, sand, and she bangs her head and bites herself. Sophia cannot interact with other children, go to the movies, stores, family vacations, my whole family is in pain. She really needs more help, NOT LESS.

My husband is employed with The City of North Charleston as a firefighter, with private benefits also, (they also cover some of the costs) we are continuously associated with people on food stamps, and mothers who are having children when financially not prepared. We used our private benefits our entire life and worked hard, until Sophia got diagnosed with Autism, and Medicaid assisted with some of her therapies, which are very expensive. Why should Sophia be punished now? We are parents who work; we have disabled children who need help. Why are they hurting the children who are disabled? At least give them a chance. Would you want your child to have a chance? Since Sophia’s diagnosis of Autism, I have never had to fight for so much in my life. One in 91 children are being diagnosed with Autism. Does the state have the money to build homes for all of these children in 10-20 years? I will not do that to my child.

What if she never speaks? I stay up countless nights hoping one day she will say “I love you Mommy.” With the proposed cutbacks, the state is going to have a nightmare on their hands and so will the already struggling school districts. Who will teach these children, to talk, walk, feed dress themselves? My worst nightmare would be to put my child in an institution (which is not cost effective or in the child’s or family’s best interest.) Sophia has many other issues. Sophia deserves more, and so do the thousands of other parents whose hearts are breaking. She is so smart she just needs the proper therapy.

We cannot give up on these children and we won’t.

Sincerely,

Stacy Guarneri, Summerville, SC