Help get Lane to UCLA!
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Our creative, funny, bright boy needs help and so do we. Lane has struggled since he was 2 years old in child care, home and now school due to behavior issues. We have tried numerous types of therapies over the past few years which have helped, but are not enough.
Over the summer he was really struggling. Our pediatrician suggested we speak to a psychiatrist. After the doctor looked over years of various reports and asked us tons of questions, he said it was time to consider Autism as a possible diagnosis and recommended a formal assessment by a psychologist.
We were so lucky to have him assessed (somewhat quickly) at the CAN Clinic at UCLA. His diagnosis is Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD and Social Anxiety disorder.
Lane was miraculously accepted into a program at UCLA. It is an Intensive Behavior Intervention Program. The fact that we even got into this program is a major accomplishment. The waiting list is 200+ kids and usually takes years to get in.
This is a partial-hospitalization program and Lane will have a team of specialists/doctors dedicated to him and will be under observation for 6+ hours a day for 3+ months. He will be receiving multiple types of therapies on a daily basis. This would take years to achieve at home.
The window of opportunity to help Lane is getting smaller. Research shows that it is hard to make much progress after 7 years of age in kids with Autism and Lane’s 7th birthday is February 8, 2020. That being said, the doctors and specialists at UCLA think they can really help Lane and have found great peer matches for him and are ready to start the process January 24!!
We need to find a place to live in LA for 3 months. The drive to UCLA in the morning is 2 hours in traffic and it would be counter-productive to drive back and forth every day. As you can imagine, rentals are not cheap. It’s also important we live in the area because of the accessibility to additional social skill groups, parent trainings, etc. so that we can learn as much as possible.
My favorite quote from the program’s website is “You will leave armed to be the best advocate for your child”. This is what we need. Lane is an amazing kid, and we have the huge task in front of us of channelling him in the right direction for a successful future.
We want to put this out there, because we know that our friends and family have many resources and maybe if you know what is going on, you can help in some way. This fund will help with medical expenses, housing and everyday needs (gas money, groceries, etc.) Also, it will be a good place for us to update everyone on our progress.
How can you help:
• Feed the dogs (Jan & Dean) on the days that Dave is in LA
• Schedule a play date on the weekends in Ventura with Lane or Ivy
• If you know of a place we can stay near UCLA or nearby, please let us know!
• We are considering a short-term apartment rental, so a nice air mattress we can borrow? Haha.
• Anything helps!
Love to you all,
Dave, Mary Jo, Lane and Ivy Thomas
Over the summer he was really struggling. Our pediatrician suggested we speak to a psychiatrist. After the doctor looked over years of various reports and asked us tons of questions, he said it was time to consider Autism as a possible diagnosis and recommended a formal assessment by a psychologist.
We were so lucky to have him assessed (somewhat quickly) at the CAN Clinic at UCLA. His diagnosis is Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD and Social Anxiety disorder.
Lane was miraculously accepted into a program at UCLA. It is an Intensive Behavior Intervention Program. The fact that we even got into this program is a major accomplishment. The waiting list is 200+ kids and usually takes years to get in.
This is a partial-hospitalization program and Lane will have a team of specialists/doctors dedicated to him and will be under observation for 6+ hours a day for 3+ months. He will be receiving multiple types of therapies on a daily basis. This would take years to achieve at home.
The window of opportunity to help Lane is getting smaller. Research shows that it is hard to make much progress after 7 years of age in kids with Autism and Lane’s 7th birthday is February 8, 2020. That being said, the doctors and specialists at UCLA think they can really help Lane and have found great peer matches for him and are ready to start the process January 24!!
We need to find a place to live in LA for 3 months. The drive to UCLA in the morning is 2 hours in traffic and it would be counter-productive to drive back and forth every day. As you can imagine, rentals are not cheap. It’s also important we live in the area because of the accessibility to additional social skill groups, parent trainings, etc. so that we can learn as much as possible.
My favorite quote from the program’s website is “You will leave armed to be the best advocate for your child”. This is what we need. Lane is an amazing kid, and we have the huge task in front of us of channelling him in the right direction for a successful future.
We want to put this out there, because we know that our friends and family have many resources and maybe if you know what is going on, you can help in some way. This fund will help with medical expenses, housing and everyday needs (gas money, groceries, etc.) Also, it will be a good place for us to update everyone on our progress.
How can you help:
• Feed the dogs (Jan & Dean) on the days that Dave is in LA
• Schedule a play date on the weekends in Ventura with Lane or Ivy
• If you know of a place we can stay near UCLA or nearby, please let us know!
• We are considering a short-term apartment rental, so a nice air mattress we can borrow? Haha.
• Anything helps!
Love to you all,
Dave, Mary Jo, Lane and Ivy Thomas
Organizer
Mary Jo Thomas
Organizer
Ventura, CA