Oliver's Autism Treatments

Dear Family and Friends,

Our Oliver was diagnosed with autism early this year. Autism hinders speech, relationships and interaction, motor skills, and overall development. Developmentally, five-year-old Oliver has not progressed past age two. While many great services exist for autism treatment, and we are lucky to live in a city with good treatment options, the cost is more than we can handle.

Oliver had Medicaid benefits until Josh began working full-time. Now, Oliver no longer qualifies for Medicaid, and North Carolina has no further assistance options for us. Josh has been taking on extra classes and working up to 55 hours a week with 12-hour days, but it’s not enough. Since Josh was in a car accident, we are down to one car, and Becky spends much of the day transporting Josh to and from work and Oliver to school and appointments.

Let us give you an idea of what we're facing. The numbers are approximate.

Current Therapy Balance (unpaid copays): $800

Occupational and Speech Therapy: $100 per weekly session, $400-500 per month

ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis, reportedly the best treatment for autism): $30 per session up to five times a week, $600 per month

Corrective shoes for Oliver: $200-800

Family Medication (including Josh's narcolepsy and Becky's bipolar disorder): $176 per month

Hospital Bill Payments (including Oliver’s MRI): $150 per month

We are trying to get Oliver into ABA as his neurologist, school teacher, and other professionals have insisted, but we will not be able to pay without help.

Please help us if you are able. Just $30 will give Oliver one session of ABA.

Thank you.

Becky and Josh