We talk About Autism.

Individuals with a diagnoses have legal protection and options for services. Simple as that. There was no way our wonderful kid was going to be punished or pushed out for something she could not control.

Additionally, a child’s or even an adult’s diagnosis is none of anyone’s business if you don’t want it to be. Legally, health insurance must cover therapy for autism. There are State of Wisconsin programs aside from private/employer health insurances that pay for it, this topic is for another day. These programs exist because of families before us that fought hard.

We found our help. We were right. The diagnosis has made sure Jeanne is protected, that Jeanne is helped, that Jeanne is championed, that we are brought along in the learning as a family.

an Autism diagnosis does not change who your child is, but it does change how your child’s behaviors are perceived and opens doors to support and accommodations instead of punishment and ridicule.

Dr. Kristin Wegner

Jeanne is exuberant, bursting with joy, she is intense. Whatever she is feeling, she is feeling INTENSELY whether those feelings are positive or negative, expressed safely or unsafely.

The morning of the day Jeanne was kicked out of daycare in 2021, we had parent teacher conferences for her 4k classroom. That morning we’d met with the 4k teacher with a special education professional and the daycare owner by our request. For months we had been working with this team and working hard in communicating what we were trying.

None of it mattered.

Without a diagnosis, Jeanne was not protected.

She was kicked out of daycare that afternoon.

Before we had support, we hadn’t yet learned tools to identify struggles and cope or handle resulting frustration, this was a major problem at daycare. A conflict with daycare and state expectations, a conflict with adults who didn’t know the tools and strategies either.

That means Jeanne (and heck, our entire family) needed help in learning how to listen to her body, her feelings, her needs, and learn how to communicate her needs in a safe, controlled, communicated way.

So her behavior escalated and came to a head. She was no longer welcome at daycare.

In the weeks before Granger picked Jeanne up from daycare for the last time, we had booked appointments with our pediatrician who blew us off with a parenting book. I followed up and asked for referrals for anyone she could think of. She called back annoyed with all of my requests and put us on a waitlist for a psychiatrist.

I cold called a person who had helped a coworker of Granger’s in a similar situation. Jeanne walked all over that person’s office BUT. but. but. that person said call the county I think Jeanne has autism.

In one single phone call, the Chippewa County Family Services contact gave me phone numbers, program options, and fire to fight harder. We connected with Dr. Kristin.

Let’s roll.