Financially, you’ve hit a nerve

I read an article in the paper this week that downright enraged me. The tiny three paragraphs of black and white stated that doctors are over diagnosing children with Autism and Aspbergers to secure greater disability payments for carers/parents of children on the spectrum. As a teacher I know that schools get a huge subsidy and more funding when they have supported learning and kids with Autism or Aspbergers enrolled in their programs. To satisfy my curiosity I decided to do some research. And this is when said rage took over.

In Australia, if your child is diagnosed with Autism you automatically get a $12000 lump sum from the government on top of your disability payments, no matter how severe the diagnosis is. This $12000 is intended to go towards therapy, schooling, medication and “hardship”. Conversely, in the end the parents can spend it however they see fit- like buy a new 58inch flat screen. In Australia, you receive nothing when you have a child diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome. That is ZERO. NADA. ZILCH. NAUGHT on top of your weekly disability payment, and trust me no one could live on that sum alone.

 All Angelman’s cases are severe. It means Angels will always be fully reliant on a carer to get through life. There is constant “Hardship” on anybody who lives with an Angel. Harley will not go to school and will not have the opportunity to develop mentally beyond a toddler. Over the years Harley has jacked up a fair amount of medical bills. As a baby he couldn’t swallow and needed constant therapy to finally be able to eat solids. He didn’t start walking unaided until he was nine. He still has a bad hip. In the early stages of epilepsy he saw neurologist after neurologist. He can’t see a regular dentist or doctor. He’s seen more stitches than a sewing machine from his countless tumbles. Where was my Mums payout?

Ultimately Harley costs a lot more financially than any Autistic child could. Every day he wears nappies that cost $2.50 each. He eats like a growing boy. He relentlessly wears through his clothes because of how rough he is on them. He goes to a disabled day care that costs over $600 a week in tuition. Not to mention all the other incidentals in his life.

So why is it, that Angels (and any other disability for that matter) are not getting the same amount of funding as Autism? Is it because people can see improvement with Autism? Do Angels not have face out there? Do we have to wait for someone to get into government that has an Angel to see any change to the system? Until some politician wants to change the policy to benefit them?

The next time you’re donating to a charity, think about donating to a charity that really needs it because there are some things the government just won’t give a hoot about.