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<blockquote data-quote="Marguerite" data-source="post: 108599" data-attributes="member: 1991"><p>You're spending HOW MUCH? Is it working? If not, how better could you use the money?</p><p></p><p>Some of these programs are great, they do work in part for a range of conditions, but there are also programs which have set themselves up by taking bits of research here, bits of research there and packaging it all up with a hefty price tag and a hard sell. I am carefully NOT mentioning names here.</p><p></p><p>My sister's son was an odd kid. He was probably ADHD plus a bit Aspie, looking back. But 25 years ago, getting a valid label, let alone any useful help, wasn't easy. He was always obsessed with how things work and would 'invent' things. He went on to become one of the best car mechanics around and is very happy in his career.</p><p>But I remember the effort my sister went to to get him help. She took him to see someone somewhere who had her organise a gymnasium for him in the family garage. They did not spend a fortune to get this information, but they did have to buy some equipment for his father to make things like a balance board for him, a special kind of swing and other stuff. She then would play with him according to instructions given by the Occupational Therapist who had given them this info, the purpose of this play being to help him reprogram his brain to develop areas of his brain that were not working efficiently.</p><p></p><p>These days a certain company who shall remain nameless are 'selling' the same therapies, for a huge price. And you have to go in to see them to get the sessions, you are not encouraged to modify your own backyard. The equipment they use to test kids - I got tested on similar equipment at bargain basement rates when I was having my balance checked out at a local hearing clinic at a major Sydney hospital. When I saw the ad on TV, I was amazed - it was the same equipment, minus a lot of stuff. I also recognised prettier versions of the therapy equipment my sister's husband had made to use in their garage.</p><p></p><p>When you have children like ours you get desperate. And when you are desperate and the condition is not life-threatening, then the sharks move in to make money off us.</p><p></p><p>My suggestion - read a lot. Become an expert. That's all this company did - the bloke who started it all was not medically qualified, he had a child with problems and worked things out for himself (so he claims) although I heard he's being challenged legally by the person who alleges he set up therapy for the child in question. And the high price is being justified with statements like, "You can't attack us - look at all the children we are helping!"</p><p></p><p>Part of the reason they charge so much, is they can't service too many kids at once and it becomes a matter of supply and demand, pure economics. It's not the costs that make it so expensive, it's simply that if they charge $100 a month, they might get 2000 applicants for 200 slots of time; but if they charge $500 a month the number of people prepared (or able to) afford that much dwindles to a number more closely matching the availability. Their appointment book is still full but they make five times as much.</p><p></p><p>The numbers are purely my example.</p><p></p><p>So I recommend - read the research. If necessary, go to libraries and read through old research papers, all the hard copy. Some of the best stuff is no on the 'Net, not the primary sources anyway. Go back about 20-25 years and look up therapies for ADHD and autism. They should have blueprints.</p><p></p><p>Then have a go at doing it yourself. If you can get a health professional to oversee what you do, so much the better. But if you are asked for big bucks to pay for therapies, find out if you can either get it cheaper, or do it yourself (legally) much cheaper. And important - check the credentials of the people responsible. The expensive stuff may well be administered by professionals (they can afford to hire them now) but the concept itself may simply be a hotch-potch put together by someone who was once what we are now - an untrained, desperate parent.</p><p></p><p>Have faith in y our own understanding of your own child and also in your own abilities. We live in a world where we have instant gratification and we expect that we only have to snap our fingers or throw down enough dollars and our children will be magically morphed into normality by someone far more qualified and capable. Sadly, this is not possible. But our society leads us to think it is, which only increases our desperation.</p><p></p><p>Marg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marguerite, post: 108599, member: 1991"] You're spending HOW MUCH? Is it working? If not, how better could you use the money? Some of these programs are great, they do work in part for a range of conditions, but there are also programs which have set themselves up by taking bits of research here, bits of research there and packaging it all up with a hefty price tag and a hard sell. I am carefully NOT mentioning names here. My sister's son was an odd kid. He was probably ADHD plus a bit Aspie, looking back. But 25 years ago, getting a valid label, let alone any useful help, wasn't easy. He was always obsessed with how things work and would 'invent' things. He went on to become one of the best car mechanics around and is very happy in his career. But I remember the effort my sister went to to get him help. She took him to see someone somewhere who had her organise a gymnasium for him in the family garage. They did not spend a fortune to get this information, but they did have to buy some equipment for his father to make things like a balance board for him, a special kind of swing and other stuff. She then would play with him according to instructions given by the Occupational Therapist who had given them this info, the purpose of this play being to help him reprogram his brain to develop areas of his brain that were not working efficiently. These days a certain company who shall remain nameless are 'selling' the same therapies, for a huge price. And you have to go in to see them to get the sessions, you are not encouraged to modify your own backyard. The equipment they use to test kids - I got tested on similar equipment at bargain basement rates when I was having my balance checked out at a local hearing clinic at a major Sydney hospital. When I saw the ad on TV, I was amazed - it was the same equipment, minus a lot of stuff. I also recognised prettier versions of the therapy equipment my sister's husband had made to use in their garage. When you have children like ours you get desperate. And when you are desperate and the condition is not life-threatening, then the sharks move in to make money off us. My suggestion - read a lot. Become an expert. That's all this company did - the bloke who started it all was not medically qualified, he had a child with problems and worked things out for himself (so he claims) although I heard he's being challenged legally by the person who alleges he set up therapy for the child in question. And the high price is being justified with statements like, "You can't attack us - look at all the children we are helping!" Part of the reason they charge so much, is they can't service too many kids at once and it becomes a matter of supply and demand, pure economics. It's not the costs that make it so expensive, it's simply that if they charge $100 a month, they might get 2000 applicants for 200 slots of time; but if they charge $500 a month the number of people prepared (or able to) afford that much dwindles to a number more closely matching the availability. Their appointment book is still full but they make five times as much. The numbers are purely my example. So I recommend - read the research. If necessary, go to libraries and read through old research papers, all the hard copy. Some of the best stuff is no on the 'Net, not the primary sources anyway. Go back about 20-25 years and look up therapies for ADHD and autism. They should have blueprints. Then have a go at doing it yourself. If you can get a health professional to oversee what you do, so much the better. But if you are asked for big bucks to pay for therapies, find out if you can either get it cheaper, or do it yourself (legally) much cheaper. And important - check the credentials of the people responsible. The expensive stuff may well be administered by professionals (they can afford to hire them now) but the concept itself may simply be a hotch-potch put together by someone who was once what we are now - an untrained, desperate parent. Have faith in y our own understanding of your own child and also in your own abilities. We live in a world where we have instant gratification and we expect that we only have to snap our fingers or throw down enough dollars and our children will be magically morphed into normality by someone far more qualified and capable. Sadly, this is not possible. But our society leads us to think it is, which only increases our desperation. Marg [/QUOTE]
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