I'm getting irritated with EI - perspective please?

[cristeen]

So I'm going to throw some dates out here, and would like to know what you've experienced with getting services.  Because my irritation level is rising, but I'm also pg and sick both, and that always makes me more irritable.

I contacted EI back in Late July (don't have an exact date).  Our first assessment (with the developmental ped/psych) was on 8/24, when they recommended an autism assessment.  We couldn't get on the calendar for the autism assessment until 11/16, but came home from that with a dx of HFA.  The assessor was walking the DX down to our case mgr to get the ball started on ABA because of the holidays.

I got an email from the case mgr that services had been authorized as of 11/28.  On 12/2 I emailed her, and again on 12/6 because the therapists hadn't been in touch.  The therapist finally came out on 12/12 for the initial assessment.  On 12/20 I got an email from the therapist asking if she could drop by the next day to have me sign a document she should have had me sign when she was here the week before.  According to his case mgr, she didn't actually receive that paperwork from the therapist until 12/28.  She faxed back the authorization for services to the therapists on 12/30, and again on 1/3. 

I emailed the therapist on 1/2 to ask about the timeline.  On 1/3 she lets me know she still doesn't have the staff, and hopes to start next week (this week).  Today I get an email from her saying she still doesn't have the staff, and will let me know (which is when I emailed the case mgr and got all this info).

So, it's been over 6 weeks since his diagnosis and still no indication of when we will be starting ABA.  We have until September to receive services before he ages out.  I started this process when he was 22 mos, and he is now 28 mos and still no services.  Is this normal?  Am I being unreasonable to be irritated?  How long did it take you to start receiving services? 

I know it's a bureaucracy, but the time limits on it are really making me antsy.  I know we're going to miss a few weeks of therapy in there anyway because of the baby, and I'm just feeling like they're dragging this whole thing out for some reason. 

Does someone have some perspective for me? 

[Erin77]

It varies from state to state, of course, but I feel like 6 weeks is not an unusually long time between diagnosis and appointment (although you haven't had the appointment yet!) I had my son evaluated, and it took 4 weeks of me and the ped calling EI to get the initial interview, then the evaluation was scheduled 2 weeks later, then the appointment with service providers two weeks after that. We just had the appointment with the PT and speech therapist 1/4, and the first "services" visit is scheduled 1/19. So we're talking Thanksgiving to January 19 from first contact to first services. It IS frustrating, but I think the volume and state government both slow the process down.

[RJ11]

What a pain! You do have a right to be irritated but this sounds like a typical timeline. Keep on making the calls and you will eventually get therapies lined up. I would not worry too much about aging out of EI - kids who still need assistance after 3 graduate into pre school special education services so you will still get what you need for him. Good luck and sorry to say but keep the fire under them!

[Peony]

It took 2 months for us to get services once the ball was officially rolling after evals. It is very normal especially around holidays for it to take even longer. We are starting to transition to the school district now, DS1's birthday is in late April. Here they have to be fully switched before the 3rd birthday. With a late April birthday it is proving to be troublesome because school based services close down in May for the summer here. The process has been similar to your's getting into EI! They canceled 2 meetings at the beginning of last month, finally did one with me today, and we start the switch soon. It always seems like there is another headache around the corner.