I read about it on ABC 15. I read about it on FOX 10.

Governor Hobbs vetoed the proposed budget.

So, cool. I’m not hear to discuss any one party’s views about it. To me, what it means is that while many of our state legislators and our newly elected governor don’t agree on what all should be included in the budget, it does mean that there’s still time to include some things if they are (maybe?) needed.

Like additional funding for DDD.

Like many parents of developmentally disabled children who qualify for this service, I have been acting as my son’s habilitative therapist since federal funding given to the state “allowed” DDD to be able to pay for this to provide parents the freedom to reduce their children’s exposure to outside germs. My son was already approved for habilitative therapy before the pandemic, and we absolutely have been willing and looking for people other than me to fill those hours and provide those services ever since the first cases of COVID hit our community.

We just couldn’t find a therapist out where we live who was able to do so…and so like many other families, I have been using this program to be able to provide my son services he wouldn’t otherwise be getting anywhere but on a paper saying he was approved for them.

Hours that should have been covered and paid for regardless of who is working them. So…it leaves me to wonder.

If DDD has enough funding to pay for a habilitative therapist for every child who qualifies for that therapy, than why did they need extra funding from the federal government related to the pandemic to pay parents such as myself to do this therapy who were unable to find a therapist outside of the family?

I have found myself wondering and thinking…maybe DDD isn’t getting enough funding in the budget?

Because my son needs this service. All children who qualify for it do. And he has benefited and everyone who interacts with him has benefited from the work I have been able to do with him.

Work that I will no longer be able to do once that funding runs out.

Right now, we’re super lucky that a therapist who has worked previously with our family and really enjoyed working with our family and our son is currently able to start taking over a few of his habilitative hours each week, but I’m still the acting therapist responsible for filling 20 of his approved hours weekly.

And, if we still can’t find somebody other than me to fill his remaining habilitative hours when that funding runs out? I mean…he still qualifies on paper, so I’m still confused as to why can’t we pay the parents if another therapist can’t be found and DDD is getting enough funding to meet member needs under the statutes?

As each of the stakeholders involved is considering and discussing priorities for the upcoming budget, my hope is that there will definitely be funding going forward to continue this service, which helps provide assistance to one of the most vulnerable communities in our state by allowing them the extra support needed to gain skills in self-care or other areas that they might not otherwise gain. Skills gained that benefit us all by reducing care costs going forward, and providing paths for increased participation on all aspects of community life.

Tony learning how to use a piece of playground equipment he’s previously been too scared to try. Photos by Andy, taken during a habilitative therapy session with me, I am providing balance support and using a technique called chaining to break the physical movement components for what he needs to do to successfully use this by himself into smaller parts to make it easier for him to learn.