What to do when TEFRA not an option? If your child NEEDS speech, then the school hafta provide those needs!  IF they don't have the resources, then you go for outside help.  After getting the bill, give it to the school!  "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND"!!!!  Sorry for getting so emotional, BUT I am in the midst of a fight against the school district here.  How do you find out about the grant? The only other option I know about is the Family Support Grant.  And depending upon what county you live in depends on how it is set up.  You can get the monthly cash grant or the yearly one.  The yearly one is where you are on a budget.  You get three bids for whatever it is your child needs.  Anything from a fence around the yard, pca services, overnight respite care, to ABA services.  Now some counties might have it were they give the lump sum to you at the beginning of the year.  The county I am in doesn't do that.  Basically in my county you have to go out and get the bids, then give it to whoever is in charge of the grant, then they decide on who and what is paid.  Or you pay it out of your own pocket and submit the bill for reimbursement.  But be forewarned, there could be a long waiting list. Tammy Hi forum members!  Quick question...how do you get services for your child with Autism when you make too much money on paper to qualify for Medical Assitance, and to pay the parental fees for TEFRA is beyond your budget?  HELP!  PLEASE!  Our child with Autism/Down Syndrome is now 5, youngest of 4 kids.  Oldest now married, 18 yr old just started college, 15 yr old will be driving soon, with huge jump in premiums again!  Our budget has been out of whack since we had our child with ASD.  I keep reading about ABA and other therapies that might help our 5 yr old, but right now he only receives 1 hr SLP/week, 1 hr OT/week and 1 hr PT/week.  With medical co-pays, that's $60 week just for that.  I get so frustrated hearing about "respite care" and medical assistance, PCA's and all the help other parents are getting!  We have no family in town.  We've ALWAYS handled all this on our own!  I NEED A BREAK!!!!   Closest family is a 12 hour drive away.   PLEASE, YOUR SUGGESTIONS??? HOW DOES ANYONE DO THIS?  HOW DO YOU "NAVIGATE" THE SYSTEM? Thanks for your advice.  Extremely frustrated right now.  You guys ARE my support group.  -sleeplessinmn   What is TEFRA?..we don't qualify for Medical Assistance or SSI and our insurance pays NOTHING. We would like some private speech therapy, but our insurance won't cover it if it is autism related. Mahalo, Renee I've been through the process and was wondering a few things... Have you actually applied for TEFRA and received a statement saying what your parental fee is?  Most people overestimate the amount.  Using the formula, I was guessing in the $175-$200/mos range.  In my case, even that would be worth it considering how much copays, evaluations, day treatment, transportation, and PCA services run.  It ended up being a little over $700/yr, about $65/mos.  Much less than I expected. Do you have health insurance?  If your personal carrier pays more claims than TEFRA/MA, they reimburse you for the premium.  I think it's part of the "cost effective" formula.  So not matter what, TEFRA is worth it.  If you haven't already, I really encourage you to apply.  If you're having a hard time figuring out your parental fee, I can help.
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