Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1359892
17 S P R I N G Q 1 I S S U E C O M M I T T E E N E W S issues. I want to thank all the women who worked really hard to organize this amazing event. And a special shout out to the women's committees of the Editors Guild and the Animation Guild." Before jumping into the nitty-gritty, co-moderator Nancy Morrison, ACE, of MPEG's Women's Steering Committee, brought up a very relevant feature docu- mentary to the topic at hand. In the 2016 coming-of-age story "Life, Animated," a non-verbal autistic boy named Owen – who is a huge fan of Disney animated films – experiences a breakthrough when his dad was able to communicate with him as his favorite Disney characters. Co-moderator and Animation Guild member Megan Kreiner, whose son was diagnosed at age four – found the film especially poignant due to her profes- sion. "It was a hopeful and delightful experience to see an artform that my col- leagues are so passionate about become an instrument that helps a child make sense of their world," she said. Licensed clinical psychologist Carrie Dilley, PhD., owner of private psychology practice Synergy Psycho logical, shared a similar story; one of the children she treated once communicated with her via Pixar char acters. Dilley emphasized the importance of early intervention. "A neu- ropsychological evaluation is the most comprehensive evaluation to determine what's going on from a cognitive stand- point," Dilley said. "However, a thorough evaluation can't be done until the child is over six or seven years old." Once the appropriate diagnosis is obtained, parents often have to trudge through a maze to navigate the school systems, medical professionals and insurance coverage, all of which have their own convoluted lingo and acro- nyms. For example, in California, as student's IEP (Individualized Education Program) is up for re-evaluation every three years, and if the parents have any concerns, they have the right to request a reassessment via an IEE (Independent Educational Evaluation). Kreiner also wanted to know whether IEPs are intended to support the gifted side of the child that often comes with an autism spectrum diagnosis. Veteran ad- vocate and educational consultant Lori Waldinger has spent years advocating for students' rights to secure appropriate educational services. "It is very important that parents ad- vocate for the unique needs of the child, so the IEP should account for the deficits as well as the strengths," she empha- sized. Taking a holistic approach when it comes to the IEP, she looks at the broader definition of its direct goal – academic performance – which should rightly in- clude social, recreational and any other aspects of life that could impact the child's overall education. O n e o f t h e q u e s t i o n s f r o m t h e participants surrounds the rights that neurodiverse children and their parents have when it comes to education. Special Education attorney Chris Eisenberg, Esq., whose 17-year-old son was diagnosed with autism at the age of two reminded the group that all neurodiverse children have the right to a Free Appropriate Public Education in the least restrictive environment, or better known as FAPE. In order to be eligible for an IEP, the child has to meet one of 13 specific disabilities and has a proven need for special edu- cation services. When it comes to one of the main differences between an IEP and a Section 504 Plan, he clarifies: "The IEP is specifically for special education services, whereas the Section 504 Plan is for accommodations and modifications." Having 13 years experience working with special needs children, Juan Corral, MS., BCBA focuses on parent empower- ment by arming them with information to navigate the IEP process through the school system, amongst other things. So what's a family to do when their insur- ance plan denies coverage for services? "The first thing is to get in touch with a regional center [part of California's system to provide support for individuals with developmental disabilities]. Their job is to help you seek coverage for ser- vices," Corral advised. However, there are 21 regional centers in the state and they don't all provide the same services. Moreover, you might be eligible for services under one center but not at another. Even with a diagnosis, you may not qualify for assistance at these regional centers. "One of the eligibility tests is for a child to prove that challenges exist in at least three of these six catego- ries: communication, learning, self-care, mobility, self-direction and capacity for independent living (economic self-suffi- ciency)." Corral said. Specializing in psychiatric diagnostic evaluations at the Mind Study Center, a Los Angeles-based clinic providing evidence-based integrated care, Dr. Steve Khachi, M.D. is a physician who focuses on psychopharmacology and neurosci- ences. Once the initial autism spectrum diagnosis has been determined and spec- trum-related services have been secured, he advises parents to consider engaging a psychiatrist or developmental behav- ioral pediatrician. "These specialists will consider other physiological, biological and genetic factors to rule out any med- ical condition that may not have been explored," Dr. Khachi said. Despite how frustrating the process almost always is, Waldinger offered parents some hope: that better days are ahead. Going back to the documentary, she reminded the group that just as it So what's a family to do when their insurance plan denies coverage for services?