Team Titus

He had just turned 3, and as we waited not so quietly in the waiting room of the pediatricians office, I told myself this was the day I would get a referral for autism evaluation for Titus. Although I had suspected autism for quite some time, Titus pediatrician renounced my concerns as overly cautious. However, over the previous six months my heart was becoming tremendously heavy with his growing presentation of autism symptoms. During this visit, Titus was able to solely communicate his need for further testing. Not through speech, but through his extreme behaviors. The pediatrician was stunned and apologetic for not listening to my concerns sooner. She wrote a referral to Seattle Childrens autism center. As I left that 3 year well child check, I had no way of knowing what the next ten years had in store for Titus and our family. Today at age 13, our big guy Titus has had a journey along the spectrum that would shock, infuriate, and move anyone who heard the details, to action.

I vividly remember receiving Titus diagnosis. I  was handed a packet of “to do’s” a booklet of what to accomplish for him in the next 100 days following his diagnosis. Overwhelming, does not even describe what I was feeling. I promised myself and Titus that I would do anything to support his needs. This declaration seemed simple at the time; wouldn’t any parent do anything for their child. But the reality of what “anything” actually is, has been beyond what I could have ever imagined.

In the early years we struggled with Titus basic needs being met. Washington Autism Alliance took on Titus case to fight for Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). Our primary insurance company was refusing to pay for the number one treatment for Autism. After a lengthy fight, with tremendous efforts made by the WAAA legal team; Titus was awarded unlimited access to ABA therapy. This win allowed Titus get the treatment he so desperately needed.

Because Titus had unlimited access to ABA programing, it was easy to show his significant needs growing as he aged each year. Despite accessing over 50+ hours of private center based ABA weekly, Titus was never able to access FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education) while in a public school setting. Instead, over time, through ABA data collection, Titus need for residential placement was not only clear, but also well documented. This documented ABA data collection acted as Springboard to gain intensive residential services Titus is currently accessing. The ABA data legitimized Titus needs. Had we not had access to ABA services; we could not have accumulated crucial data through a timeline of intensive ABA services.

Having WAAA in our corner over the years has been nothing short of amazing. Their services mean the world to so many families across WA state. I humbly ask you today to consider supporting Team Titus and making a tax deductible donation to WAAA. Thank you so much for your time.

Best,

Noelle Baylor