Paul Doak and his wife started noticing developmental issues with their son when he was 2.5 years old. After two inconclusive diagnoses, their son, now 6, was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in November of 2015. Since then, the Doaks have struggled to secure the services needed to help their son with his delayed speech and language skills.

A comprehensive evaluation from UW Autism Center called for more speech therapy, but the Doak’s school district conversely cut their son’s speech therapy in half. Like many parents, the Doaks had thought that with an official diagnosis in-hand, the school district would provide proactive guidance, support, and expertise. On the contrary, Paul felt betrayed by the service reduction, commenting, “I went on trusting the education committee, but instead we were steamrolled by the school district. We didn’t know where to turn.”

After several unsuccessful attempts to restore his son’s speech therapy, Paul contacted Washington Autism Alliance & Advocacy (WAAA) for help getting his voice heard and concerns addressed.

WAAA Parent Partner Amy Schley worked one-on-one with the Doaks to educate them about their options, how to advocate more effectively for services, and connect them with other resources such as the parent liaison at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Better informed of the special education process, Doak reached out to the district Regional Director of Special Education for assistance. When that approach was unsuccessful, empowered with his new knowledge, Doak then filed a citizen complaint with OSPI, which resulted with a favorable ruling by the State.

Paul forgets how he was introduced to WAAA, but when asked about his experience he exclaims, “We couldn’t have done it without your help. WAAA was great about educating us about our rights, getting us noticed, and making sure our voices were heard.” Paul now recognizes that advocating on behalf of his son will be an ongoing process, but, armed with more resources and knowledge, he claims he, “is wiser as a result, all thanks to WAAA!!!”