Read it While It Lasts...

...before I delete this entirely.

I have another IEP meeting coming up for Sam in four weeks. I don't know if this will be his last one or whether the school will continue to give him services until he turns twenty-two - which would be in about a year from now. We'll see...

In the meantime, today I find out from the MRC  (the State agency which may - or may not - offer support services in him finding employment after he leaves school) that it's not enough that he's found to be "disabled" by SSI, he needs to be collecting money, as well. Are you kidding me? You're telling me this now?

Originally, I was told by the MRC that they have income guidelines when it comes to providing services, but if Sam qualified for SSI, he automatically qualified for services from the MRC.

Sam and I went through the lengthy SSI application process, starting over a year ago, which included receiving a followup multi-page questionnaire (due three days after we received it, which was mysteriously dated two weeks earlier) - plus having to give them a rundown on Sam's medical history, including medical reports and a list of all of the (many, many) physicians he's seen throughout the years, along with their contact information. 

When we received the finding (eight months ago,) I wrote to the MRC and told them specifically that Sam was found to be "disabled" by SSI, but he wasn't collecting money because his savings was $200 over their limit (which was fine by me) - and the MRC's response? "...Now Sam meets MRC income guidelines for our job contracts..." All of this is in addition to my stated concern right from the start (and over and over and over again) that my only reason in applying for SSI for Sam is not the money - it's so that Sam will have have support in finding a job and support in keeping a job.

Apparently It's not enough that we just want some support and services, we also need to be taking the money, as well.

As near as I can tell, it looks like we now have to reapply for SSI. Does this mean another three month process? Will this lead to having to have another neuropsycholocial evaluation done before we can even apply? Will he still be getting services from the school while all of this is happening? Who knows? ( I have a call into SSI - and expect to be calling them again and again.)

Time, I hope, will tell.

I know this is completely uninteresting to anyone else and I apologize. But, god, why does this have to be so difficult?