Ask for "roadside" assistance

Don't be afraid to ask for help! Hubby and I talked about the fact that I would probably have to stay home to care for our child, so we needed to swallow our pride and accept assistance. When our child was born we were lucky enough to have a case worker at the hospital. She made sure we were signed up for First Steps, Children's, the Medicaid waivers, etc before we even left the hospital. They also gave us a voucher to get a free special car seat from the gift shop to take her home. Once the waiver kicked in and we were able to access Medicaid, I contacted the WIC office to see if I could get her specialized, EXPENSIVE, formula there. I could. You might also want to check with your local health department to see if you can get reduced cost vaccinations. Another program for this is Vaccines for Children. If you need help paying for your child's medications, you can look in to Rx for Indiana.

Find educational consultants, psychologists, educational diagnosticians, health care providers, academic therapists, tutors, speech language therapists, occupational therapists, coaches, advocates, and attorneys for children with disabilities on the Yellow Pages for Kids for Indiana.
Another resource for this type of information is NICHCY (National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities). A local resource can be accessed by dialing 211. 2-1-1 is a three-digit phone number anyone can call to get information about health and human services. Call 2-1-1 if you need information on housing, employment, legal aid, counseling and much more.

There are a variety of resources for seeking assistance for you and your child. Sometimes (too often) families feel are told that they don’t qualify for any services and support or that there are not any resources near them. I have found that it is helpful to “check and see” what is out there from time to time. Asking and learning has led my family to services that we had no idea even existed.