Wendy

I am a public-school educator, a mother to a 19-year-old son with Autism, and a Board Member of The Arc Jefferson – St. Lawrence. My son is very dependent on Medicaid programs to support his development, and has been since he was eight. That support has allowed him to access self-direction programs and have a direct service provider who helps him accomplish his goals.

My son did not learn to read in school, he did not learn math skills in school, he did not learn to talk in school, he learned those things through the direct 1:1 support provided by Medicaid-funded self-direction programming. My family and I are so thankful for the gains my son has made because of Medicaid-funded programming.

Without this support, I would not have been able to work as a secondary school educator. I would be forced to quit my job to take the place of services now offered through Medicaid-funded self-direction. This would significantly diminish the quality of life for my family, including my son. I actually am not sure how I would be able to stay on top of my health, go to doctor appointments, and take care of my family without this support. My son is unable to be left alone, and there are obligations I cannot bring him with me to attend.

His Medicaid self-direction program allows me to work, take care of my health, my family’s health, and thrive being a caretaker for a child with a significant developmental disability. I cannot imagine our lives without it.

Families want to take care of their children with disabilities, including adult children with disabilities. We want them to become as independent as possible and thrive in our communities. However, we the caretakers, need support for our children to accomplish this. Medicaid funding provides support so that our children can thrive and we can fulfill our adult responsibilities while being functioning members of society.

Cuts to Medicaid for programming for individuals with disabilities would be detrimental to the lives of millions, and would have a negative domino effect on other unanticipated areas. My son can read, he can write, he can talk, he can follow social rules, he can learn, he is happy and thriving and wants to be a contributor to his community. That is in large part due to the support services he receives through Medicaid.