Families for Effective Autism Treatment of Rhode Island

FEAT RI Text Only Site

Families for Effective Autism Treatment of Rhode Island
5 Crane Terrace, Narragansett, RI 02882
Phone (401) 886-5015 Fax (401) 739-7384 Email: featri@gmail.com

What Do I Do Now?

Steps To Take Once You Have/Suspect A diagnosis of Autism/PDD

If you already have a diagnosis, or if you suspect your child has autism:

Make an appointment with a developmental pediatrician/neurologist to have your child evaluated immediately
Contact your local health department or Department of Human Services and apply for Medicaid, also known as Katie Beckett Medicaid Waiver (depending on your state, a child with autism is eligible for Medicaid under this waiver no matter what the family's income may be).
If your child is under the age of 3 years old, contact your local Early Intervention or Child Outreach Program to evaluate and provide free and appropriate services for your child. If your child is 3 years of age of older, contact your local school district's Special Education Department for assistance.
Contact your State FEAT organization for support and resources.
Contact your local Social Services agency and apply for Respite services (these are services that provide a care giver to watch over your child while you receive a much needed break).

"Finding the Words/Family Perspectives on Effective Autism Treatment"

To see a short film that documents 2 families and how they decided "what to do now" when their children were diagnosed with autism, click the following link (or cut and paste link into your browser) http://www.perspectivescorporation.com/news/article.asp?id=175

The information and resources on the Families for Effective Autism Treatment of Rhode Island web site and Listerv (Site) are for educational and informational purposes only. Information provided through the Site should not be used as a substitute for care by a qualified Developmental Pediatrician, Pediatric Neurologist, Behavioral Psychologist, Behavior Analyst, Speech and Language Pathologist, Attorney, or other appropriate professional.