Haven’t posted in a while.  Been busy for the past month.

Started with the Bay Area Autism Walk which was an awesome success.  Team Chasing Chase raised over $5000 in total (although the website doesn’t reflect that total just yet).  I tried to reach out to each person that donated and thank them personally.  If I missed you, I’m so sorry.  I want to note again, that the money we raised will go towards research for new diagnosis and treatment techniques for Autism.  In the past 6 months since we learned, we have been using many of these new techniques that have recently been discovered, thanks to previous donations.  So the money we raised today will certainly help us and many others tomorrow.  Thank You to all whom helped.  I wanted to make an entire post about the event, but silly me had the camera in the incorrect mode and most of the pictures didn’t turn out how we wanted them.

After that came the real reason for this post and why we have been so busy.  We are moving!  Not around the corner.  Not to another city, or another state.  We are moving to another country, our home country: Canada.  So here we are after fighting the health system, and others for months on end, finally starting to get the services we deserve, and in 6 weeks time we will be shedding those services to start the battle all over again.  This is where Jen and her Super Mommy powers come into effect.  She has been already on the phone with the people in Canada, and the process is starting.

But Canada has universal health care, so why battle?

Yes we have universal health care, but Autism is one of those oddities.  The services are covered, but getting qualified for them is a whole new battle.  With universal health care, also comes a different type of health care.  Not that the care is worse, but it is different.  In the USA, the education system is seen as a part of the cog in the wheel..  In Canada, it is seen as the wheel, while everything else is a cog.  Chase is already enrolled in school, and it looks like he will have a full time aide with him all day long.  He will eventually qualify for ABA treatment  but not  to the extent he gets out here.  So be it.  Chase is getting older, and ABA isn’t as important, as occupational therapy (OT) and other types of therapy for boys of his age.  But more important than any other type of care is the support we will get.  Super Mom can only be super for so long before her body gives up, and she breaksdown.

Canada is where family is, it’s where our close friends are, it’s where support is.

So this is big change, and autistic children do not like change.  Routine is the norm, and this will certainly break that routine.  So everyday we tell Chase about the move, how some things will be different.  I’m not sure he’s getting it all, but he does pick up some of it each time.  We just need to keep at it, and when the move does come, even Chase will be ready for this change.