Being a first-time parent can be very nerve wrecking and scary to begin with, then add on top of that, finding out your child might have special needs. Not knowing what to do or who to go to, especially during a pandemic, can be intimidating for first-time parents to seek the help they need for their child.
Luckily for Christy, she was able to get pointed in the right direction with the help of her service coordinator to get the support her daughter Ella needed and deserved.
Due to COVID-19, Ella wasn’t able to receive any services for therapy which started to take a toll not only on Ella but her mother as well. Christy knew she had to do something in order to prevent her daughter from continuously regressing throughout the pandemic and connected with Parent Network of WNY’s eligibility navigator, Nicole Hall.
Nicole stepped right in and started getting Christy the support and information she needed in order to ensure she could be Ella’s biggest advocate. “Parents who don’t have any children or have any children with disabilities don’t know the resources that are out there available for parents. It can be a very confusing process. Nicole helped bring everything together and helped with next steps.” said Christy.
Christy’s main goal for contacting Parent Network of WNY was to figure out a solution for Ella’s therapy sessions, however, after working with Nicole, Christy got what she needed and more! “Nicole followed through with everything and explained all the next steps and honestly, kept me going.” Christy stated.
With the help of Nicole, Ella was able to start getting therapy sessions back in-person and was approved for services through the Office of People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). Nicole also helped Christy with the enrollment process for Medicaid and assisted her with the process of getting Ella a psychological evaluation.
Christy now has the extensive knowledge and referral information needed to stay on top of Ella’s needs compared to when she first contacted Parent Network of WNY. “Life has gotten easier, believe it or not. Nicole is someone I can always call and count on.”
