A few weeks ago, I revealed that we were getting a psychiatric service dog for my 10-year-old daughter. Over the past several months, I’ve been candid about the various therapies and interventions we pursue for my two wonderful children with special needs. For three years, I have tried to articulate our daily experiences while still safeguarding my children’s privacy. We are learning to navigate life confidently, despite numerous diagnoses that I no longer bother to enumerate, primarily due to the treatment choices we have made.
Since sharing our service dog journey, I’ve been heartened by feedback from other families who have embarked on similar paths with great success. I’ve encountered numerous online mothers contemplating the same option, eager to gather as much information as possible. However, with every new approach I disclose regarding my children’s care, I inevitably receive emails and comments posing a familiar, somewhat accusatory question: Does my child really need this?
The short answer? Yes.
The more nuanced answer is this: My child requires support. She is facing challenges, and we must do everything in our power to assist her. The truth is, we can never be entirely certain which therapies or treatments will yield positive results; it often feels like throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks.
And we’re not alone in this approach. Ask any medical professional working with children who have complex medical and psychiatric conditions, and they’ll tell you the same thing: what works for one child may not work for another. So, we try various options until we discover the right fit.
Now, here’s my honest, “I’m utterly exhausted” response to this question: No one would willingly choose this path for fun. Nobody would spend their last dime on a service dog without ever having thought about getting one before. No parent enjoys enduring the endless paperwork, questions, and occasional judgment that come with working with a therapist whose services may not be covered by insurance. No one takes pleasure in having to coax their child into the phlebotomist’s chair for yet another blood test. And certainly, no one celebrates when their child gains a significant amount of weight due to medication.
The reality is, we aren’t even implementing all the recommended interventions. Occupational therapy, educational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, and multiple prescription medications have all been suggested for my children. For a variety of reasons, including time constraints, we aren’t pursuing them all right now. We might in the future, or we might not.
The decisions regarding my children’s treatment plans are made with careful consideration, weighing the benefits of each intervention against the others we are already employing. This process is fluid and adapts based on progress, age, development, need, and, frankly, financial constraints.
We’re doing the best we can for our kids. It’s entirely possible that we’re making mistakes along the way. But given our circumstances, we are making the best choices we can.
Sometimes we achieve significant milestones; other times, we experience setbacks. But it’s essential to understand this: we’ve never sat down and thought, “What else can we add to our schedule? Let’s squeeze in another hour of therapy!”
Does my daughter need these interventions? Yes, she needs them all, every single day. I am thankful that we can provide these opportunities, and I’m pleased to see progress and healing resulting from her treatment plan.
This is why I share our experiences in the first place. We need to support one another, share what’s working, and encourage each other to keep persevering. More than any specific therapeutic method, we need compassion, grace, and reassurance that we are not alone in this journey. This is true for my daughter, and it’s also true for me as her mother. I suspect it may resonate with you as well.
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Summary
In conclusion, the journey of seeking treatments, therapies, and interventions for children with special needs is filled with challenges and uncertainties. While we may not always know what will work, our commitment to exploring every avenue reflects our dedication as parents. Ultimately, we must support one another, share experiences, and cultivate compassion in this often-overwhelming journey.