Hi!

First of all thank you so much for visiting, and being curious about how to help my daughter Karissa.

There have been signs that she may need additional resources and recognition pointing to the fact that she thinks and behaves differently than most children. My goal is to make sure that she gets any treatment that is necessary, and any accommodations or programs put in place for her at school.

I have spoken to her primary doctor and we both agree that there are signs of ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder. For the last three and a half years, she has been homeschooled by me and various other people. This environment allowed for any accommodations that would be necessary to happen fluidly.

Karissa is 13 now, about to be 14 years old. This is a bit older for an initial evaluation. The catalyst to all of this was her transition into the public school sector this past September. It's eye-opening to the amount of hoops that I need to jump through in order to get Karissa the things that she needs in order to have a nourishing experience at Public School.

Personally, I don't consider these areas that demand attention as difficulties or a disorder. It gives the connotation of it being a bad thing. I think the way Karissa thinks and behaves is beautiful. Ask anyone that knows her, and they'll tell you she has such a fire for creativity, and is a powerful manifester. Her kindness towards others, and self-awareness is beyond her years!

Now for the bottom line. There is a timeline with her getting the evaluation necessary to ensure her future in the public school sector is a good one. She is in 8th grade now, and about to enter High School next year. I've been working with Camden County Technical High School to get her application in, along with all this necessary paperwork that I will need from an evaluation. Karissa has so many skills already in the areas of graphic design and video production, specifically animation. This is the path that is most aligned with her, and what she wants for her life and her future!

So, as you can see, there's a lot to be done in a short amount of time. The evaluation needs to happen for her as soon as possible. All of the routes that could be taken through Insurance have an 18-month wait or longer. With that being said, I have been reaching out to private practices, in order to get her seen by a specialist as soon as possible.

As you may have already guessed, these Specialists cost a lot out of pocket. It is my hope that through my community, friends, and family, essentially "The Village", that Karissa can get an evaluation scheduled before the New Year. An evaluation is one step of many, and by getting this out of the way as soon as possible, the things that need to be put in place can happen by the time she enters 9th grade.

Thank you so much for reading through all of this! Any donation is greatly appreciated! If you have any questions, or want to talk about anything, please don't hesitate to message me!