Mission Alpha Advocacy’s Post

So often we feel a little, “Ew, David" during school meetings. But, Congress is looking to send more help to #military families fighting schools for #specialeducation services. In the FY 2025 House Defense Bill, lawmakers direct the DoD to provide a report outlining the military service's legal support services offered to #EFMP families. Lawmakers specifically want answers to the following questions: 👨👩👧👦The number of families receiving legal support 📋Feasibility of administering a customer satisfaction survey to EFMP families investigating the quality of legal support ⚖️Other efforts to improve legal support for EFMP families This House provision hasn't been signed into law yet and must pass the Senate. However, the MAA team feels this is a step in the right direction! Tell us about your experiences receiving legal or school liaison support at your installations! #IEP #autism #neurodiversity #backtoschool #militaryfamily #MAA #misssionalphaadvocacy

DYK Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) provides emergency financial assistance?   AFAS recently highlighted in their 2023 annual report how this crucial program can help the #military #specialneeds community. https://bit.ly/3WsL9ll   Damien's family utilized #TRICARE to cover the cost of a Power Chair to increase his mobility and overall #qualityoflife. However, the 300 lbs of equipment made loading the chair into the van a chore, and military benefits do not cover installing a lift on their vehicle.   AFAS stepped in and approved their grant to help cover the cost of the modifications!   For the #AirForce #EFMP families, take a look at other grants and programs AFAS has to offer and apply today! For the other #exceptionalneeds families, take a look at your service specific aid societies for similar programs.   How else have you and your family benefited from a military aid society? Comment below if you wish to share!   Photo credit: AFAS 2023 Annual Report, page 9, "Independence for a 12-Year-Old Warrior"

sigh...anyone else just give up and cook chicken nuggets for the 529th night in a row? #specialneeds #autism #efmp #maa #missionalphaadvocacy

🏈Who's ready for #football!🏈 Humana Military and Blue Star Families are giving away tickets to the Jacksonville Jaguars Salute to Service game this season! Military families move every two years and one of the biggest challenges is learning the local resources that can benefit your exceptional needs family. Join Humana Military and Blue Star Families for a day of fun activities while attending a resource fair featuring local organizations that can support your family. #TRICARE #militaryspouse #military #FamilyFirst #MissionAlphaAdvocacy #MAA #militaryfamily

Do you have a sensory seeker in your life? You aren’t alone. Hang in there, we’ve got this. #sensoryplay #sensory #MAA #wegotthis #specialneeds

🧐The MAA team wants to know! If you have a child over the age of 13, do you struggle accessing your child's medical records? We have heard #military families are not able to access the medical records for their child with an intellectual disability. This is causing problems coordinating medical care, accessing lab results, and speaking with medical staff at the military treatment facilities. What has been your experience? #TRICARE #EFMP #militaryspouse #maa #missionalphaadvocacy #specialneeds

Listen as one mother shares her experience losing #ABA services. 💔""Lindsey, I'm so sorry. So so sorry." And I had no idea what she was talking about and she said "We can't cover Kingston anymore.""💔 Has this happened to your #military family? #MAA will continue advocating on behalf of military families to secure quality ABA services for our children. We do this by creating opportunities for families to share their stories with the indepedent committee reviewing #TRICARE's ABA services, lobbying on Capitol Hill for laws to improve access to ABA services, and sharing your stories with the media. #nevergiveup #missionalphaadvocacy #acd #autism #specialneeds

As fellow special needs parents, this post resonated with us. The daily fight for services is hard. We fight to clear the path to access quality healthcare and services. #maa #missionalphaadvocacy #efmp #military #specialneeds #AdvocateForChange

We’re revisiting this topic because it’s the heart of summer and it’s important. Each summer our community suffers great loss. The fear of a child eloping (wandering, escaping, running away) is deeply embedded in the hearts of parents with an autistic child. Elopement isn't due to parent's neglect or lack safety measures in the home. It can happen in a matter of seconds and many autistic children have a knack of opening locked doors. Autistic children commonly wander to water due to the fascination of light dancing on the water's surface. When a child is reported missing in your community, please take action. Immediately stop what you are doing and search the nearest water source in your area. Your action may safe a child's life. The best prevention to drowning is to teach a child to swim. Organizations like @stepintoswim offer scholarships for free swim lessons. Follow this link to find a swim center offering scholarships near you: https://lnkd.in/eWpmY2y #swim #autism #efmp #military #maa #missionalphaadvocacy

📞Do you spend your days call #TRICARE mental health providers only to find the directory is incorrect? #Military families have been raising this concern for years and it only seems to be worsening. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigated this issue by completing hundreds of covert calls to TRICARE mental health providers. They found around 8 in 10 of the provider listings are incorrect. GAO made 2 recommendations: 1)Secretary of Defense should ensure the Director of DHA accesses the accuracy of the mental health provider listing 2)Secretary of Defense should ensure the Director of DHA periodically monitor the accuracy of the mental health provider listing. Get this....DoD partially agreed with the first recommendation and did not agree to the second recommendation❗ The inaccurate mental health provider network extends to all behavioral health providers (including our ABA providers). The MAA team is working to secure a House Defense Bill provision that would assess the accuracy of the #ABA provider network and resulting access to ABA services. If you have experienced problems locating a mental health provider, share this article by email to your representative or senator. Encourage them to advocate on your behalf to ensure all military families have access to quality #mental and #behavioral health services. #maa #missionalphaadvocacy #efmp https://lnkd.in/gEgtf6dv