SOS Kids - Save Our Special Kids - Announces Rally at State Capitol.Business Editors ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 30, 2003 Non-Profit Group Dedicated to Development of Georgia's Children with Special Needs Seeks To Protect Funds From State Budget Cuts SOS SOS, code letters of the international distress signal. The signal is expressed in International Morse code as … — — — … (three dots, three dashes, three dots). Kids (Save Our Special Kids), a non-profit group dedicated to the development of children with special needs, today announced a rally to protest proposed budget cuts to programs for Georgia's children who have disabilities. SOS Kids shares Governor Perdue's mission to "improve the lives of Georgia's children." Nationally, Georgia ranks in the bottom 20th percentile percentile, n the number in a frequency distribution below which a certain percentage of fees will fall. E.g., the ninetieth percentile is the number that divides the distribution of fees into the lower 90% and the upper 10%, or that fee level of the states for home and community based services. The goal of the rally is to gain the governor's support for programs that provide disabled children with developmental services. The rally is being held at the Georgia State Capitol The Georgia State Capitol, in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States, is an architecturally and historically significant building. It has been named a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. in downtown Atlanta Downtown Atlanta refers to the largest financial district for the city of Atlanta. As defined by the Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) organization, the area measures approximately 4 mi², and was home to 23,300 as of 2006. on Saturday, November 8, 2003 at 10:00 a.m. The rally is open to the public. The Department of Community Health has proposed $20 million (2004) and $140 million (2005) in budget cuts for consideration during the upcoming legislative session. The Department of Human Resources The fancy word for "people." The human resources department within an organization, years ago known as the "personnel department," manages the administrative aspects of the employees. has proposed to cut $101 million from FY'04 and '05 budgets combined. Cuts to Babies Can't Wait, Children's Intervention Services, PeachCare, Family Connection and proposed premiums for participation in the Katie Beckett Waiver all threaten to reduce the level of service or make it difficult for children to qualify for services. "These cuts will have a tremendous negative impact on the development of children with disabilities in the state of Georgia," says Tanya McConnell, SOS Kids spokesperson. "Because 50% of development takes place before the age of 5, it is important to a child's physical, mental and emotional growth to provide him or her with the maximum amount of early intervention ear·ly intervention n. Abbr. EI A process of assessment and therapy provided to children, especially those younger than age 6, to facilitate normal cognitive and emotional development and to prevent developmental disability or delay. ." Studies show that adequate early intervention reduces the need for more intensive services later on and improves the child's social, emotional and educational outcomes. At issue is the prioritization of services to be cut by the state of Georgia. "We recognize that state belt-tightening is necessary to improve Georgia's fiscal condition," McConnell said. "However, we are concerned that our state government prioritizes tobacco farmers over disabled children." On February 28 of this year, an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Governor Perdue Perdue may refer to:
Taking Away the Opportunity For Children to Reach Their Full Potential Therapists and medical professionals agree that the proposed budget cuts will dramatically affect a family's ability to provide an opportunity for their child to reach their full potential. "Every child with special needs is a unique individual possessing certain strengths, challenges and vast potential," says Jerri Hickman, a speech-language pathologist in Atlanta. Through her private practice, Hickman specializes in speech-language, feeding and swallowing for children with special needs. Every day, Hickman sees dramatic improvements in children. "Four months ago, three-year-old Jacob who has Down syndrome Down syndrome, congenital disorder characterized by mild to severe mental retardation, slow physical development, and characteristic physical features. Down syndrome affects about 1 in every 730 live births and occurs in all populations equally. and still receives nourishment nour·ish·ment n. Something that nourishes; food. via a bottle, started taking meltable solid foods," said Heidi Moore, Jacob's mother. "He ate his first fruit loop under Hickman's watch three months ago, a tremendous feat for this special little boy. To go forward with the proposed Medicaid cutbacks would deny unique individuals, like Jacob, the therapy services needed to help develop their full potential," Moore said. Hickman and others agree that the proposed cuts will most likely cost the State more in the long run. "As a speech therapist speech therapist Speech pathologist, speech/language therapist A health professional trained to evaluate and treat voice, speech, language, or swallowing disorders–eg, hearing impairment, that affect communication. See Speech pathology. , I am concerned with the growing number of therapists who are no longer accepting Medicaid due to the rate cuts and difficulties receiving payment," said Betsy Fester fester /fes·ter/ (fes´ter) to suppurate superficially. fes·ter v. 1. To ulcerate. 2. To form pus; putrefy. n. An ulcer. , a speech pathologist in Atlanta. "Losing these therapists as Medicaid providers makes finding qualified therapists more difficult and by losing the early intervention services, many children will not be able to achieve skills that will allow them to be mainstreamed into regular classrooms when they turn five years old," she added. "It's a never-ending cycle that needs to be stopped." Bennett's Story: A Journey of Hope "When my son, Bennett, was born with Joubert Syndrome Joubert syndrome Neonatology A condition characterized by episodic hyperpnea, abnormal eye movements, ataxia, and mental retardation linked to agenesis of the cerebellar vermis , we were told he would probably never walk or talk," reflects Hillary Key. "We were told that he would have mental, physical and sensory motor disabilities. We were told to expect repeated occurrences of pneumonia due to problems with swallowing and aspiration aspiration /as·pi·ra·tion/ (as?pi-ra´shun) 1. the drawing of a foreign substance, such as the gastric contents, into the respiratory tract during inhalation. 2. . We were told that he would not live beyond infancy," she added. Today, at three, Bennett has made tremendous strides. Hillary brags that Bennett's comprehension level is normal for his age, speaking at a two-year old level. He is starting to walk with a walker and has had pneumonia only once. He has gone from needing oxygen in order to drink thickened thick·en tr. & intr.v. thick·ened, thick·en·ing, thick·ens 1. To make or become thick or thicker: Thicken the sauce with cornstarch. The crowd thickened near the doorway. 2. formula, to eating soft foods, cheerios and every child's favorite, chicken nuggets A chicken nugget is either whole or composed from a paste of finely minced chicken or chicken skin, which is then coated in batter or breadcrumbs before being cooked. Fast-food restaurants typically deep-fry their nuggets in oil. . "These miracles are due to God's grace, prayer and the early intervention of excellent therapists and specialists whose services have been made available to us through the Deeming Waiver," says Key. "Like so many others, we are a middle-income family that would not have been able to afford the needed medical care for our son. Access to therapies through the Deeming Waiver has allowed my son to become functional with the hopes of reaching his fullest potential." The Medicaid Deeming/Katie Beckett Waiver is the lifeline life·line n. 1. a. An anchored line thrown as a support to someone falling or drowning. b. A line shot to a ship in distress. c. A line used to raise and lower deep-sea divers. 2. for secondary health care insurance for so many families. "When you personally experience the progress, see the joy in the eyes of these children and feel the hope in the hearts of their families, it's criminal to take it all away," McConnell said. "Without programs like these, families would not be able to survive the extra expenses associated with having a special needs child." About SOS Kids (Save our Special Kids) SOS Kids is a non-profit group dedicated to the development of children with special needs. Formed in 2003, SOS Kids proactively works to build support, acceptance and opportunity for children with special needs. |
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