Why so expensive?

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Ok so according to various sources it seems there is a common veiw that people with aspergers or autism need all this intensive therapy/training. I also checked out this program they have to help college age people with these sorts of disorders I thought it seemed kinda cool not nessisarly for me but others who would benifit....then I found out the tuition is very expensive and on top of that it was like 600 dollars a month for rent with no utilites included so more then 600 dollars for rent on top of 30,000 for tuition I belive oh and it gets better.....you probably still have to pay for regular college tution on top because this program is to help college students with these sorts of problems suceed in college and such not a college itself.


But yeah say I had decided I wanted to try that program out.........where on earth is a 21 year old who's never been able to really hold a job and has no money in a savings account going to come up with 30,000 dollars+600 dollars+however much the utilities are+ the cost of food and personal hygiene items? It probably would come close to 40,000 and I'm lucky if I have 3,000 dollars left over from college loans.

So yes based on personal experiance and just information I've heard they have lots of help for people......but its so expensive you really have no chance of using it to your advantage unless you happened to be born into a financially stable family with that kind of money to throw around. I dont know the messege I am getting is if your already at the bottom of the financial ladder and have mental problems the goal is to keep you down pretty much.

Exploitation knows no limit.

Services like that probably target families with AS kids who have money. I can't imagine the average person with AS being able to afford it.

It's not meant for people like you. It's probably meant for well-off families with parents worried for their kids.

Well that is obvious....and rather frusterating, I would not have wanted to enroll in that program anyways as college is really not my main focus so I did not fancy the idea of having intensive tutoring on top of college(which I dont struggle that much with), a strict anti-drug policy(no alcohol even in my apartment or getting caught would mean getting kicked out) but its the principle that these sorts of things claim to be in it to help people.....but if that where the case some of it would be affordable.

And that is who they are aiming the program at. Or, more likely, financially stable families who don't have that kind of money to throw around but will be able to scrounge it together if they liquidate assets, take out loans and do take on more at work. To be perfectly honest, my husband and I are that sort of family and if there was any chance our daughter could do this program we would be liquidating assets, taking out loans, remortgaging the house and both putting in overtime hours at work to pay for it.

It may yet be possible for you. Colleges will squeeze all they can out of parents since parents (some parents) tend to be sitting on assets that can be liquidated. Students have no assets. They have only their future projected earnings after they get a job, and so they qualify for loans. This is a far dicier proposition for students with less assurance of a decent paying job (anf that's all the students in the program, whatever their disability)

. But there may still be financial aid packages that are grants rather than loans. It's worth looking into financial aid. You just never know what you qualify for. Some of these programs require that either you are financially independent from your parents or that your parents have no ability to pay for this even if their assets were liquidated. If either of these two situations apply to you, you are the person most likely to qualify for financial aid.

Last edited by Janissy on 20 May 2011, 6:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.

My observations indicate that there are many of these "INTENSIVE" services for ASD children/adolescents that are extremely overpriced. While undoubtedly children with ASDs do need early intervention and training in terms of acquiring sufficient communication and manually improving/compensating their reduced executive functioning skills, I personally do not think it costs $30,000/year for such training.

Temple Grandin went from non-verbal to verbal by age 6 I believe. I certainly do not think it costed her parents $30,000/year equivalent at the time for her to have a speech therapist and to have a nanny to play games with her at times.

Most of these services at such prices are to exploit wealthy/middle class parents who are all doom and gloom, grieving for their "poor" Autistic child that they'll never be normal, and the parents become so desperate as to try everything, including controversial unproven quack medical therapies that are often overpriced or even more harmful to the child.

Please do not enrol in this tuition, it's not worth it for the money that you'd pay.

I can't enroll anyways......like I said I am lucky if I have 3,000 dollars to my name and such a thing really would not fit my lifestyle. But lets put it this way I have made it this far without early childhood intervention or any intervention for that matter except the time I tried to kill myself the school called the ambulence so yeah. I don't need that......I do not expect to function as a normal member of society because I am not and I have come to accept it. but yeah if society is so intent on turning everyone into a productive member maybe this society should take a look at itself. I mean yeah some people have mental issues that might make normal life difficult, but what is to say this so called normal life is really the right way.

Ok good.

In the mean time, I think it'd be best if you could get an Official AS diagnosis, so you can use it for official documentations, such as requesting accommodations at College, or goodness-forbid you get involved in any legal altercations that were not started by you...

I cannot afford to do that, it will be hard enough trying to get my medical marijuana card.....and since that helps with just about everything there will be no need for me to have the official diagnosis.

If you eventually save up enough money, I still think you should go for the official AS assessment, even though you know you have it. You're in America, and seeing that there's a shortage of competent Psychologists and Psychiatrists working with adult ASD patients, I'm estimating the cost to be $US 1000-1500. You're applying for the Medical Marijuana Card for now, so you may avoid seeking an assessment for several years until you really need it or if you somehow lose access to your card.

You're applying for the Medical Marijuana card so I assume it's for medicating other comorbid conditions such as anxiety or ADHD am I right? Try to be careful not to use the Cannabis too often as it can also impair your executive function, unless you're only doing relatively small hits, eating low-dose hash cookies/brownies, or doing it on a Friday night or before you sleep when you don't have much else to do.

Have you considered trying to get a prescription for Ritalin/Adderall/Dexedrine? They can also help with some of the comorbid conditions relating to AS, in particular a reduced executive function.

Depression, PTSD, Anxiety, Aspergers related social skills problems is what I am actually getting it for, the trouble is I dont know that there is any way to get it recommended for those things in Colorado so I might have to focus on something like insomnia( I do have a lot of trouble sleeping because of the anxiety and of course PTSD). Also I have done Adderall recreationally in the past I know thats not the same as getting it prescribed but though I like the seemingly endless feeling of energy and all it gives me hardcore insomnia 4 days with no sleep causes weird things to happen but it also has a way of making me feel like thats ok....so in short if I was prescribed adderall I would most likely end up abusing it.

I dunno about Colorado, but I do know that Medical Marijuana can be used to treat insomnia, headaches and nausea (especially chemotherapy induced). If you could get a doctor to diagnose you with those 3 issues, then it'll give you extra weight.

I know that in California, if you get diagnosed with ADHD, you can also apply for the Medical Marijuana Card, but I dunno if Colorado allows that.

Adderall is basically mixed amphetamine salts. Of course you're going to stay awake for days if you're using it recreationally. The optimum dose that is initially prescribed for most adults with ADHD is 30 mg or less/day, spread out through the entire day. The prescribed dose is enough to get their work done, and amphetamines can also improve the executive functioning of those who don't have ADHD but those people have to be extremely careful with such drugs as they have much greater potential for abuse and psychological euphoria, along with increased libido.

I'm also hoping to get my medical marijuana card. It's the only thing that works.

My doctor recently told me of an art program in my city, for people with mental health issues. It's a six month program, and if accepted then you have art space/supplies provided free of charge. At the end of the six months, there is an art show where you sell your work.
I know you don't live in the same city as me, but perhaps finding something suited to people with mental health issues, would be easier than finding something specifically for Autism/Aspergers.

Well see that is the main problem I know if I had that prescribed I would end up abusing it......I like the high it causes so to speak, but its in such a way that I want more and more and more of that feeling. Probably not the best thing to start taking on a regular basis in my case. Also my depression is the main cause of any executive functioning problems I have its one of the main things that really slows me down and the cannabis decreases that so I am more able to function.

Yes, temptation to abuse amphetamines is actually very strong and common among many people who have access to it. Eventually there comes a time when it becomes less and less effective, and you take more and more, but you don't get that magical spark that occurred the first 10 times you take it. This can be called "chasing the dragon".

Maybe you could ask a doctor to prescribe you Wellbutrin (bupropion)?

Wellbutrin (bupropion) in America can be prescribed for Depression AND ADHD, and it also slowly increases Dopamine and Noradrenaline levels, improving executive function. This is different from amphetamines which increase Dopamine instantly), so there is no potential for abuse. Even if you were to crush the pill and snort the powder, you wouldn't get high, instead you'd get a weird headache of some sort.

Well I don't know about that if its anything like a normal anti-depressant I would rather not risk it, the anti-depressants I had did horrible things. Well not to mention I dont know that I can afford a regular prescription like that....not only have I found Cananbis quite helpful thus far but it would be cheaper then trying to afford a normal prescription because the dispensaries have really high grade stuff that lasts quite a while.