As my husband and I sat brainstorming name ideas for this foundation, we thought back to when our son, now 5 years old, was first showing signs of autism.  Fortunately, we knew where to go, we knew what to do, we had excellent private insurance coverage and our son qualified for D.D.D. hours (through Arizona's Division of Developmental Disabilities) that served as a back-up to the insurance. Our son has received 35+ hours per week of therapies and services since the age of 2 at no out of pocket cost to us.  In working in the field, I've seen this is not always the case.  Many children who need help don't test "low enough" for D.D.D. hours. Sometimes the family doesn't have private insurance coverage, or if they do, the plan doesn't cover therapy or the deductible is sky high.

While brainstorming, my husband and I recalled a time early in our marriage when, although we were both working hard, we lived paycheck to paycheck. We tried to imagine if our son had been born in that time in our lives. What if he didn't qualify for D.D.D.? What if our insurance didn't cover the cost? What if, at that point in our financial history, we were faced with paying out of pocket for his ($2,500 per month) program?

It would feel like he was drowning.  It would feel like every day he is drifting further and further away and there's nothing we can do to reach him.  We would feel helpless in a fight against a raging storm that was threatening to steal our son.  And if someone suddenly came along and said, "We have the funds to cover the cost of his program," it would feel like they had shown up in the middle of the dark, turbulent waters and thrown out a life preserver.

That's the mission of An Ark in the Storm.

Joni M. Stricker, B.A., RBT

As President/CEO of A Brighter Avenue, LLC, a therapy and service agency for kids with autism and other special needs, I've seen many kiddos fall through the cracks.  Parents come in needing therapies or services for their child, but he doesn't test "low" enough for help through the state and they either don't have private insurance, the plan doesn't cover what he needs, or the deductible is too high for them to meet by temporarily paying out of pocket.  A Brighter Ave isn't set up as a non-profit so I searched for a local organization that might be able to help.  I came up empty.  Even a national search proved fruitless so we decided to start one ourselves.

As the mother of a child with autism, I know the importance of a quality program.  Our son, now age 6, has improved tremendously (ATEC drop from 110 to 40 since age 2 and still going down!). When I think of the difference between his life and ours five years ago vs. today, I can't imagine not having been able to implement the programs that have helped him so much.