Therapy Funding Sources for Parents & Caregivers
S.M.I.L.E.S. understands the financial challenges many parents face when it comes to their child’s therapeutic needs. We work with several organizations that may be able to help with funding for therapy services.
Ohio’s Autism Scholarship Program
The Autism Scholarship Program (ASP) gives the parents of children with autism who qualify for a scholarship the choice to send the child to a special education program other than the one operated by the school district of residence to receive their education and the services outlined in the child’s individualized education program (IEP).
Visit Ohio’s Autism Scholarship Program
Ohio’s Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program
The Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program provides scholarships to students who are eligible to attend kindergarten through 12th grade and have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) from their district of residence. The amount of each scholarship will be based on the disability identified on the student’s IEP and will not exceed $20,000.
Visit Ohio’s Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program
Building Blocks for Kids
Since 2003, BB4K has assisted more than 350 children with a variety of needs including therapy, therapy equipment, hearing aids, communication devices, home modifications, vans with wheelchair lifts, special beds, displacement costs when needing to see a specialist in another city, adaptive bikes, adaptive strollers, seizure dogs, and so much more!
Visit Building Blocks for Kids
UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation
The UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation was incorporated in Maryland on May 25, 1999 to improve the lives of children who need financial assistance to cover medical treatment. In January 2006, the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation was expanded to all 50 states.
In 2012, UHCCF provided medical grants to 1,366 children, worth an estimated $4.1 million. Since 2007, UHCCF has awarded over 6,000 grants to children and families in need, valued at $17 million.
Visit UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation
Paige’s Princess Foundation
Paige’s Princess Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization providing small grants to pediatric patients with life-long disabilities. Paige’s Princess Foundation is not condition-specific and considers applications from any disorder or diagnosis that results in the disability of the child.
Visit Paige’s Princess Foundation
Small Steps in Speech
Small Steps in Speech is a non-profit foundation created in memory and in honor of Staff Sgt Marc J. Small who was killed in action in February of 2009 while serving his country in Afghanistan.
Small Steps in Speech assists children with speech and language disorders by funding supplemental therapies and treatments for individuals as well as grants to charitable organizations who serve children with communicative disorders. Their goal is to give children the chance to better express themselves in the world in which we live.
The Lindsay Foundation
The Lindsay Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose primary goal is to assist families with the resources necessary to provide medical treatment, therapies, and rehabilitative equipment in order to improve the quality of life for their special-needs children.
They have provided medical supplies not covered by insurance, aquatic therapy, horse riding therapy, a special power supply for a communication device, a Chat PC as well as other communication devices, a custom fitted power wheelchair, a number of wheel-chair lifts, special strollers, special therapy bikes, and, in one instance, they were able to pay the reduced surgical fees to a pediatric cardiologist.
The Different Needz Foundation
The Different Needz Foundation, a 501(C)(3) charitable organization, was created in 2009 and was inspired by the life of Luke Jordan. Luke was born with developmental disabilities which caused many physical disabilities and medical conditions. Despite his disabilities, Luke was able to bring out the best in those who knew him.
The Different Needz Foundation has a mission to provide grants to individuals with developmental disabilities, their families and organizations that support them to provide medical equipment and/or services.
Visit The Different Needz Foundation
Southwestern Ohio Council of Governments (SWOCOG)
Family Support Services Program (FSSP)
Family Support Services is designed to keep families together. All people with developmental disabilities have the right to live in a stable home; building relationships with parents, siblings, and friends as they enrich each other’s lives.
Children and adults with developmental disabilities have the best opportunity to grow and develop within a loving family environment. With the help of Family Support Services, families can purchase necessary equipment and services thus easing some heavy expenses while increasing the self-sufficiency of a family member with disabilities.
The Family Support Services Program is a state-funded financial reimbursement program helping eligible families to keep family members with developmental disabilities living at home by assisting with specific expenses.
Zane’s Foundation, Inc.
Zane’s Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization. They help children and adults in Northeast Ohio with special needs by educating their families about beneficial resources that will improve their loved one’s academic achievement. They also assist with financial support. Financial support can be designated for things such as: camps, therapies, respite, assistive or adaptive equipment, communicative devices that help to meet daily challenges.
ACT Today!
ACT Today! is a national nonprofit 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to raise awareness and provide treatment services and support to families to help their children with autism achieve their full potential. The ACT Today! Board distributes grants quarterly each year. Typical grants range from $100 to $5000. Household incomes below $100,000 are reviewed first as well as families with multiple children with ASD’s. ACT Today! considers all types of treatments that help a family live with ASD.
National Autism Association
With greater autism numbers comes greater need for services. Unfortunately, most insurance plans do not cover many necessary treatments. NAA’s Helping Hand Program was developed as a financial aid tool for families that need it most. The program helps qualified families pay for medical services used to treat individuals diagnosed with autism.
Visit The National Autism Association
Lil MAC Kids Foundation
The Lil MAC Kids Foundation is a non-profit (501c3) organization formed to assist needy families in Ohio and Minnesota with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). They are a 100% volunteer organization and with the help of many friends and family members, Lil MAC Kids has been helping families with more than $100,000 in financial aid.