SOUTHEASTERN KENTUCKY- Where Rebekah Fugate lives, the resources for autism diagnostic services are few and far between. The mother of four couldn’t believe there were only two options in her area: one of them being three hours away, and the other being over an hour away. So when she suspected her twin daughters, 5-year-olds Laya and Leah, may not be hitting their milestones, she reached out to the clinic closer in distance. The girls were put on a one-year waitlist – that was, until the pandemic hit. One year turned into three years. She felt discouraged until something amazing happened – she found As You Are, a virtual clinic providing autism diagnostic services through telehealth.
Rebekah said, “We had an appointment within two weeks, and I thought, ‘That can’t be right,’ but it was!”
The As You Are team conducted a review of their individual health benefits, and Rebekah was excited to hear that the evaluations were covered by insurance, based on their individual benefits plan. After just one month, both girls were diagnosed with autism.
“Honestly, it was a big relief,” she said. “It was so quick and easy compared to other areas. The doctor was personable and friendly with the kids. I would highly recommend it to anyone.”
The evaluation being virtual made the process extremely smooth for not only Rebekah, but the kids, too. All three appointments were done from the comfort of their own home.
“You take them out of their element, and it just overwhelms them,” she said. “They were in their own house with their own toys in their own room.”
After years waiting for answers, Rebekah was relieved to have found As You Are and receive autism diagnoses for the twins so quickly.
She said, “It lifted a weight off of me, and I know that I did what was best for them. Now we know, and we can move forward.”
Do you have questions about your child’s development? The team at As You Are provides diagnostic evaluations for kids 16 months to 10 years old via telehealth appointments along with useful resources, including an online autism screening. Learn more at asyouare.com.
