Meet… The Veitch Family

A Brief Hiatus

WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER | PHOTOS PROVIDED

Finding someone trustworthy to watch your children is a dilemma for any parent. When you have two children with autism however, there are additional care-giving needs that must be considered.

FINDING RESPITE

It was more than a decade before Matthew Veitch, and Stephanie (his wife of 22 years), were able to leave their two boys with anyone other than family. “You can’t just go out to dinner and say, ‘Ok, we’ll be back in a couple of hours.’ When you have two children with autism, you don’t have that opportunity,” said Matt. Matt who has been the Saratoga Springs Supervisor since 2008, is a long-time Verizon employee, and an avid cyclist. Going for a bike ride, or even just getting chores done around the house – uninterrupted – used to feel like an unattainable luxury. In many families, as kids become teenagers, they start to take on more responsibilities (like watching the house when the parents are out). The Veitchs could not do that. Thanks to AIM Services Respite Care, Matt and Stephanie can get out once in a while. The couple has also been able to enjoy two vacations to St. Croix in the Virgin Islands. “Respite allows for us to get that free time out and not have to worry about our kids’ safety or security,” said Matt. Those are things that before Respite, they’d never imagined were possible.

UNIQUE CHALLENGES, INDIVIDUALIZED SOLUTIONS

Jacob Veitch spent much of his childhood upside-down. “He experienced the world from an inverted position. He spent many, many years upside down, so he knows the world upside down and right side up,” said Matt. Jacob loves movement and has an uncanny ability to spin objects extremely fast. This manipulation of the physical world earned him the nickname, Sir Isaac Newton.

Now, Jacob is 18 years old, and has grown into a young man. He remains very physically oriented but is also completely non-verbal. Although he understands spoken language, and can utter sounds, he’s never talked. Unable to communicate in other ways, he cries, stomps, and kicks. David Veitch, 16, loves organizing and building things, but is also very physical. He runs toward what interests him, and his echolalia (a meaningless repetition of words) makes it hard for others to understand why he left or where he went. The children now attend Wildwood School in Albany, but the Veitchs have also always been a part of the AIM family because of the additional programs they offer. AIM Services base their individual respite care on each person’s interests and goals. There are group respite programs, as well: Friday and Saturday Recreation, Summer Recreation, Evening Recreation Programs, and After School programs. These age-specific programs are educational and build social skills through sensory and recreational activities, as well as community experiences (like going to the park, playground, sporting events, yoga classes, museums, theaters, and more). “They love it; the activities, the change of pace, having something to do, and getting out into the community,” said Matt.

MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE PEOPLE

Respite care can take place in a family’s own home, at daycare centers, or at residential facilities. “It helps. Really, at the end of the day, it’s trying to provide the most appropriate experience for them and to help them practice being away from us. These are experiences everyone wants to have and although they’ll always have a supportive community around them, this helps them to eventually transition from living with us to being more independent,” said Matt. Aim Services, which has been certified by the New York State Office of People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and the New York State Department Of Health (DOH) has been offering traditional Respite since 1992, and Enhanced Respite (which is unique to AIM) since 2015. Currently more than 80 families participate in the programs, and they are continuing to grow. “Really, it’s for everybody. Everybody needs a break sometimes. Having that makes us better as a family,” said Matt. Use of these services is person specific. AIM Care Coordinators help families navigate the process of getting enrolled and are approved by the state for a certain number of hours depending on their needs. Traditional Respite is funded by Medicaid as a free service to families. (If they wish, families do have the option to pay privately.) Enhanced Respite has additional clinical and behavioral components. Staff members receive ongoing training based on the unique diagnosis, needs, abilities, and assessment of each person they support. AIM covers the additional costs of this enhancement through fundraising and grants. Like many organizations, AIM curtailed some of their fundraising events last year because of COVID. Their Respite Services however, remain crucial to the well-being of so many. “They’re well-run and have been around a long time. They offer programs for other people, not just those with autism. They’re really much bigger than that. They’ve just been wonderful for us and our family,” said Matt. For more information, go to www.aimservicesinc.org

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