Anderson Family Story - Arc Minnesota

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The Andersons receive waivered services for persons with mental retardation and related conditions, also known as the "MR/RC waiver" or just "waivered services." The waiver, funded through Medical Assistance, provides numerous supports to help keep children with disabilities at home and help them develop independent living skills.

Maren Anderson

Photo of Maren Anderson - no link Maren Anderson is a delightful, spirited six-year-old who happens to have Down syndrome and sensory integration dysfunction. She likes many things: school, music, books, dance class, gymnastics, swings, slides, and bubbles to name a few. Maren also is sensitive about certain loud noises and being physically restrained and is not fond of doctors or dentists.

Maren receives waivered services for persons with mental retardation and related conditions (MR/RC waiver), which are funded by Medical Assistance dollars. Before Maren went on the waiver in November of 2000, our family was stressed to the limit, and I was being treated for stress-related health problems. For four and a half years, we had been living life and raising Maren as if running a sprint race instead of a marathon. We were paying the price and falling apart.

Since Maren has been on waivered services, our family has had the resources, time and energy to investigate and pursue therapies, services, and equipment that help Maren to be the best she can be. Today, Maren is on a roll and developing by leaps and bounds.

Here are a few examples of her progress:

She used to avoid eye contact; now she has excellent eye contact. She now interacts with peers in structured situations and has had success in unstructured situations.
She has been successfully integrated into Valentine Hills Elementary School in Arden Hills.
She progressed from one-word utterances to ones with two and often three words or more. Her phrases and sentences have pronouns, nouns, and verbs.
She doesn't have the long-term sleep disturbances she used to, and her behavior has improved.
She actively participated in dance and gymnastics classes and swimming lessons and can ride a tricycle.
She is no longer in diapers and is now toilet trained.
She used to refuse to hold a pencil; now she's learning to write her name. o Her attention span was poor; now she has the patience and control to learn to read 300+ sight words.
The medication she receives to treat social anxiety may be reduced or even eliminated this spring.

With the proper supports, Maren's future is bright. Without the MR/RC waiver, our family would be lost. Maren would suffer as we struggled to hold our family together and away from the brink of disaster. By investing in Maren and her family now, she can become an adult who can live pretty independently, hold a job (and pay taxes!), and form positive social relationships.

Thank you for giving her this chance. - Julie Stuthman Anderson (Maren's mom)