Raising Neurodivergent Kids

Medicaid Cuts and Other BAD Ideas

At around 5am, on Thursday May 22, 2025, House Republicans passed the “Big Beautiful Budget Bill.” I stayed up and listened to the debates, so you wouldn’t have to.  In this episode, I’m not talking about how the cuts to Medicaid will pad the pockets of billionaires… Instead we’re going to talk about what the changes and cuts to the Medicaid program mean for our kids - specifically our kids with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  There is SO much to unpack - but this episode comes in at just under 14 minutes.  And in that time, we talk about: * How Medicaid funding actually works, * What federally mandated work requirements and 6-month redeterminations mean for people with disabilities and caregivers, and * Why where you live could now determine how the changes and cuts to Medicaid could affect you and your family.  If you’re exhausted by ongoing threats to your child’s future, frustrated by the spread of misinformation, or tired of making weekly calls just to keep the few services your child has - you are not alone. Let’s talk about it. Resources referenced in this episode: * To find your state’s agency that manages Home and Community Based Services Waivers, type into Google: Developmental Disabilities State Government Program in [INSERT YOUR STATE]. * To find your state representatives’ contact information, type into Google: [INSERT YOUR ZIP CODE] state representative contact information. * * Medicaid Work Requirements: Do they work? [https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/implementing-work-requirements-on-a-national-scale-what-we-know-from-state-waiver-experience/] * Cuts to Medicaid: The effects on community hospitals. [https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2025/may/federal-cuts-medicaid-could-end-medicaid-expansion-affect-hospitals] * * Use 5 Calls to contact your federal legislators. [https://5calls.org] AND… If you’re a parent or caregiver raising a neurodivergent child, I created an app just for you. There is a treasure trove of information on the web - but when you need an answer now, hours of searching the internet isn’t helpful - especially when keywords aren’t always intuitive to families. Systems are siloed and hard to navigate, which is confusing for parents and caregivers who need help coordinating services and supports. The Experiential Life App brings together parents and caregivers raising neurodivergent kids through:  👉 community,  ⚡️ webinars,  🤝 parent support, and   👏 downloadable resources, all contained in a convenient app on your favorite device. You can learn more at ⁠Experiential Life [http://www.experiential-life.com/]⁠ or join me over on ⁠Instagram ⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/experiential.life.community/]💕

Why Support Feels SO Hard

If you’ve ever felt like an imposter - or that you need to go back to school for medical, educational, and legal degrees - just to help your neurodivergent child... this episode is for you. Welcome to Raising Neurodivergent Kids - the podcast for parents, caregivers, and advocates who are done pretending the systems work. I’m your host, Christy Russell, advocate, mom of three, and founder of Experiential Life. I’ve spent the last decade as a disability and healthcare advocate, navigating the maze of disconnected systems that are supposed to support our neurodivergent kids. In this first episode, I’m sharing the moment my son was diagnosed - and what happened next. Spoiler: it wasn’t clarity, access, or support. It was 18 months of waitlists, confusing referrals, and being handed a stack of brochures that answered none of my questions. We’ll talk about: * Why systems feel impossible to navigate (even for the professionals), * What happens when support is siloed, fragmented, and buried under paperwork, and * Why I used to think we should burn it all down - and what changed my mind. If you've ever wondered if you're the only one struggling to navigate the systems - to get your neurodivergent child the support they need - you're not. Let's talk about it. The links I promised to share with you: - Dismantling of the Department of Education and what it means for our neurodivergent kids [https://dredf.org/stop-destruction-of-ed/] - Reorganization of the Administration for Community Living and what it means for people with disabilities [https://autisticadvocacy.org/2025/03/hhs-restructuring-harms-people-with-disabilities/] - Potential cuts to Medicaid and why it matters for our kids [https://thearc.org/blog/historic-medicaid-cuts-are-on-the-table-this-week-heres-what-people-with-disabilities-need-to-know/] - The easiest way to find your representatives and talk to them about these issues [https://5calls.org] If you are a parent or caregiver raising a neurodivergent child, I created an app just for you. There is a treasure trove of information on the web - but when you need an answer now, hours of searching the internet isn’t helpful - especially when keywords aren’t always intuitive to families. Systems are siloed and hard to navigate, which is confusing for parents and caregivers who need help coordinating services and supports. The Experiential Life App brings together parents and caregivers raising neurodivergent kids through:  👉 community,  ⚡️ webinars,  🤝 parent support, and   👏 downloadable resources, all contained in a convenient app on your favorite device. You can learn more at Experiential Life [www.Experiential-Life.com⁠ ] or join me over on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/experiential.life.community/]💕