WOULD
WOULD FACE A FELO+@NY AND FINE P TO $10,000.
TO $10,000. >>> IF SOMEONE CLOSE TO YOU HAS
A DEVELOPMENTA+@L DISABILITY YOU
KNOW CARING FOR THEM CAN BE+@
INCREDIBLY REWARDING BUT COPING
WITH THOSE SPECIAL NEEDS CAN BE
A CHALLENGE.
A CHALLENGE. HERE IN TEXAS, THE
WAIT FOR HELP IS GRUELING.
>> Reporter: MEET BRADEN.
HE'S
HE'S
HE'S 20.
20.
20. +@
20. >>
20. >> WHO IS THIS?
>> MARIE.
>> MARIE.
>> MARIE. >> Reporter: HE'S A MOVIE BUFF.
>> I CAN'T KEEP IT?
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> Repor+@ter: ALSO AUTISTIC.
CAN
CAN
CAN BRADEN BE LEFT ALONE?
>> NO BECAUSE IF HE WAS ALONE
AND SO+@MEONE OPENED THE DOOR AD
SAID HEY, COME HERE, HE WOULD
PROBABLY GO.
PROBABLY GO. >> Reporter: AND THEN THERE IS
JAMIE.
JAMIE.
JAMIE. SHE'S 17, AND HAS THE
MENTAL CAPACITY OF A TODDLER.
HER MOM ALSO WORRIES ABOUT HER
FUTURE.
FUTURE.
FUTURE. >> HOW MUCH DOES THE PROSPECT OF
THE SCHOOL BUS NO LONGER COMING
TERRIFY YOU?
TERRIFY YOU? >> IT DOES.
MY GOSH, YES.
>> Reporter: RIGHT NOW BOTH
MOTHERS HAVE THEIR KIDS IN
SCHOOL, BUT WHEN THEY TURN 22,
BY LAW, SCHOOL WILL NO LONGER BE
+@AN OPTION.
+@AN OPTION. BUT AGING OUT OF
SCHOOL IS NOWHERE NEAR T+@HE
BEGINNING OF THE CRISIS FOR
THESE FAMILIES.
THESE FAMILIES. IT JUST MEANS
TROUBLES WILL SOON GET A LOT
WORSE.
WORSE.
WORSE. JAMIE AND BRADEN ARE TWO
OF THE 155,000 PEOPLE WITH+@
SPECIAL NEEDS THAT HAVE SPENT
YEARS WAITING FOR HELP FROM THE
STATE OF TEXAS.
THE HELP IS
FUNDED THROUGH MEDICAID.
THE
THE
THE PROGRAM ALLOWS FOR FAMILIES TO
GET F+@INANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR
NURSING CARE, THERAPIES, GROUP
HOME LIVING.
HOME LIVING. BUT TEXAS HASN'T
SET+@ ASIDE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY
FOR SERVICES FOR EVERYONE WHO
NEEDS IT.
NEEDS IT.
NEEDS IT. SO THEY GET ON WAITING
LISTS, WAITING OFTEN TEN YEARS
OR MORE.
OR MORE.
OR MORE. >> THEIR FAMILIES ARE DOING THE
BEST THEY CAN WITH THE LITTLE
THEY HAVE TO TRY AND MAKE IT
DAY-TO-DAY IN HOPES THEY'+@LL
EVENTUALLY GET THROUGH THAT TEN,
12, 14-YEAR PERIOD AND FINALLY
START RECEIVING STATE SERVICES
THAT THEIR LOVED ONE ACTUALLY
NEEDS AND DESERVES.
>> Reporter: CLAY BOATWRIGHT HAS
SPENT HIS LIFE ADVOCATING FOR
THE RIGHTS OF THE INTELLECTUALLY
AND DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED.
THAT, INCLUDES HIS OWN TWO
DAUGHTERS.
DAUGHTERS. THEY SPENT YEARS ON
WAITING LIST+@S BEFORE GETTING
HELP+@.
HELP+@.
HELP+@. >> PEOPLE SEE MEDICAID +@AS A VY
NEGATIVE LIGHT AND THEY DON'T
REALIZE IT'S FOR PEOPLE LIKE MY
KID.
KID.
KID. >>
KID. >> Reporter: IN THE PAST TWO
YEARS ALMOST 2,000 PEOPLE
DROPPED OFF WAITING LISTS
BECAUSE THEY DIED, ACCORDING TO
STATE RECORDS.
STATE RECORDS. >> WHAT'S THE MESSAGE IT'S
SENDING?
SENDING?
SENDING? >> I THINK IT SENDS THE MESSAGE
CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH
DISABILITIES JUST AREN'T AS
IMPORTANT AS THE+@ REST OF US.
>> Reporter: BRADEN WAS 11+@ WHN
HIS MOTHER PUT HIM ON SEVERAL OF
THE STATE'S WAITING LISTS.
HE'S
HE'S
HE'S NOW
HE'S NOW 20.
NOW 20.
NOW 20. >> THIS IS WHAT HE DOES.
HE
HE
HE WRITES
HE WRITES NOTES ON HIS iPAD.
>> Reporter: IN TWO YEARS HE
WILL AGE OUT OF THE PUBLIC
SCHOOL SYSTEM.
SCHOOL SYSTEM. SHE'S STILL
SHE'S STILL WAITING.
WAITING.
WAITING. >> IT'S TERRIFYING.
IT'S
IT'S
IT'S TERRIFYING ABOUT WHEN WE'RE NOT
GETTING TO HAVE HELP ANYMORE AND
WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
>> Reporter: BRADEN'S MOM IS A
SINGLE MOTHER.
SINGLE MOTHER. SHE WORKS AS AN
+@ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COUNSELOR BT
BRADEN IS HER REAL FULL-TIME
JOB.
JOB.
JOB. >>
JOB. >> I
JOB. >> I DON'T WANT TO BE IN THIS
FAMILY.
FAMILY.
FAMILY. >> WHAT MOVE IS THAT FROM?
>> COCOA.
>> COCOA.
>> COCOA. END OF ARGUMENT.
>> GOOD TO KNOW.
>> Reporter: BECAUSE SHE CAN'T
GET STATE AID, SHE PAYS FOR
BABYSITTERS TO WATCH HER SON
WHILE SHE'S AT WORK.
JAMIE ALSO
JAMIE ALSO NEEDS FULL-TIME CARE.
SHE HAS
SHE HAS
SHE HAS SEIZURES.
SEIZURES.
SEIZURES. SHE CAN'T TALK.
HER
HER
HER VISION AND HEARING AR+@E IMPAIR.
>> SHE NEEDS HELP WITH EVERYDAY
TASKS SO SHE DEPENDS ON US FOR
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. >>+@ Reporter: MARISSA ELLIS MOD
HER DAUGHTER TO TEXAS WHEN SHE
WAS EIGHT.
WAS EIGHT. THIS FAMILY WAS IN
FOR A SHOCK.
>> THIS WAS A TOUGH MOVE TO
BEGIN WITH, BUT TO FIND OUT
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET ANY
HELP, THAT YOU HAVE TO SIGN UP
FOR THESE WAITING LISTS.
>> Reporter: THEY LIVED IN
KENTUCKY AND MISSOURI, WHICH
BOTH SPEND M+@ORE ON SPECIAL NES
BOTH SPEND M+@ORE ON SPECIAL NE@ KIDS THAN TEXAS.
>> JUST FROM THE GET-GO, IN
KENTUCKY, WE GOT THERAPIES, SHE
WAS ON A HORSE AT 2:00, SHE WAS
IN A POOL.
>> Reporter: MARISSA SAID TEXAS
TREATED HER +@KID LIKE A NUMBER.
>> THEY DON'T ASK YOU ANYTHING
ABOUT HER DISABILITIES OR
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING. >> Reporter: AFTER EIGHT YEARS
+@OF WAITING, JAMIE REACHED THE
TOP OF ONE OF THE LISTS IN 2018.
>> I FELT LIKE I WON THE
LOTTERY.
LOTTERY.
LOTTERY. >> Reporter: THIS OC+@CUPATIONAL
THERAPIST NOW COMES S+@EVERAL
TIMES A WEEK AS PART OF THAT
MUCH NEEDED HELP FROM THE STATE.
>> THE IMPACT HAS BEEN AMAZING.
>> Reporter: THERE IS ALSO FUNDS
TO PAY ATTENDANTS TO GIVE MOM A
BREAK.
BREAK.
BREAK. THEY ALSO GET HOP TO
SPEC+@IALLY EQUIP ONE OF THEIR
+@
SPEC+@IALLY EQUIP ONE OF THEIR BATHROOMS.
BATHROOMS. >> ARE YOU HIDING?
>> Reporter: THAT HELP WILL GO
AWAY WHEN JAMIE TURNS 21, WHICH
IS WHY SHE REMAINS ON SEVERAL
OTHER WAITING LISTS.
UNTIL TEXAS
UNTIL TEXAS LAWMAKERS DEVOTE MORE MONEY, THE
155,000 PEOPLE KEEP WAITING, AND
WAITING, AND WORRYING