Ben Norby is the 6-year-old son of Rhonda and Terry Norby. Ben is a happy, loving boy who lives in his own world because he is autistic. Autism is a debilitating neurological disorder whose cause is unknown. It can include severe impairments in language development and language processing, impairments in social interactions, poor eye contact, over- or under-sensitivity to sensory input, and repetitive movements or activities.

Like many autistic children, Ben has no self-help skills, no concept of danger or harmful situations, and extremely limited expressive and reception language skills. There are ranges of severity in the autism spectrum, and if you placed autism on a scale of 1 to 10, Ben is probably about a five.

Ben was fortunate to be diagnosed early, at the age of two, because early and intensive intervention is key in helping bring autistic children out of their own little worlds. It is recommended that autistic children receive up to 40 hours a week of therapy in addition to treating the underlying cause of the disorder through dietary modification, mineral and vitamin supplements and other treatments.

Ben began receiving 26 hours per week of this much-needed therapy through a service provider called Behavioral Intervention for Autistic Children (BIFAC) and receiving medical treatment through a doctor in Florida who specializes in autistic children. Therapy services were state funded through Medicaid until drastic cuts due to a state budget crisis forced BIFAC to close their doors and Ben’s funding source to end abruptly.

Now, every one of Ben’s therapists has been hired on a contract basis and every penny is being paid out of pocket by the Norbys. The cost is astronomical and beyond what Rhonda and Terry can pay. We are asking for your help until an autism waiver program will hopefully be enacted in Frankfort.

The therapy and medical treatment is working. Ben is beginning to learn words and to communicate his wants and needs, but help with his therapy bills is desperately needed for his progress to continue.

We appreciate your continued prayers and ask for any support that you can provide . . . for Ben’s sake.