MIDDLETOWN, CT (WFSB) -
Children with autism said they are disappointed after being told they won't be able to participate in special programs.
While the nonprofit group in Middletown running the programs was first told they would be getting state assistance, now they're being turned away.
Nate Bentley was all set to start a summer program.
"He's been looking forward to it so much," said Robyn Bentley, Nate's mother. "He's been asking every day when he can start."
But it looks as though Nate won't be going, and he's really unhappy about it.
"There's not much else I can do," he said.
Hanging around in the summer can get pretty boring for a lot of kids.
"It's bad for them not to have structure all the time, and to have no help with their social skills," Robyn Bentley said.
Nate was looking forward to the activities at the Ryan Woods Autism Foundation. The Middletown nonprofit runs summer programs as well as after school programs.
At the organization kids can meet and play with others, and they learn to be more social and go on field trips.
"We work with them one-on-one," said Brenda Wilson, of the Ryan Woods Autism Foundation.
Wilson said she was told by the Department of Social Services on July 6 she had been approved for state assistance, which meant that some parents who couldn't afford to pay for it, would be covered.
But when she filed a claim, she said it was rejected.
"They said it was an administrative error - I'm sorry, we can send you a letter so you can send a letter to your people," Wilson said.
A spokesperson from the DSS said the enrollment request "slipped through" the first part of the system about 10 days ago, but was flagged as a problem when they tried to set up a specific Medicaid payment rate.
The spokesperson said therefore they had no choice but to reverse their initial letter.
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