by Emily Woodruff, The Advocate/TNS | March 4, 2025
“NEW ORLEANS, La. — The diagnoses for Hailey Bowen’s 12-year-old son came one after another.
First, it was severe ADHD. Then autism. Oppositional defiant disorder, marked by persistent defiance and hostility, came next, then evolved into disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, a condition with severe outbursts. Now, obsessive-compulsive disorder is another possible issue.
Despite it all, he recently transitioned from a school for students with disabilities to general education, helped with a Medicaid-funded one-on-one aide. He’s earning good grades and learning to socialize, said Bowen, a landscape architect in New Orleans. She imagines a day when he won’t need the aide, and can use the coping skills he’s learning at school to get a job as an adult.”