CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
for autistic support, Ella was in a race
against time.
“To see a developmental pediatri-
cian or see a doctor through the
Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania
could take a year and I didn’t want to
wait.” That’s when Ella began investi-
gating other options.
The Herbases were on an extended
vacation in Michigan this summer
when, during an internet search,
Ella, an educator for the last 12 years,
learned about Solomon’s work in Ann
Arbor. “I came across Dr. Solomon’s
name and I read positive reviews
about him and made an appoint-
ment.”
Solomon confirmed Max’s autism
diagnosis and provided what would
be an invaluable and detailed report.
She described leaving the consult with
Solomon with “knowledge and direc-
tion of what I could do to help Max
as a parent,” adding it also gave her
“power to work with the system [in
Philadelphia] to get him support.”
Ella’s description of how Max inter-
acted with Solomon echoed the senti-
ments of the Muth family from Ohio.
“Dr. Rick is a big kid at heart. A big
teddy bear. That’s the first thing you
notice about him. He was great with
Max and knew how to get to his level.
And when Max would get frustrated,
he knew exactly what to do and what
to say to get him unstuck.”
An autism diagnosis is daunting
enough for parents, without having
to wonder how they are going to pay
for their child’s care. In Michigan,
according to Solomon, “Things have
improved a lot in the last four to five
years because the state passed a law
that requires the insurance compa-
nies to cover one type of interven-
tion called ABA (Applied Behavior
Analysis). Initially, a lot more children
got services, but now there are long
waiting lists for both diagnostics and
treatment.”
Currently, the cost of the PLAY
Project’s early intervention program
varies depending on the number of
home visits. The key factor though is
that the PLAY Project is a PIM (par-
ent-implemented model) and costs a
fraction of ABA therapy.
Solomon looks forward to the day
when private insurers will cover PIM
therapies, including the PLAY Project.
“If we can get the insurance compa-
nies to cover PIM, then many more
children will be helped because [PIM
therapies] are easier to implement
than ABA and can be disseminated
across the state.”
In the meantime, Solomon contin-
ues to work at keep-
ing his PLAY Project cost-effective
and accessible. He also offers a pro-
gram called Teaching PLAY, which,
Solomon says, “teaches teachers how
to engage children with autism using
PLAY Project methods.”
Solomon’s relationship with his
patients and families doesn’t end
when progress begins or a child
reaches a certain age. “My practice is
a bit unusual as I follow the majority
of the children with Autism Spectrum
Disorder (ASD) throughout their
childhood and adolescence until they
graduate high school or leave my
practice because they no longer need
my help.”
It’s easy to see that Solomon’s long-
term commitment to his patients
has a great impact on him personally.
“I suffer with the families and I give
hope to the families, and I love watch-
ing the children as they progress. I
am dedicated to each little human’s
potential.”
It’s that dedication that has paved
the way for the Ben Gretchkos in our
world.
Solomon and his wife, Linda, were
in the audience with Lisa and Steve
to watch Ben deliver his high school
commencement speech on June 4. It
was a proud moment — a rich reward
for this extremely dedicated pediatri-
cian.
“The PLAY Project is a beacon of
hope in a wilderness of despair for
families of children with autism and
for the children themselves,” says
Lisa Gretchko. “I shudder to think
what would have become of our son
and the rest of our family without Dr.
Solomon. His work is the ultimate
tikkun olam because it ‘repairs the
world’ one child and one family at a
time.” •
Dr. Solomon is the author of Autism: The
Potential Within. Learn more about “Dr. Rick”
and the PLAY Project by visiting playproject.
org or calling (734) 997-9088. Ben Gretchko
is now a freshman at Western Michigan
University. See his graduation speech at
bit.ly/2f8HBTu.
25th Annual Celebration
Jewish Senior Life’s Eight Over Eighty
recognizes eight distinguished leaders
in our community, all over the age of 80,
who have demonstrated a lifetime
of dedication to the Jewish value of
Tikkun Olam - Repairing the World.
FOR NOMINATION FORMS
www.jslmi.org/events/eight-over-eighty
or contact
Beth Tryon at 248-592-5026
Btryon@jslmi.org
Nominations will be accepted
through January 7, 2018
SAVE THE DATE
25th Annual Eight Over Eighty Event
Sunday, April 29, 2018
11:30am at Adat Shalom Synagogue
FOR SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION
PLEASE VISIT
www.jslmi.org/events/eight-over-eighty
jn
September 21 • 2017
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