The Aikens Family: Hoping for Jaiden’s ESA

“This is a rich person’s diagnosis, and we can’t afford it.”

That’s how Sherika Aikens of Brandon describes her son Jaiden’s autism diagnosis.  

Jaiden has been on the waitlist for a special needs Education Scholarship Account (ESA) for over two years as the family continues to pay over $1,300 per month for his schooling. 

Despite the financial challenge, Sherika and her husband Robin have made the decision to sacrifice whatever is needed to make sure that Jaiden gets the care and education that he needs.

Early Days

Early on, Sherika noticed that Jaiden was not hitting his milestones as a baby.

“He would rock from side to side and hit his head,” she said, “and he would grind his teeth.”

He was diagnosed with a delay, and by age five, Jaiden was diagnosed with autism. By the time Jaiden entered first grade, COVID had hit, and Sherika homeschooled him for the year.

Sherika wanted Jaiden to repeat first grade the following year because she felt he wasn’t ready to go on to second grade.

“He barely made the cutoff for his age,” she said, “he was so young, and I thought that he needed more time because he wasn’t ready. 

“We went back to the public school that year, and they decided to send him on to second grade although I wanted him to repeat first grade,” Sherika said.

By Thanksgiving of that year, Jaiden’s teacher had left.

“He ended up with two new teachers who allowed him to just sit in the classroom,” Sherika said.  “They thought it was a good thing to do to him because that meant he wasn’t disruptive.  They weren’t teaching Jaiden anything.”

Sherika was frustrated with the lack of education her son was receiving at his assigned public school, so she began to look for other options.

A Better Fit

“We found the Canopy School and applied,” Sherika said. “We have loved being there because we have seen so much improvement in Jaiden’s education.  They have found ways to help him grow instead of passing him along like they were doing in the public school.”

Jaiden repeated first grade at Canopy, where he had the opportunity to learn and be successful. Today, he is in the third grade.

While Sherika is pleased with the progress Jaiden is making, his education comes at a steep cost.

“Everything is expensive,” she said.  “We have to pay monthly for his schooling, and Jaiden also has auditory processing disorder, and he needs a microphone for the teacher.  That costs $3,500.  We are in our second year at Canopy, and I applied for the ACE Scholarship when we enrolled, but they told me we made too much money for that.”

An ESA Would Help

Sherika found out about the ESA from Canopy. The scholarship offers families a little over $7,000 per year, which can be used for tuition, therapy, tutoring, and other educational expenses.

“I was excited because it was something that would help us pay for Jaiden’s school, which is just one of his many expenses.”

Sherika’s excitement quickly faded when she applied and was placed on the waitlist for the ESA.  Now, in their second year on the list, Sherika is frustrated.

“I don’t understand why we have to wait.  We’ve been waiting a long time.  It’s not right.”

Like most families of children with special needs, the Aikens have had to prioritize expenses for the family.  Both of their children love the arts, but that is not in the budget right now.

“Jaiden was taking drum lessons, and our daughter was taking ballet, but we have had to cut both of those out because we just can’t afford it,” Sherika said.

It’s unfortunate, she noted, because Jaiden enjoyed his lessons and was doing very well.

“The burdens our family has felt have been a lot,” said Sherika, “Getting an ESA would be huge for us.  We are trying to give Jaiden the best option he needs, but the public school is not equipped for kids with autism.”

In addition to caring for her son, Sherika is also caring for her elderly aunt and grandmother in the family’s small apartment in Brandon.

“It’s a lot,” she said, “but I know everything happens for a reason. Having an ESA would mean that was less money we would have to pay for Jaiden which might mean we could afford to buy a house with a little more room for our family.”

While the expenses are great, the results for Jaiden are greater. Sherika knows they will continue to sacrifice to help Jaiden get an education that is right for him.

“It’s my hope that he will never stop learning and that he will be able to have a job one day,” she said, “but the worries as a mom are great.  I’m terrified of the ‘what ifs’, but an ESA would help take away a few of those worries.”

Click here to learn more about the ESA waitlist.