Evaluation results today

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-27-2005
Evaluation results today
4
Fri, 06-24-2005 - 8:40am

My husband and I have been involved in having our 3yr old boy Steven evaluated. You all know ,The meetings and the theraplay and OT and speech evals and social workers and nursing assesment. We still need an hearing exam but I will get that in the next week or so. I filled out one "test" type paper asking what all he did or did not do, then they had us fill one out that was more detailed. At the last appointment the comment was made that "He is definantly one of ours!". This was a bit scarery. They also stated that although they didnot want to go into detail till the full evaluation(today)they want us to get a medical evaluation so he will have a medical diagnossis. They said then we can get him other services and some financal help.He will be 4yrs old on June 07 they put his speech at 2.5 for now ,which they said was very good. I feel a bit more prepared for what is to come today than my husband is. He insisted last night "He is going to be okay. He is alright. Steve is Daddies buddy and he is fine. He can be a baby as long as he wants to." I love my husband, and he is the best daddy ever. He loves all his children very much,and me too. I am just afraid he wont take the news well,as he is in denial so to speak. I will give you the run down if any are interested, when we get back home and settled.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
Fri, 06-24-2005 - 6:52pm
Good luck to you, whatever the results are. It is so hard on the daddies- my husband was the same way. It is almost as hard to watch you husband go through this as it is to actually hear the Dx.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-27-2005
Fri, 06-24-2005 - 7:26pm
Well, very breifly, they seem to feel he is more Aspergers-like than Autistic;although he does display some Autistic tendancies. What are Asperger symptoms? What is the differance between the two? I really donot know a lot about it, could someone please help me? They want me to get a "medical diagnosis" too,but is Asbergers better or worse, if that makes any sense? Thanks, I am alittle scared. I really do not know alot about this.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 06-24-2005 - 7:59pm

The only real difference between asperger's and autism, it that their isn't a clinically significant delay in language or cognitive skills for kids with aspergers. That means different things to different doctors though. For instance, my dd was language delayed when younger. Her language is now within normal limits on testing but still her lowest area, but her doctor feels she is AS. my son has signfiicant language processing/comprehension issues but also - AS.

Some say that so long as the child had words by 2 and phrases by 3 or 4, regardless of delay and are within normal limits with regards to cognitive (academic) skills, then they are AS. Others say that any language delays or cognitive delays constitute Autism. Some say if they even had communicative intent in early years (before 2 or so) then they are AS. Others believe AS is a milder version more like a non-verbal learning disorder than autism.

But according to the DSM the major difference is no "signficant" delay in language and cognitive skills. Oh is also says no delay in self help skills, but my kids do have delays in self help as do most AS kids. I don't know a single AS kid who learned to tie their shoes, dress themselves, etc at the usual times.

Renee

Renee

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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-27-2005
Sat, 06-25-2005 - 1:52pm
Thank you for your kind replys. I want to learn what ever I can to help him. For any kind of social security or disability will Asbergers qualify him or would he really need an Autistic lable. The school system is encouraging us to look into it, I did not know if any of you might know. I just dispise the idea of "lableing" him with something for some reason.