How do you get a diagnosis?

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-19-2005
How do you get a diagnosis?
11
Wed, 04-30-2008 - 12:50pm
Hello ladies. We apparently don't have developmental peds on our insurance, so I was wondering if there was anyone else who could give us a diagnosis for Gray. We made an appointment for a DAN doctor...first appointment was in NOVEMBER! And it is 300 bucks a session, but we can't NOT try, ya know? I would really like to know exactly what we are dealing with here though. Any suggestions? Any other practitioners that can diagnose ASD?
Photobucket


Photobucket
PhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucket
3 month SD Blinkie
evolutionPhotobucket
Lilypie Breastfeeding TickerPhotobucket
Lilypie 1st Birthday TickerLilypie 4th Birthday Ticker
Photobucket

Pages

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-03-2004
Wed, 04-30-2008 - 1:15pm

Dear Lucinda,

Our son's dx was given him by a neuropsychologist who specializes in diagnosing and works particularly with children on the autistic spectrum. I would look into neuropsychs or psychologists on your plan and see if they have a specialization in diagnosing children on the spectrum.

yours,

Sara

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-28-2006
Wed, 04-30-2008 - 1:21pm

Hi Lucinda,


Since your in Maryland, can you go here?


http://www.kennedykrieger.org/kki_2nd_inside.jsp?pid=1


This hospital is one of the leaders regarding children with Neuro problems.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-27-2007
Wed, 04-30-2008 - 2:22pm
The pediatric neuro dx'd Gabe...but we are going to see the pediatric psych to get a better idea of his dx...and to get some more help from the school....at least I think that is the plan...I have heard wonderful things about kennedy kreiger....there is a lady that i work with that went there...she highly recommened it to me...but our insurance won't cover it....:-(
Jessie Mommy to Gabe (5.8 yrs old ASD, CAS, SPD) and Zane (1.10 yrs old ESD)

Visit my blog

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2005
Wed, 04-30-2008 - 2:44pm

If you're in Maryland, you can also try Children's Hospital in Rockville. That's where my kids got their dx. They met with a team of doctors in the neuropsych dept. Originally we were on the wait list at Kennedy Krieger, but then our insurance changed and wouldn't cover KK (we were on the wait list for nine months). I think Kennedy Krieger would have been awesome, but I was very, very happy with Children's and how thorough they were. Our wait for an appt was about 3-4 months at Children's.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-10-2004
Wed, 04-30-2008 - 7:15pm

Lucinda, I know I briefly gave you info in an email but I highly recommend going to NIH.

Photobucket
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-23-2004
Wed, 04-30-2008 - 8:59pm
Our regular pediatrician did a referral to a child psychiatrist, so the insurance company had no problem with it.


Mollie Photobucket

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-28-2007
Wed, 04-30-2008 - 9:50pm

Well I had Liam see a neuropsychologist AND a developmental Ped at Kennedy Krieger and all we got was the ADHD dx and a lot of "hmmmm, wel he seems adhd, but there are these other issues....."

I do think the neuropsychologist was old school and Liam was on his best behaviour (kwim-no flapping, decent eye contact). The dev ped was VERY young and I suspect followed the recommendation of the older neuropsych (he had referred us to her for a 2nd opinion). What we did get from KK was a through learning and IQ evaluation and a referral to a social skills group at the KKI. We were lucky as I called on a Tuesday and they had a cancellation for the Monday. In fact the intake specialist on teh phone recommended the neuropsych as that dept had a shorter waiting list. We saw him in February '05 and the dev ped the following May.

It was here in GA that we received the ASD dx and it was from the school psychologist; although she is the psychologist in charge of phd interns and basically one of the head honchos too. She also used to work with EI. Cian received his dx from a clinical psychologist that took our insurance, and his own ds has autism too. I believe the key is for the psychologist to have a phd, for various agencies to accept the findings.

Look on your insurance website for clinical psychologists with phd's and who deal with kids. In teh end Liam's dx cost us nothing and Cian's a $50 co-pay. We were lucky that Kennedy Krieger took Aetna HMO in 2005, although in hindsight they really did us no big favours. I think as they are the foremost in the area of ASD's and get so many affected kids the hf kiddos can get sidelined.

Dee

Spring sig 2008



Lilypie 2nd Birthday Ticker
Lilypie 5th Birthday Ticker
Lilypie 6th to 18th TickerMeezsf spring blinky
Avatar for betz67
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 04-30-2008 - 10:13pm

We didn't have to pay for our Dx testing at all. The school district did all the diagnostic testing then the state dept of special needs/autism division sent out a psychologist to do evaluations of Weston and interviews of teachers and both parents. We have since seen the developmental ped (which we had to pay most of and the Dr doesn't accept or file insurance).

Betsy

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-14-2007
Thu, 05-01-2008 - 7:29am

Our Insurance doesn't cover Dev Ped's either, but I learned that because of this, with a referral from my Ped, I could write my Insurance Company and move that the visit be approved....because basically Insurance wasn't convering a necessary visit.


I wrote it and they did.

Meez 3D avatar avatars games
baby


PhotobucketPhotobucket
Photobucket
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-19-2005
Thu, 05-01-2008 - 9:33am
I will call TODAY! Thanks! We must get together. The Dr. we are going to is Dr. Pamela Compart. It is 300 dollars a session with 3 sessions so 900 over all. GULP.
Photobucket


Photobucket
PhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucket
3 month SD Blinkie
evolutionPhotobucket
Lilypie Breastfeeding TickerPhotobucket
Lilypie 1st Birthday TickerLilypie 4th Birthday Ticker
Photobucket

Pages