can't get a good dx...new here! =)

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-06-2007
can't get a good dx...new here! =)
4
Tue, 02-06-2007 - 12:20pm

Hi! I am a mother of 3. My youngest son who is 7 has always been an out of sync child. We are frustrated and can't get a clear diagnosis. I feel he does fall on the spectrum somewhere...we just don't know where. We've been told PDD-NOS by our school districts psychologist, ADD from a pediatric Neurologist, His teacher's checklist game back with a high probability for Asperger's, and our pediatrician DX'd him with ADD??? I'm in the process of waiting for our insurance to certify me to take him to a child Psychologist,and I'm hoping he will be able to give us some clarity. He's an extremely bright boy! He's in a regular 1st grade classroom, with an IEP. He can be so loving at times, but does suffer from meltdowns on a regular basis. He has anxiety and attention issues and we are currently treating him for ADD which has helped tremendously at school. He has a memory like I've never quite seen before. Some of the things he remembers make the hair on the back of my neck stand up! =)
He does get fixated on certain subjects, and has some difficulty with peer relationships. He has managed to make a few friends this year and is coming along socially. I'm sorry to ramble, but if anyone has any advice I'd love to hear it.

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 02-06-2007 - 2:36pm


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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-31-2007
Tue, 02-06-2007 - 4:18pm
i'm new here too...well at least i am not alone! my son (3.8 yrs) was dx 3 months ago with pdd-nos and has been receiving a variety of services accordingly. well, i decided during the eval process (and when i knew it was heading toward a dx) i immediately called a developmental pediatrician and a center that specializes in spectrum disorders (just for second and thrid opinions). within the past few weeks, i had my initial intake meetings with both places and i think i am now losing my mind. the pediatrician came right out and said 'i don't know why he wasn't dx asperger's' and the center said that if i had walked in off the street w/o an exisitng dx then they would probably have encouraged me to hold off on an eval. because there was not enough evidence to warrant an eval. at this point(alot of $$$$$/not covered 100% by insurance) and that there was still so much room for development that they would probably get a more definite picture in 6 mos to a year. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, who or what the heck do i believe or go with? technically, even if he is asperger's, chances are his services would not change so then what's in a label???
i have to just keep saying to myself that this area of science is not perfect and there is just no 'blood test'. i feel as though i have been to the three top specicialists in my area and each had something different to say...talk about being confused.
however, at your son's age you would think they would be able to agree on something a little more concrete.
my advice is to perhaps speak to your school SEPTA president and/or consult an educational lawyer. although from an emotional stand point i understand your needing a dx...one and only one to wrap your brain around and accept BUT all of these possible dx ARE SO similiar in general behaviors, etc. that they may be difficult. my biggest concern for you and your child is whether or not the school is providing him w/ the right and appropriate support (i'm a teacher and i know all about ieps). what kind of academic support is he getting? what kind of social support is he getting? one specific dx can have a tremendous impact on his goals, etc.
anne
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Tue, 02-06-2007 - 11:12pm

Welcome to the board.


Sometimes it just takes a while to get a dx that "fits".

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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-06-2007
Wed, 02-07-2007 - 11:44am
Thank you for your responses! I'm so glad I found this board. The mom's I'm friends with just don't get what I'm going through. I finally have an appt. to take my son to a child psychologist. I talked to him last night on the phone, as he makes his own appointments. We chatted for about 20 min about my son. He seems very warm and personable, and I'm really excited. He specializes in children with ASD's, ADD, etc...
We'll see how it goes. I hope after all these years I can finally get a good diagnosis. My son has been in speech therapy, OT,and public preschool for children with disablitities since he was 3 years old. I don't agree with how the school is handling him at this time, but that is another roadblock I will have to face once I can get a clear idea of what's going on with him. I feel like they've stamped a label on his head, and now they've just written him off. He's pulled out for 90 min a day for language arts and math, and the work they have him doing is not challenging him at all. He's able to complete his homework in less than 5 min each afternoon. I've tried to address this with the special ed teacher, but our meetings haven't gone over very well. I'm sorry to vent, just having a low day today. =)