who should evaluate? - Autism Spectrum Message Board

jean527 · 01-26-2005, 10:27 AM

I am in the process of getting my 18 month old evaluted yet agagin (third time - birth to 3 was here 2 times ( EI ) - they think she is fine, maybe just a speech delay ( I think it's more)

Her ped is going to get back to me with some names - should she be seeing a child psychiatrist? How can they tell in a visit if she has Autism or not? It's going to be hard to get her to concentrate on anything - she loves to go to new places and she will be running all around I'm sure. They don't come to the home like EI did.
What kind of testing can I expect? Her Dr. also said if I really want to go to the best Dr around - he will set it up - BUT he does not take insurance, and the visit is $1500 -
what do you all think?

TIA
Jean

texasmommy · 01-26-2005, 12:17 PM

Jean, I sympothize with you. When my son was that age I knew there was something wrong and went to dr. after dr. including a child psycologist and they all told me I was crazy (in a round about way). I finally got my dx from the school district, but only after insisting on further test and the district pyscologist went and evaluated him at his day care. That is where it became apparent. The only doctor I did not try was a Pediatric Nuerologist which I am looking into now. My son is 5-1/2 and very high functioning.

I hope this helps.

jean527 · 01-26-2005, 12:32 PM

thank you - I feel like a freak or something cause everyone tells me that she is ok - just maybe a language delay - but I think it's more -.

They say that because she is very social ( especially with her family, but also with strangers, has great eye contact, can imitate, pretend play, point in books (finally) , comes to mommy when she is hurt, cries when something is taken from her, flolow simple direction ( this is all taken from her eval ) - etc that she is ok - but it's so damn hard to get her attention - that and the fact that she can hardly talk has me concerned ( can you tell - LOL)

oh, what to do, what to do : )
How did your son get dianosed finally? how does he act ? I'm not familiar with exactly what high functioning means

texasmommy · 01-26-2005, 02:35 PM

my son finally go the dx thru the school district. I had him tested for preschool spec ed. On the first testing they tested for speech and such....he was almost 3. They tested his knowledge of shapes and colors and etc. They told me they did not think he was autistic and needed not further evaluation. I got irrate at this point. How could they tell from what they had done already. I insisted on further testing so on the next session they brought in the district pyscologist. She saw signs but was still sceptical. After talking further with her she decided to go evaluate him at his mothers-day-out class with other kids. It was then that it became most apparent. He mirror played and did not really interact with the other kids.

Mind you I did this after already seeing 3 other private pyscologist and 3 other dx's. The first when he was about 20 months...they told me there was nothing wrong with him and that he was going thru his "terrible 2's". The other 2 dx's came within the next year 1 with pdd/ocd/add, the next with AS. But neither of the last 2 drs that gave me the dx would work with him nor did they give me any direction. By the time I went to the school district i was desparate.

He was accepted in the pre-school spec ed program starting the next fall. He would have been 3-1/2 when starting. This program was 5 days a week and 4 hours a day. At the time I felt it would be way to much for him to handle. But my biggest reason for not putting him in the program is because he was not potty trained and still isn't.

When I say he is high functioning....i mean if you are not around him for any length of time you would never know anything was wrong with him. With the exception of his echolia and a few sensory issues it is really hard to tell.

We work with him alot on the areas he needs help in. He should have started kindergarden this year, but because of the potty thing he still is not in school. I am not worried about him acedemically....he is probably on a 1st grade level. He is trying to read and add, etc. We have workbooks we use almost everyday with him. We have even condisered homeschooling all together.

I am sorry this was so long. I wanted to give you as much info as i could. Let me know if I can answer anymore questions.

Joey'smom · 01-26-2005, 04:11 PM

Jean527 has birth to 3 offered home speech therapy?