I'm still processing the information as of right now, and when I have fully formulated everything in my head I will write a longer post.
But - here's the quick version.
Our son does not meet criteria for an autism diagnosis under DSM 5. In fact, he met NO criteria.
I'm in shock. In the best way possible.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Re-Evaluation Jitters
We are finally at the point, just over 7 years post-diagnosis where we feel the time is right for a review of that diagnosis.
Our son has made so much progress over the years - he's grown in so many ways and so many of those things that firmly placed him on the autism spectrum are no longer an issue.
And that's primarily why we are pursuing a new evaluation.
I won't be coy about it though. I don't like psychologists, or developmental pediatricians, or the likes. I find them rude and condescending. I find their bedside manner lacking. I even question some of their worth in the medical field to be honest. This whole process has sent me into an anxious tailspin.
The appt we have this week starts the process. I am thankful they didn't give me a stack of paperwork to complete, where I am forced (for what seems like the 500th time) to relive all of the trauma of parenting a child who was diagnosed with classic autism at 2 years of age. To have to write what he didn't do when he should have. To list the things he still struggles with. To list areas of concern.
At least I am thankful for the recommendation we've received for this provider. We've heard great reports of his practice from multiple families. He's apparently 'biomed-friendly', which is a very big deal to me. I credit our biomedical interventions for returning our son to the state of health where his therapeutic interventions have been able to have an effect.
Why are we re-evaluating though? Isn't autism a 'lifelong neurological condition'? Well, that's the thing. Right now our son has that diagnosis, and whilst I don't dispute there are still some differences, we've been told by many people that they don't feel that autism is the right descriptor for him. And we agree with them.
He struggles with attention and we see some anxiety. We also still see some expressive/receptive language delay, especially with complex instructions, but, our speech and language testing places him on the bell curve in these areas. Academically, honestly, I can say he's not the sharpest tool in the box. He is average. He is better in some areas than others. We are also still working on his visual skills, because, his eyes and their inability to get along and play nicely together have made the whole process of learning to read a struggle, but, we are seeing progress in this area too, and, again, he's on the bell curve.
So, whilst he might not be 'neurotypical', (whatever that means), we are not sure he technically qualifies for an autism diagnosis anymore. If he does, so be it. He will be re-assessed to DSM 5, the newer standard, so it will be good to at least get an update as to where he is. If he no longer meets criteria, then, it's more appropriate to alter his diagnosis to something that is accurate and can help him and our understanding of appropriate interventions.
Just trying to stay calm for whatever we hear...
Our son has made so much progress over the years - he's grown in so many ways and so many of those things that firmly placed him on the autism spectrum are no longer an issue.
And that's primarily why we are pursuing a new evaluation.
I won't be coy about it though. I don't like psychologists, or developmental pediatricians, or the likes. I find them rude and condescending. I find their bedside manner lacking. I even question some of their worth in the medical field to be honest. This whole process has sent me into an anxious tailspin.
The appt we have this week starts the process. I am thankful they didn't give me a stack of paperwork to complete, where I am forced (for what seems like the 500th time) to relive all of the trauma of parenting a child who was diagnosed with classic autism at 2 years of age. To have to write what he didn't do when he should have. To list the things he still struggles with. To list areas of concern.
At least I am thankful for the recommendation we've received for this provider. We've heard great reports of his practice from multiple families. He's apparently 'biomed-friendly', which is a very big deal to me. I credit our biomedical interventions for returning our son to the state of health where his therapeutic interventions have been able to have an effect.
Why are we re-evaluating though? Isn't autism a 'lifelong neurological condition'? Well, that's the thing. Right now our son has that diagnosis, and whilst I don't dispute there are still some differences, we've been told by many people that they don't feel that autism is the right descriptor for him. And we agree with them.
He struggles with attention and we see some anxiety. We also still see some expressive/receptive language delay, especially with complex instructions, but, our speech and language testing places him on the bell curve in these areas. Academically, honestly, I can say he's not the sharpest tool in the box. He is average. He is better in some areas than others. We are also still working on his visual skills, because, his eyes and their inability to get along and play nicely together have made the whole process of learning to read a struggle, but, we are seeing progress in this area too, and, again, he's on the bell curve.
So, whilst he might not be 'neurotypical', (whatever that means), we are not sure he technically qualifies for an autism diagnosis anymore. If he does, so be it. He will be re-assessed to DSM 5, the newer standard, so it will be good to at least get an update as to where he is. If he no longer meets criteria, then, it's more appropriate to alter his diagnosis to something that is accurate and can help him and our understanding of appropriate interventions.
Just trying to stay calm for whatever we hear...
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