My daughter is almost five and was recently diagnosed PDD-NOS. This was her second neuropsych evaluation. The first time around, the psych just said she was just very gifted, but could also benefit from OT (sensory integration). She never received any diagnosis. She was in it for a year, and just recently tested out of it. I've gone through different emotions, but now that I understand the variability of spectrum disorders, it's making more sense to me. When I was first told, I was relieved...that the wondering was finally over and that she could receive services if she needed them. But really, I've been going back and forth on this ever since she was 18 months old...and even when she was an infant I noticed sensory sensitivities, but of course the pediatrician thought it was silly....so it's been a long time worrying, wondering, second-guessing myself, thinking I'm crazy, thinking I'm in denial, looking to strangers to see what their reactions are...and going off of that to determine what's normal/abnormal. In just two days, I have gone from not wanting to seek services via sped, (because she doesn't seem to need them at the moment) to wanting to email the school counselor immediately to tell her of the diagnosis and try to get as much for her as I can. It's been a roller-coaster. It really has. I'm just happy that my husband is now back from Afghanistan and was present for this evaluation, and the results. What's silly is that I taught Sped before I had my daughter...and I feel lost when it comes to taking the first step in revealing her diagnosis. I guess I'll tell the counselor and then the teacher. The funny thing is, she is a tuition kid at a integrated public pre-k program (they are wonderful), so there is a speech teacher and assistant, along with the lead teacher. They had parent-information night, and I asked the speech teacher how she was doing and she said great, that she plays so well with all the kids and they just love her. I decided not to reveal her diagnosis at that moment. When my husband and I went into the library for the book fair, I introduced my husband to the librarian (they all know of him and that he was coming home from Afghanistan) and she said, "She is just so sweet and sociable...and she gets everyone organized for me!" Lol. It's like when her toddler teacher told me one time (after I asked her how she was doing) "Oh she is so great, and VERY verbal...and she knows which cup belongs to whom." Lol.
I don't know. I'm not even sure what services I could get for her. I know there's no way she'd qualify for OT, because she doesn't even qualify for it privately anymore...but wouldn't she qualify for speech, just by default?? I mean, she won't qualify through a regular speech eval....but maybe a pragmatic?? She has trouble with eye contact, and she tends to "follow her own train of thought." She hand-flaps as well...and has always done this, ever since she was an infant. They said the sensory integration would help with that, but it didn't. The neuropsych recommended DRO. She does have conversations back and forth, but this is so variable. In a way, the hand flapping and fleeting eye contact is a blessing, because if it wasn't for those two things, I think she'd go undiagnosed...well, maybe until she's older....
04 Sep 2011, 12:34 am
