Outrageous waiting list

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Is there anything that I can or should do to try to get my 16 month old son in for his diagnostic assessment sooner? He's currently scheduled for June (he'll be 2 in July). We started the process of getting him on the waiting list this past August, so that will be an 11 month wait! The early intervention people (he's in speech and OT and has a special ed teacher) keep telling me that even with a diagnosis he would just be referred to them to receive the exact same treatment until he's 2. However, they're also telling me that the very best treatment our region has to offer him at age 2 (a special school) only has FIVE places available for early intervention kids and that we have to act now if we want to try to get him in there. They said that the other special schools are not very good and that he would be better off to just continue receiving home based therapy instead. I don't feel like he's getting enough hours of therapy this way, and I'm not seeing very much progress with it. They said that he has a better chance of getting in with a diagnosis. So, on one hand they're telling me that it's pointless to rush the diagnostic process, but on the other they're telling me that it could help him get into this school, which will be the best thing for him. (other parents have also recommended it to me) His service coordinator told me that there's a new doctor in the area that is technically qualified to give him a diagnosis, but she doesn't like them for some reason so I'm having a difficult time getting any information from her about it.

I just don't know what I'm "supposed" to be doing. I feel this sense of urgency to get him better/more therapy while he's young, but the early intervention people are so casual and relaxed about it. I just don't understand that. I don't even know if there's anything that I can even do anyway.

Can you apply to the good early intervention school pre-diagnosis? Get the app sheet and attach a letter referencing the diagnostic test date plus assessments made by the therapists. Can't hurt and it may get you a place in the school queue.

We can apply without a diagnosis, and I will try. His service coordinator made it sound like it's a real long shot though.

Would your pediatrican be able to invervene and get the appointment pushed forward?

His pediatrician is pretty clueless and unhelpful. She didn't even tell us about early intervention. Unfortunately, she's one of the best in the region, and my sons service coordinator recommended that we stay with her. Early intervention intervened and got us the date in June. If we had stayed with the date that his pediatrician had gotten us, it would have been even further out.

I was reading about our area's autism services on a local area forum, and people were saying things like "we have the best services available in the country". I have NO idea what they're talking about. I search and search and the most I can find for my son is six hours per MONTH of early intervention therapy. When I ask them where all of these services are, they send me in circles that all lead back to the early intervention program.

Can't you at least ask?

I did, they chuckled and told me it would take them a year from today.

However, she was able to give me the information that his service coordinator was with holding about that *other* place that could possibly do it. On the contrary, this person said that they're great and she had only positive things to say about them. So I'll give them a call now.