We met with the social worker today at our ISD. We were there for a couple hours and my son met with a speech pathologist and a child psychiatrist. For now they are going to certify my ds with speech and language delay and after he's been working with the teachers in school for a while they will then determine if he's on the spectrum or not, even though they said he clearly does have some autistic behaviors. They do their own evaluations regardless of any other dx. I feel good about today. I'm excited for my ds. He will be starting school in about 2 weeks and even riding on a bus! He will be in a classroom with 12 other children, 5 days a week for 2 1/2 hours a day with a teacher and a couple of aides. These people we met with today really seemed to care. My son took a liking to the psychiatrist and he held his hand all the way to our car! He usually tries to pull away from me when I'm holding his hand. Weird huh? I think my ds will love being around the other kids and I can't wait for him to learn to play with them as he is pretty awkward when it comes to playing with others. All in all it went so much better than I expected.I'd like to add that I feel like so much weight has been taken off my shoulders because my ds is going to get help from real professionals, not just myself who is trying to figure how to help based on what I've read on the internet. I also have a six week old baby and I know my ds doesn't get the attention he needs. I can't wait for school to start!
That is great news! I'm celebrating with you, because my ds was also accepted into a preschool program today for high functioning autistic kids, that is like a mix of 8 kids, each paired with a graduate school speech pathologist. It uses the SCERTS method (anyone heard of that?) and focuses on social communication/language skills, etc. I'm excited about it too, and it is also 5 days a week for 2 1/2 hours a day.
It sounds like our boys are similar. The neurologist labeled him "mildly autistic" even though he came out boderline not-autistic on the CARS, and at his speech eval yesterday, it completely shocked me that he came out within normal limits and even had some skills on the level of 4 and 5 year olds (he's almost 3). However, she too saw his deficits, things that aren't exactly tested on the standardized format like "what percentage of what he says conversationally is complete jibberish?" I think it shows more of what he can do, and not what he can't. But anyway, she was the one who recommended the preschool program to me, and we finally have ECI coming out tomorrow too. So I am also excited that we are finally getting somewhere and getting him some help. Though I've also been a bit weepy today at the thought of sending him off to preschool already. I always wanted to stay home with my kids, and quit a great job to do it, so I'm sad to see him go. Really, just thrilled that he will be getting some much needed help though.
I hope Noah enjoys his new preschool too. It looks like they'll be starting about the same time.
Rachel
Wow I never thought of a preschool for autistic children! How did you find out about that were you referred by a dr or specialist? I would like to find that. I think my ds may be pdd-nos though so I don't know if that qualifies. Or maybe they will put him as mild autism. I've seen some children that seem to have less and milder symptoms than my ds be dx'd autistic, and then I've seen those that have more than ds be dx'd pdd-nos. It seems to depend on the specialist and the criteria they use which is kind of confusing. I would love to find a preschool like that though if ds is dx'd at his eval next mth.
Amber
Amber Specialized preschools are for kids age 3 and up.... (Unless other states are different but I thought that was pretty standard) If your son is evaluated and shows delays EI should work with him until he is 3 then he would go into a special ed preschool or a special autism preschool if there is one and if its the most approprate placement for him.Stephanie and Rachel - glad to hear you are getting services for your boy that you are happy with.... Celebrate! Not too many people get that!The preschool my ds will be attending is through our ISD. I contacted them a couple of months ago in tears just asking if I could observe the autistic kids (of course they said no) to see if my ds's behaviors were in fact autistic but in the process they took all my information and made an appointment to evaluate my son and enroll him in their program. They also said regardless of labels and dx HE WILL GET ALL THE HELP HE NEEDS.
I would suggest looking up special eduation in your phone book. Ours referred us to our county's ISD. After my plea to check out their autistic students they passed me on to a social worker who then set me up for appt's and such.
That sounds fantastic. I hear school does wonderful things for ASD kids, just any kind of routine, and structure!
I guess I should consider myself very LUCKY that there is a school near us that is for autistic children!!! I hear so many of you saying how you are on waiting lists and worse that you have to pay for your therapies yourselves. The school Nick goes to starts children at 12 months if they are dx'd by then!!! It's the whole early innervention thing!! I have been told that the doctor who runs the school he goes to trained a teacher who is starting a new preschool in the county we live in it will be a school for autistic children using ABA. To bad my ds is school aged now so he will still have to be bused for an hour a day!!! But atleast the newer dx'd kids around here won't have to travel an hour a day!!
NIta
Awesome nita! That's just great to hear! Thanks Michelle for the info I didn't even think about the age thing for preschools. I was just psyched to even know there was such a thing out there :-)
Amber
Stephanie and Rachel and others
I need to join this little group of moms sending there 3 yo pdd child off to school for the first time! Corbin should start in 2 weeks but is going to be on home bound due to 50+ seizures a day. But soon (hopefully very soon they will stop) and he can return to school, or start school that is. <I also have a 6mos old>
His school is my county's special ed preschool. Most children are on the spectrum but also other disabilities go there too like downs, cp, physical problems ect. I met his teacher a new graduate very patient and highly recommened YAY. (there are some not so good)
Here is the deal on finding them. Go to your states website and look under education and special education. The state will either provide services for a dx child for ages 5-21 or 3-21. Most are 3-21. That means the state must provide need care as prescribe by doctor or outlined in an IEP. BUT say they only offer you speech in the two day a week program and you dont want your child to go. Then you must bring them to just the speech or can refuse altogether. But since they offered that is all that they have to do, they rest you can pay for or not do. Its confusing and legal..lots legalities in it. But they must provide services, try to get a case worker if you can. Dont let them tell you no!! I am even in the process of getting my state ins like medicaid to pay for a chewy for my son (since he likes a passy). Anything is possible! (but can be hard) Wow didnt mean for this to be a go get them with your guns speech sorry!!
Amber Amber - the program I'm enrolling my son in is part of a University. It is a private University preschool but affiliated with a medical center, thank goodness, because that means that I can get insurance coverage. It was recommended to me by the speech pathologist who evaluated my son. I otherwise never would have known about it. I'm sure there are other universities out there with something similar if you have one nearby. It is partly used for research purposes, and training their graduate students, so it's also nice that they are also using the newest research/methods. You could always contact the speech pathology dept. of a local university to ask if they have something along these lines. This particular one is for ages 2 1/2 - 5yrs. My son, like I said is high functioning, which it sounds like yours is too, so my doctor was actually concerned that he may not qualify for the preschool program through our school district. I'm pursuing it still, just in case, but I'm glad to have found this in the meantime. Good luck with your son's evaluation. I know it is a stressful time. Hang in there! Rachel
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