Minnesota | Autism PDD

I know there are several members from Minnesota, so hopefully they'll see your question. You can always try searching here and calling around:

www.autismsource.org

P.S. I'm originally from Minnesota but I live in Norway.

I lived in Minnesota (southern suburbs of St. Paul) for 8 years, and during that time, our son was diagnosed with autism. Starting at the age of 2 (which is when we decided that something was going on with him), we received services through our school district's Early Childhood Special Education Department (we were in South Washington County School District in Cottage Grove). While I don't believe they can officially diagnose your son, they can come out, evaluate him, and if they find need, they will start providing services in-home (speech, OT, PT --- whatever they determine he needs). My son received speech and OT two times a week. You can also get a caseworker through your county to help coordinate social services that may be available to you. Once your son turns three, he can go into the early childhood special ed preschool.

We did not take our son for a medical diagnosis until the age of 4, when a pediatric neurologist dx'ed him as "suspected PDD". One year later, we had a multi-disciplinary two-day evaluation done at Children's Hospital Minneapolis where the final dx of Autism was given (I think it took a month or two to get into Children's...definitely not a YEAR). But again, he does not have to have a medical dx to get services from your school district, and trust me when I say the EARLIER you start intervention (therapy), the better.

Definitely call your school district. Good luck! :)

Disney Girl39338.3634722222

I would check with your insurance - I was told that out of pocket was 00 I found a private ped neropychologist that was covered ( perferred one ) and the wait was only a few months. But I have for it all very hard to navagate DR. DR.DR. PM me for more info .

Kris DD 7-7-05 pdd-nos DD 7-12-07 nt?

We got an evaluation from here: http://www.fraser.org/ It is in Minneapolis near University Ave and 280. We put our name on the list in early June and had the eval in October.
Here is another: http://stdavids.net/main.html They are in Minnetonka
And in Eden Prairie: http://www.parknicollet.com/alexandercenter/

Good luck! I remember the waiting period as being one of the hardest in our lives - hoping for an answer to explain things, yet fearful of what a positive diagnosis would mean for our DS. Do you live anywhere near the west side of the twin cities?

Joanna

Im in australia so im not sure how it works there when kane was suspected with autism we were told it was an 18 month wait to get a dx or we did it privatly paid 0 for each dx one was with a pedetrition and the other with a phycoligist

i think its not fair on our kids that they have to wait every day is so important with the aba while there so young.

(sorry bout my spelling LOL!)

Hello,

My wife & I are concerned our 23 month old has autism. We've seen his pediatrician and gone to a center where they can provide him speech & o.t. We need to get an autism diagnosis though too. The U of M Autism Center says they have a waiting period of 8 months to 1 year. We can't wait that long! Does anyone know of a good place in the Twin Cities to get tested that doesn't take as long!! Help!!!