Back from our evaluation Officially: We don't know what's going on. Let's evaluate again in 6 months. Unofficially: She's so close to the spectrum. We can give you the diagnosis if you need it. Can I just say this did not go AT ALL how I was expecting. The special instructor did all of the work. We saw the developmental pediatrician for MAYBE 15 minutes. DH and I left thinking "what just happened?" The special instructor called us into a room with toys and a desk. She sat Isabella down at the desk. Isabella was very resistant to all of it. She was reaching up, saying "up, up." The special instructor ignored her requests put a picture book in front of her. She asked where a few objects were on the page. Isabella pointed to most of them correctly but didn't look at the instructor once. She wouldn't comply with any other tasks and started crying. The instructor let her get up. She went over to a big flower in the room and started spinning it. She ignored her name when the instructor called it, so the instructor started shaking a loud bell. Isabella ignored that too. She had her hearing checked 2 months ago. It's fine. Then Isabella brought a bag of toys to the instructor. The instructor just put them down and started asking us questions about her behavior at home. Shd did the CARS test. Isabella got a 29. The instructor left to get the dev. ped. They spoke in the hall for about 5 minutes. He came in and said, "we don't know what's going on." I asked about an MRI or anything else diagnostic. He said he doesn't deal with that so we should ask our reg. ped. about it. He said she has a speech/language disorder and some "autistic characteristics." He's "concerned." He can give us the diagnosis now if we need it. Our insurance doesn't cover any other services for children with a diagnosis. I already looked into it. So I said maybe we should wait? He excused himself and said he'd be back. The nurse came in and give us a booklet on autism. She discussed ABA and said maybe we should do it. I asked to see the dev. ped. again and she said he left for the day.  I asked about the possibility of PDD-NOS. She said they don't diagnose that anymore. It's either ASD or not. Now we're home. Isabella is sleeping. My head is spinning. What IS going on with Isabella? What happened today?!?! I'm sorry you had a rough evaluation and day. Really I think I would look for someone else, for a second opinion. For the developmental pediatrician to only spend 15 minutes with you is ridiculous. [QUOTE=milagro32]that sound like a fast food eval im reading it an am confused .i get a second oppion but just from how she was acting it sound lkike she on the spectrum .an you no kids dont all ways perform well for sstranger eathir tOfficially: We don't know what's going on. Let's evaluate again in 6 months. Unofficially: She's so close to the spectrum. We can give you the diagnosis if you need it. Can I just say this did not go AT ALL how I was expecting. The special instructor did all of the work. We saw the developmental pediatrician for MAYBE 15 minutes. DH and I left thinking "what just happened?" The special instructor called us into a room with toys and a desk. She sat Isabella down at the desk. Isabella was very resistant to all of it. She was reaching up, saying "up, up." The special instructor ignored her requests put a picture book in front of her. She asked where a few objects were on the page. Isabella pointed to most of them correctly but didn't look at the instructor once. She wouldn't comply with any other tasks and started crying. The instructor let her get up. She went over to a big flower in the room and started spinning it. She ignored her name when the instructor called it, so the instructor started shaking a loud bell. Isabella ignored that too. She had her hearing checked 2 months ago. It's fine. Then Isabella brought a bag of toys to the instructor. The instructor just put them down and started asking us questions about her behavior at home. Shd did the CARS test. Isabella got a 29. The instructor left to get the dev. ped. They spoke in the hall for about 5 minutes. He came in and said, "we don't know what's going on." I asked about an MRI or anything else diagnostic. He said he doesn't deal with that so we should ask our reg. ped. about it. He said she has a speech/language disorder and some "autistic characteristics." He's "concerned." He can give us the diagnosis now if we need it. Our insurance doesn't cover any other services for children with a diagnosis. I already looked into it. So I said maybe we should wait? He excused himself and said he'd be back. The nurse came in and give us a booklet on autism. She discussed ABA and said maybe we should do it. I asked to see the dev. ped. again and she said he left for the day.  I asked about the possibility of PDD-NOS. She said they don't diagnose that anymore. It's either ASD or not. Now we're home. Isabella is sleeping. My head is spinning. What IS going on with Isabella? What happened today?!?! [/QUOTE] Time to seek out a pediatric neurologist and call your early intervention agency in your town to get their evals. Sorry about your experience.  I LOVE my son's developmental pediatrician.   Thanks for your responses. Isabella already receives OT and ST through EI. I have a call into our pediatrician to discuss seeing a neurologist. Still just reeling though. Just reeling over this big, fat non-answer. im sorry you didnt get the answers you were looking for. I didnt know they stopped Dxing PDD/NOS. I would see a neurologist and have her tested through them. Thats who did our MRI, Genetic testing and EEG. I wish you luck and sorry it didnt go well... I would have been thinking the same thing. I do want to point out my son was 22months when we ask for an eval. The dr wanted 6mo of therapy and seen him again! At that time she said Yes he has Classic Autism, Hes more severe than PDD. I think sometimes they just want to be sure its not delays. I agree that the Dev Ped should have spent more time with you.  Your evaluation sounds like it was basically the same as ours, except that ours was conducted by the DP and she (the DP) was more willing to spend the extra time to answer our questions.  The "bag of toys" part is a legitimate test.  Between my two boys, I've now seen 8 of these evaluations and I can affirm that you can learn a lot about the kids by how they interact with the toys and the people giving the test. The part about the doctor not diagnosing PDD-NOS anymore is annoying because it's a legitimate diagnosis under the DSM (and it would give you some resolution).  Your questions about the MRI etc. are fair, but you should recognize that ASD is really a subjective diagnosis.  MRIs and blood tests etc. can be used to rule out other issues, but do not prove that a child has autism. Let's not lose sight of what is probably your real concern:  how do you help your DD?  The main thing you must do is find out what services are available in your community.  Have you contacted your state early intervention program?  Have you started speech therapy?  Are there ABA providers in your area? If I were in your position, I would probably ask the DP for the autism diagnosis, and also get a prescription (or other paperwork) for speech therapy.  Your insurance might cover the ST and you should get it going right now.  You can pocket the autism diagnosis and use it as evidence when you're talking to service providers. Contact your state EI program and investigate whether they will fund ABA or provide other services.  When your DD turns 3 the services will be provided by your school district, not the EI program, and you should acquaint yourself with the school district's special ed program (yes, special ed - it is hard to acknowledge but that's the way it is). If you can't find anyone to fund an ABA program, you should consider other avenues.  You can pay for the therapy (expensive), do it yourself (time consuming) or use the resources on this board to implement some ABA techniques at home. I'm a big proponent of ABA because I've seen its benefits first hand with my boys.  There are other therapies and I'm sure others here will speak up.  I want to stress again that kids can make HUGE improvement given therapy and time.  The fact that your developmental ped only spent a few moments with you for an initial eval is very distressing, really.  My son's initial eval was about 2 hours long, and 45 minutes of that time was spent exclusively with the pediatrician.  He asked me a million questions and tested my son as well. When I went back a year later for a followup, it was not as long, but the pediatrician was just as concerned, caring, and again tested my son and again asked all the right questions.  He also told me to make sure to make another appointment before school ends and our next CSE meeting so he can do a report and make his recommendations for next year, as he knows how schools can be a PITA to give services. He is a fantastic guy, and although it took nearly a year to get the initial appointment, it was well worth the wait. Ask around with other parents in similar situations.  Maybe they can recommend someone better.   Sorry to hear about your appointment. I went through that for two years with Lee. My doctor kept telling me that basically he didn't talk because I babied him too much! All I wanted to hear was that someone else was concerned other than me. I'm not sure where you live, but when we were in NC, there is a service provided by the state where they come to your home to evaluate so the child is more comfortable, and will even do all of the necessary therapies at your house. I believe services were completely free until the age of four and I know several states have the same program. I never officially got a diagnosis for Lee until I took him to a neurophysiologist, and they focused more on his mannerisms and demeanor than all of the other things.  I can understand what you went through though. He got ran through basically a circuit of tasks for an evaluation once in a room with 15 other children running around, toys everywhere he couldn't touch, and a bunch of strangers trying to talk to him. He was mortified!  Get another opinion and another if it takes it! Early intervention! I wish I had pushed harder. Good luck and don't give up! For some reason, it seems to take a lot of work to get the process going sometimes! Well the fact that she received a 29 on the CARS test says she has autism. The behaviors you described sound like autism as well. They just were not very direct with you, and they should have been. If you need an official diagnosis to apply for medicaid etc then call and tell them you want the diagnosis. If it wont change anything then don't put it on paper but know in your heart what you are dealing with. It will help you find peace more quickly. I am sorry you had such a hard time of it. I'm chiming back in again since her CARS score is 29. They would give her the PDD diagnosis. My son was given this by a developmental pediatrician and his score was 31 almost 32. Thanks for your feedback. DH and I were talking more tonight. We just don't understand why they had to be so rude. The dev. ped. said he was coming right back and then just left for the day. It's like they hand out the possible diagnosis like it's candy and send  you on your way. Where's the bedside manner? Will it always be like this when dealing with autism?
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