Physiatrist? (not psychiatrist) | Autism PDD
Yes, we take Payne to a ped psychiatrist who also was a pediatrician. I live by what he says...he has changed our lives ... you have to find one that you agree with. I interviewed him before I took Payne. I interviewed another one in our area too...he will NEVER under any circumstances be Payne's dr! Awful man!
Are they suggesting a psychiatrist because they think she needs some sort of meds? Mason sees a psychiatrist, but it's because he needs meds and a psychiatirst can prescribe meds, psychologists can't. Your dd seems a little young to have to be considering meds, but I don't know all the details. What was the PT's reasoning for seeing one? If she is suggesting you see someone to get an official dx, a child psychologist or dev. pediatrician is probably a better choice. And I agree with Payne's Mom--you will probably have to see a few before you find one you are completely comfortable with. But our psychiatrist has been very helpful in helping us understand Mason's moods and helping us find the right meds and pointing us in the right direction as far as therapies that might be beneficial and even suggestions for the school. Mason has recently been dx'd with bipolar also, but we found her and she is very knowlegable in bipolar and autism, although she is not the one who dx'd him with autism.
Hope that helps.
Sorry for any confusion.....its not a psychologist she recommends....its a physiatrist. (fis-eye-a-trist). I had never heard of such a doctor before, thats why I was asking if anyone knew more about them. Apparently they specialize in neuro-motor development. As far as we know, there's no need for meds for dd....her ASD is mild and she isnt seeming to have any major behavior issues.What Is a Physiatrist?
A physiatrist (fizz ee at' trist) is a physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Physiatrists treat a wide range of problems from sore shoulders to spinal cord injuries. They see patients in all age groups and treat problems that touch upon all the major systems in the body. These specialists focus on restoring function to people.
To become a physiatrist, individuals must successfully complete four years of graduate medical education and four additional years of postdoctoral residency training. Residency training includes one year spent developing fundamental clinical skills and three additional years of training in the full scope of the specialty.
There are 79 accredited residency programs in physical medicine and rehabilitation in the United States. Many physiatrists choose to pursue additional advanced degrees (MS, PhD) or complete fellowship training in a specific area of the specialty. Fellowships are available for specialized study in such areas as musculoskeletal rehabilitation, pediatrics, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and sports medicine.
To become board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation, physiatrists are required to pass both a written and oral examination administered by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPM&R). The ABPM&R also has agreements with each of the boards of pediatrics, internal medicine, and neurology to allow special training programs leading to certification in both specialties.
Physiatrists treat acute and chronic pain and musculoskeletal disorders. They may see a person who lifts a heavy object at work and experiences back pain, a basketball player who sprains an ankle and needs rehabilitation to play again, or a knitter who has carpal tunnel syndrome. Physiatrists' patients include people with arthritis, tendonitis, any kind of back pain, and work- or sports-related injuries.
Physiatrists also treat serious disorders of the musculoskeletal system that result in severe functional limitations. They would treat a baby with a birth defect, someone in a bad car accident, or an elderly person with a broken hip. Physiatrists coordinate the long-term rehabilitation process for patients with spinal cord injuries, cancer, stroke or other neurological disorders, brain injuries, amputations, and multiple sclerosis.
Physiatrists practice in rehabilitation centers, hospitals, and in private offices. They often have broad practices, but some concentrate on one area such as pediatrics, sports medicine, geriatric medicine, brain injury, or many other special interests.
Oops, I read that as psychiatrist too, sorry. I have never heard of a physiatrist. Hope someone has some answers for you!Sorry, we haven't needed one. I am so used to people mis-spelling psychiatrist that I figured that is what you were getting at.
The new school we moved to is doing all their evals on her to see if she qualifys for services....the PT told me dd does not qualify. She is 35 months old and on the Peabody test she is coming up 21-25 months. She would need to be 17 months on that test to qualify for school services. While I am glad she is doing relatively well, I am concerned bc she is in a classroom full of 3yr olds, most 4yrs old. She is still 2 yrs old, almost 3. I have seen what these kids are running around doing physically, and they run and jump no problem. Dd can't even jump yet. She cant play on playground equipment, she trips and falls all the time, and cant walk up an d down stairs unassisted. I feel like she is being looked over. Its so frustrating that it seems our only option is to pay for private PT which we cant afford. We are barely paying for the speech therapy. Ins covers nothing. Thank goodness for my parents offering to help with the speech. Agh.
Anyway about the physiatrist...the PT at the school recommended we have her see a physiatrist. Has anyone ever gone to one? Is it worth it? Thanks for reading and thanks for letting me vent.
I don't know if our doc was a physiatrist, but we saw a doc at Mayo who specialized in physical medicine and rehabilitation and he was the one who had to refer us to OT and PT. He coded ds as "lack of coordination" for insurance purposes so they would pay for PT and OT. He said if he had put anything about autism, the insurance wouldn't cover it.
Anyway, I don't know what state you live in, but some have waiver programs availalbe to get insurance for kids with disabilities. TEFRA is what our state has - and although the paperwork is daunting, you can get lots of benefits that would be otherwise unavailable (they will pay for ABA here apparently).
I so highly recommend PT - my son has made incredible progress because of two years of it. He couldn't pedal AT ALL when he was about 4 1/4. This summer, right before he turned 6 - he took his training wheels off his bike and rode it all over. He also does tricks on his scooter. These are things I would never have envisioned two years ago.
Also, if you can find a place to work with him - tumbling was also a lifesaver for us. We did one-on-one instruction for about 6-8 weeks so that ds learned the routine and then integrated him into a class. The teacher was awesome and ds got so much more confident because of it!
I hope this works out for you - it is so frustrating when your child misses the cut-off. My ds missed the OT cut-off last year by one point at our old school district. I could have appealed it, but the OT was in his class anyway and assured me that she would still give him assistance and she was still able to be on his IEP as "indirect services". And, I knew we were moving this year - and they are already assessing ds for OT and we are hopeful that he'll qualify here.
The earlier you get help the better. I think it's criminal that they aren't providing her services when she is 3 and can't jump or walk up/down stairs unassisted!
Hi! I have taken my dd to see a physiatrist. The CPSE actually required her to see one as part of the evaulation. She worked at a rehabilitation center. She did an examination and then she reviewed the OT and PT reports to determine whether my dd could function in school. She had been receiving PT since she was 18 months old and now she is almost 4. She basically had vestibular and proprioceptive issues, and muscular weakness.Her exam consisted of taking a history, examining her joints, feet, arms, back, and observing run, walk, climb, and catch a ball.
We were denied services because the physiatrist recommended that services be terminated because her weaknesses didnt interfere with her education although her Peabody scores were on the low end. She has trouble with stairs and trips as well. Her right foot tends to drag a bit which causes her to trip. She used to have trouble with playground equipment but has come a long way. Last year at this time she definitely was still having trouble.
Her stationary score was about 9%, her locomotion was 16% and her objection manipulation was 25%.
One thing that can be considered is whether it effects her psychological experience at school...if she unable to participate in certain activities with the class because of psychological issues related to the physical.... for example - she refuses or is scared to go to the playground, etc.
hope this helps.. keep us posted!!!
Bumping for this !!! CURIOUS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT a PHYSIATRIST !!!
Learn something new everyday!
Concernedpa.
In these parts they are called Pediatric Physical Medicine and Rehab specialists, and YES, ours is TERRIFIC!
... but we do not see him for autism issues.
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