TerryJ2
Well-Known Member
Big day yesterday.
I met with-difficult child's teacher. I missed parent/teacher night (I was out of town) so we met one-on-one. difficult child has caught up with-most of his work but she gave me a cpl worksheets to help him. She is giving the kids a 2nd chance on tests at the beginning of the yr, because she wants to make sure the kids really know the material. So she hasn't recorded all of difficult child's grades. His most recent math test was a 71, a C-, but she wasn't alarmed because he's missed so much school. (She didn't ask exactly why he was in the hospital so I figure, don't ask, don't tell ) Still, she sent the test home so he could take it again to see if his score improved.
(He had a fit, yelled that he had already taken it, did not "get" that he was getting a 2nd chance ... it is outside the rules so it makes him upset. Sigh.)
She said she's got a very talkative class and he is a talker, (quite a change from last yr!) but overall, he pays attention in class and answers questions. Yaay!
I told her that he is very literal and that he has a hard time grasping the main points of stories and gets hung up on the details on the last page, for example, and may memorize math problems one by one but not get the concept, so she took note of that. (She said she had several other kids in class who were literal rule followers so difficult child did not stand out in that regard.)
I will not pursue anything else with-her unless I hear otherwise. I did not tell her my ideas about difficult child being an Aspie, since her teaching methods seem to be fine for him.
I also met with-our pediatrician to dovetail info about the psychiatric hospital.
difficult child's official diagnosis was "Mood disorder not otherwise specified, ADHD, ODD."
The pedicatrician thought that was pretty lame--on one hand, the psychiatrist is bold enough to say that difficult child's behavior is deliberate and willful, but on the other hand, gives a garbage bag discharge diagnosis.
I knew we'd hit it off right there! LOL.
Turns out he did his residency at a local pediatrician psychiatric hospital! He was full of info and very chatty and very helpful, at least in the sense that he gave me a psychological and moral boost and was happy to discuss all the issues. (He also mentioned that particular hospital is for severe cases, where the ins has run out, and it's more of a dumping ground. Our hospital was clean and upbeat and just the opposite.)
He agreed that because difficult child is hitting puberty and thus, complicating his issues and confusing a potential diagnosis, but he also agreed with-the hospital psychiatric and our regular therapist that stealing the panties and looking at porn on the computer was a blip on the sexual radar, so we probably won't have to worry about that any more. He (and they) did not think that was indicative of bipolar, unless we see other issues.
Right now, difficult child clearly escalates because of stress and changes in routine and we can see it coming.
The pediatrician mentioned a diagnosis called Intermittent Explosive Disorder (which I've see on this bb) and he said that is definitely not difficult child and I agree.
He asked me why I thought difficult child had Asperger's. He listened very well, and agreed that there was a piece of "something" missing, but would not commit to any diagnosis, of course. He did repeat several times that if difficult child is an Aspie, there is no real test for it and nothing we can really do for it except to continue with-therapy and social training, and I agreed. (I think he's leaning toward that diagnosis, which makes me happy.)
I told him about the neuropsychologist opinion (where the dr saw difficult child darting his eyes around the rm and immediately concluded he was ADHD but not Aspie) and the pediatrician literally scoffed. (Music to my ears.)
He knew the dr and I got the impression he was not impressed, as he said "he's the only game in town" and that I could drive to Richmond if I wanted to reach outside the network.
I wanted to hug him.
We agreed that I would get an updated psychiatric battery done (the one the hospital did was very basic) and I told him I already had plans to see someone who specialized in spectrum disorders. I also have an appointment with-a child psychiatrist and he said to keep trying until I get one who is good because it's not easy.
Obviously, very supportive.
I met with-difficult child's teacher. I missed parent/teacher night (I was out of town) so we met one-on-one. difficult child has caught up with-most of his work but she gave me a cpl worksheets to help him. She is giving the kids a 2nd chance on tests at the beginning of the yr, because she wants to make sure the kids really know the material. So she hasn't recorded all of difficult child's grades. His most recent math test was a 71, a C-, but she wasn't alarmed because he's missed so much school. (She didn't ask exactly why he was in the hospital so I figure, don't ask, don't tell ) Still, she sent the test home so he could take it again to see if his score improved.
(He had a fit, yelled that he had already taken it, did not "get" that he was getting a 2nd chance ... it is outside the rules so it makes him upset. Sigh.)
She said she's got a very talkative class and he is a talker, (quite a change from last yr!) but overall, he pays attention in class and answers questions. Yaay!
I told her that he is very literal and that he has a hard time grasping the main points of stories and gets hung up on the details on the last page, for example, and may memorize math problems one by one but not get the concept, so she took note of that. (She said she had several other kids in class who were literal rule followers so difficult child did not stand out in that regard.)
I will not pursue anything else with-her unless I hear otherwise. I did not tell her my ideas about difficult child being an Aspie, since her teaching methods seem to be fine for him.
I also met with-our pediatrician to dovetail info about the psychiatric hospital.
difficult child's official diagnosis was "Mood disorder not otherwise specified, ADHD, ODD."
The pedicatrician thought that was pretty lame--on one hand, the psychiatrist is bold enough to say that difficult child's behavior is deliberate and willful, but on the other hand, gives a garbage bag discharge diagnosis.
I knew we'd hit it off right there! LOL.
Turns out he did his residency at a local pediatrician psychiatric hospital! He was full of info and very chatty and very helpful, at least in the sense that he gave me a psychological and moral boost and was happy to discuss all the issues. (He also mentioned that particular hospital is for severe cases, where the ins has run out, and it's more of a dumping ground. Our hospital was clean and upbeat and just the opposite.)
He agreed that because difficult child is hitting puberty and thus, complicating his issues and confusing a potential diagnosis, but he also agreed with-the hospital psychiatric and our regular therapist that stealing the panties and looking at porn on the computer was a blip on the sexual radar, so we probably won't have to worry about that any more. He (and they) did not think that was indicative of bipolar, unless we see other issues.
Right now, difficult child clearly escalates because of stress and changes in routine and we can see it coming.
The pediatrician mentioned a diagnosis called Intermittent Explosive Disorder (which I've see on this bb) and he said that is definitely not difficult child and I agree.
He asked me why I thought difficult child had Asperger's. He listened very well, and agreed that there was a piece of "something" missing, but would not commit to any diagnosis, of course. He did repeat several times that if difficult child is an Aspie, there is no real test for it and nothing we can really do for it except to continue with-therapy and social training, and I agreed. (I think he's leaning toward that diagnosis, which makes me happy.)
I told him about the neuropsychologist opinion (where the dr saw difficult child darting his eyes around the rm and immediately concluded he was ADHD but not Aspie) and the pediatrician literally scoffed. (Music to my ears.)
He knew the dr and I got the impression he was not impressed, as he said "he's the only game in town" and that I could drive to Richmond if I wanted to reach outside the network.
I wanted to hug him.
We agreed that I would get an updated psychiatric battery done (the one the hospital did was very basic) and I told him I already had plans to see someone who specialized in spectrum disorders. I also have an appointment with-a child psychiatrist and he said to keep trying until I get one who is good because it's not easy.
Obviously, very supportive.