Officially Autistic

[JJJ]

Tigger is now officially autistic.

The school was doing his triennial evaluation and we had an outside clinic do the autism testing.

Outside clinic: Autism and ADHD-Hyper/Impulsive

Occupational Therapist (OT): significant sensory issues

Pysch: normal IQ and very low academic skills

Teacher: low academic skills

Speech: screening showed language and articulation problems, full results n/a yet

Tigger is going to stay in his current placement. We are just hoping that the team will be able to design a strong program and goals for him so that one day he can return to a less restrictive environment.

Tig is still being treated for early onset bipolar and has been referred to the pediatric neurologist (again) for more testing.

As I told my mother in law, none of this changes who Tigger is. It just hopefully gives us a roadmap to a better future.

 

[JJJ]

On a good note -- his expressive language tested as equal to a 22 year old - LOL! Course his receptive language is at a 4-year old level - go figure.

 

[gcvmom]

So he'll make a GREAT speech writer! Right?

Like you said, at least you have the roadmap now. That's all any of us can hope for with these evaluations. They don't fix things, they just tell you in which direction to start off.

 

[TerryJ2]

Yes, the roadmap. Very good.

Had to chuckle about the diff between expressive and receptive language!

 

[Alttlgabby]

Although it is disheartening to get any kind of diagnosis telling you that your child is not like other children, at least you know so that you know where to go from there. I would rather know than not know! Good luck!

 

[Marguerite]

Don't let it get you down - this can give you some useful tools to help him function better and find ways around the various problems, especially the complex language issues.

The huge disparity between receptive and expressive language - I would get a Speech pathologist to do a detailed study. What you want is not just the "is he within normal levels" test, but the specific study of exactly where he is, within the various ranges. From the information gained, you can find tools to help him learn more effectively, and to perform in areas he currently is struggling with.

It's what we've jsut done in the last year, with difficult child 3. A process we're still going through, in some ways.

Marg

 

[JJJ]

Yes, it does explain why he talks so much and listens so little.

They had originally declined to have the speech path evaluate but now that these results have come back the speech-path is evaluating him this week in anticipation of our meeting on Monday.