Well, it's official...

[Trac]

I have been lurking here while we waited for 8 y.o. DS's assessment to happen. In May, he was given a diagnosis of PDD-NOS and SPD. He is "just on" the spectrum, and I'm glad that he's just on rather than just off. We just moved in June, and are trying to figure out what to do next! We have to make a decision about school, and try to get set up with a Speech Pathologist, and whatever else we can find. It all seems sort of overwhelming right now, even though I've been reading lots of books. I guess just one thing at a time. I just wanted to say hi for now...I have lots of questions swirling around...the biggest of which right now is...how do I explain it to DS? What does he need to know, and what's not really important for him to know right now?

[asch8]

Hi,

Welcome, my son who is much younger then your also has pdd-nos and spd among other things. My son is just starting on the journey of pdd-nos and will be going into early childhood this sept. when he turns 3. He already has his iep written up.
I think I would only tell your son what he needs to know enough so he know why he is a little diffrent then his friends but not to much to make him feel that he isnt as "good" as his friends if that makes sence.

[jillmamma]

My DS is a little younger than yours (7.5), and going into second grade in the fall. He also was diagnosed pdd-nos right about when he turned 5. What we have found most helpful for him is occupational therapy once a week, which happens to be covered by insurance (with a $35 per visit copay). He qualifies and gets speech therapy at school, but did not qualify for summer school, so he will start speech again once school starts back up. As far as what he knows, I have not specifically said that there is something different about him, but he has asked if everyone goes to therapy, and I told him no, just people that need a little extra help learning how to do some things like him with writing, sensory stuff, clothes fasteners, etc. He was fine with that explanation. At this point, I don't plan on actually having a specific time in mind to go over all of it, just be open and honest as he has questions, and answer in an age appropriate matter. HTH! Just wondering...does your boy have a particular special interest right now? A lot of kids on the spectrum get a special interest like that, and my boy's now is Star Wars. He pretty much lives, eats, breathes Star Wars, and asks a million questions a day about it, and is always imagining and making noises of lightsaber duels, star ship battles, battle droids shooting, etc.

[Trac]

Thanks for your replies. I wrote a big reply and lost it....I'll try again tomorrow.

[khaoskat]

jillmamma - not sure if the "into things" is a pdd-nos thing or just normal 5 yo behavior.

Ds2 is and has been for a very long time "into" Toy Story, more specifically Buzz. He melts down if he sees something and we wont buy it for or give it to him. It might just be an ages/stages thing, as we have no diagnosis right now, but will hopefully have one for him on 8/19.