[dpeacey]

OK, so I already have one child with SN (DD, 4 yr, C-ACC), so I am not afraid of The World of Disability. I am not opposed to my oldest (DS, 7 yrs) having a diagnosis, but this "undetermined" thing is driving me crazy. I mean, I don't want to treat for mumps when what we have is measles, you know?

This might be a bit long ... I need to vent. To someone who understands. Please.

My oldest has always been 'quirky' and 'headstrong'. The 'difficult' and 'spirited" child -- you know what I mean. I think that most people just put it down to my "bad parenting". At home we can accomodate DS and head a lot of issues off with prevention (ie, preparing for transitions, cutting labels off clothes, etc.).

Well, this year is grade 1, and it has been hell. It is a busy classroom (a 1/2 split) with 2 inexperienced teachers. I get calls ALL THE TIME from the school. DS is refusing to participate in circle time, DS is refusing to go on field trips, DS is refusing to raise his hand, and on and on. Did I mention that the principal is new, too? We have called in PT and OT for an assessment. The PT is fine with DS. OT thinks we have SPD -- but DS refuses to use sensory tools because then he looks different from the other kids. They brought in a psychologist who then "suggests" AS.

I don't think it is AS, I think it is a mild(er) case of SPD, but I agree to take DS to a developmental/behaviorial ped. In the meantime, the school codes him and I agree in order to get services.

We spend 3 hrs. at the d-b-ped. I bring reams of paperwork from the psych, the OT, etc. Then the ped. says, I don't know. Could be AS, SPD, or ADD, or a little of everything. You need to go and get private ($$$$$!) testing.

Geez! Really? That's what you have to offer me????

Besides taking a deep breath and starting to save up for testing, any suggestions?

 

[CarrieMF]

Does the school want the testing? If not & they've already coded him then I'd see if you can get away with not doing the extra testing. What kind of private testing do they want done?

In one of my kids classes last year they brought an OT in for the entire class. They brought in exercise balls for all the kids to use. They were there for a week or 2 & in the end 1 kid kept the exercise ball. A few already had the blue seat cushions before the OT came in. There were a few kids in the class who would be helped with some OT but they brought it in for the entire class so nobody was singled out.

What kind of sensory things do they want to use? My youngest is sensory & the OT suggested headphones, but she wouldn't use them. I suggested to my dd earbugs, but they won't fit in her ears & she didn't want them. In the end we got her to chew gum(it somehow helps kids who are oversensitive to noise). She was also in Grade 1. SHe'd had a teacher change & the class got louder when the new teacher came in. She hasn't used the gum much this year(grade 2, in a 2/3 split)