[3_opihi]

So dd's psychologist is doing one of the hyperbaric studies on autism. Don't ask me what it's all about - I have no idea. Anyway, dd is too young to get in on the study (she's only two), BUT our psych wants to practice the evals on a few ASC children before she jumps head on into the study. These evaluations will be full on with two doctors for a number of hours. And, we're getting them at a significant discount. Meaning, instead of thousands of dollars, it will only cost us $14 dollars an hour.<br><br>
I have to admit, I've been secretely hoping a little bit that her pdd-nos diagnosis is wrong and that after all the therapy we'll come to find out she's just a little different, or has a processing disorder or something.. Even though I know she's pretty solidly ASC, it still always sits there in the back of my mind that maybe, somehow, someone was wrong and she's not...actually. Silly thinking, but I'm sure you can all relate. So yesterday at dd's appt. after the doctor talked to me about the study, I asked her once again - so this means you definitely think she's really ASC? And she said, yes, no question.<br><br>
I'm hoping that this evaluation will be what we all need (especially dh) to really start getting it firmly planted in our heads that yes, she IS really autistic. If that makes sense. I'm not sure it does - I'm just sort of rambling here. Also, I'm hoping that we will be able to give the results to our horribly incompetant school district.

 

[mamaverdi]

What all do these $14/hour doctors look at? Do they look at metabolic disease? Do they look at "other" factors that could be appear to be ASD or cause ASD?<br><br>
It sounds interesting and promising.

 

[Individuation]

I'm really not trying to slander the mentally ill here... but I'd think long and hard before hoping someone had a personality disorder instead of an ASC. We have both running through my family (autistics, bipolars and borderlines) and the autistics tend to have ended up happier and more stable as adults, if demonstrably "weirder."

 

[3_opihi]

LOL, Individuation - I said "processing" disorder. We think our dd has something called "central auditory processing disorder", but they can't do the testing until she's six or seven, though her audiologist has noted that she probably does have it. Anyway, there is a chance that this is what could be causing the delays in her receptive and expressive speech, mimicking the sypmtoms of autism. But it's sort of doubtful. Most likely she has both.<br><br>
Yeah, no offense against personality disorders, but DEFINITELY hoping she doesn't have that! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/redface.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Embarrassment">

 

[3_opihi]

Mamaverdi - they don't look at metabolic issues, I don't think. At least not for dd. The hyperbaric people might look at that in the study - I really have no idea. Her evaluations will be done with two doctors - both psychologists, actually one might be a psychiatrist. First we will go through a huge comprehensive questionairre and then they will observe her for a few hours in different settings - play, interaction, ect. I'm not sure what all it will entail yet. I'm sure it's similar to other big "autism evals" people on this board have done, but because of where we live we don't usually have access to them.

 

[mamaverdi]

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/bag.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Bag">: sorry I read DR and thought MD

 

[3_opihi]

Oh no worries! I wish we had someone who could look at those issues. It's still in my mind, for sure!

 

[feebeeglee]

I'm sure you know Bede just had his last week. It was nice to know. We're still, um, processing, <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> it ourselves.<br><br>
(tangent)<br><br>
We have a family tree that is rife, RIFE I tell you, with bipolar folk. I have 3 close adult relatives who are taking lithium right now, frinstance. I've read somewhere that bipolar is very very common in the families of autistics.<br><br>
(end tangent)

 

[3_opihi]

Oh, yes, for sure, Pheobe. My mom took lithium and zoloft for years, believing she was bipolar, until they just recently figured out she was actually autistic. It's funny because as long as I've known her, I've never seen her have a manic or depressive episode so we could never figure out why they thought she was. Anyway, they are both neurological disorders, so it would make sense that they tend to run in families together.