I'm not sure how to word this. So PLEASE bare w/ me.
To make a long story short. I have been & still am trying to get my son tested for certain things (Autism, ADHD, etc.) I thought I finally found a doc. that would test him. But I'm not so sure I found the right doc. What do I do? It's to the point, I've actually considered moving to a diff. place just to find a better / diff. doc. that is willing to test my son. ANyhow, there's more to the story. But it would take to long to explain it all.
My son has ADD and I had first went thru a pediatrician and then just recently learned that there is a person that specializes in mental illness and children called a psychologist, I would seek one out! They actually know how to diagnose a child and test them properly.
C.,
My DS (6) has food intolerances whose symptoms looked very similar to Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder.
I first noticed problems when he was 4 and started with my county (Ionia) and the children's services there. I called around and spent a few weeks chasing down leads and eventually he was tested by a woman who works for the county on a state grant. She suggested a couple of allergists to test him for food allergies / intolerances. It turns out he cannot have 7 different foods. Wheat, corn, soy, oats, milk, eggs, and yeast.
We have eliminated those 7 foods from his diet completely and have seen a huge change in his behavior. My son can now sit still (before he was bouncing off the walls), makes better eye contact, can tolerate touching (before I couldn't even hug him without causing pain), loud noises don't bother him as much (before he used to scream when the garbage disposal was turned on), he sleeps much better at night, and interacts better with peers and adults.
I'm not saying all of his problems disappeared. We still had to put him into a special education program (Early Childhood Development Delay) because his food intolerances caused him to be behind other kids his age socially. The preschool program was free and the teacher worked specifically on his social development issues in the class. Now our son is in kindergarten and is doing great. We are still working on sitting still and not interrupting and controlling impulses, but those are normal 6-year-old issues.
I don't know if my story is applicable to your situation, but I hope this helps. I found doctors not willing / able to help me, but the county was a great resource. All of the testing was free and once we knew what our son needed we started making changes. They weren't easy at first, but after a month or two we settled back into a normal routine.
Good luck. Let me know if you have any questions about food intolerances or allergists in the area. I would be happy to help.
There is some great programs in Madison that have shown amazing results. Have you contacted the local autism group? Other parents can be your best resources for docs.
I am learning, cause I am going through the same thing with my 6 year old, that a lot of times it has to be requested by the teacher, and that the school is responsible for setting up the testing, I am learning this through our clinic and they are the ones riding the school, the counsler out her is actually getting ready to go into the school tommorrow. Talk to the teacher and principle and don't back down. That is your son, get your claws out and fight!
We have a son with special needs in the sensory processing disorder and Asperger's Syndrome realm. He has had such struggles in school (both academically and socially) that his IEP team has been great in getting those assessments done free of charge. Are you at odds with your school system? Don't know your long story--but it might help with the advice!
I really think the symptoms for Autism and ADHD can be intertwined, but the diagnosis is harder to find. We found a speech therapist and occupational therapist who specialized in sensory processing disorders and that pinpointed things quickly for us. I don't think psychologists nor psychiatrists have as much training in the autism realm and too many doctors are too quick to slap that ADHD label on kids and toss meds down their throats. For the health and future of your child explore as many avenues as possible!
Finding the right doctor is important, but I would try someone with sensory processing disorder (related to autism) training and go from there. Good luck and please send me a message if you want more info!
C. M
I would start by looking for a developmental pediatrician. They should be able to help you figure out a plan for treatment as well as tell you which other doctors your son should be seen by. The school can be a good resource, but we've had much better luck starting in the private sector (finding our own docs first).
