Finding out the "Truth"

amother

Puce

Mon, Feb 08 2016, 4:16 pm

At what age was your child diagnosed? What was the result? Did you suspect anything befor that? Did your family need to make life changes? Did your child need any medication or special services? Did you ever feel like things are better/worse now that you know the truth? I am about to find out the "truth" about my challenging child

amother

Rose

Mon, Feb 08 2016, 4:52 pm

My child was difficult from the day he was born. I took him at 8 to a therapist, because situation was getting worse and worse by the minute. The therapist I went to doesn't like the labels and works on symptoms. We started an intense combination of behavior modification and sensory therapy and I saw results. Took a long time, but his behavior changed slowly. He never became a normal kid, but became manageable at home and was able to stay in school when before he never could.

I knew there was something not right once my child was a toddler and so different than other kids.

I never considered medications as I feel it's a band aid in many cases.

The therapy was a pain with many appointments and was more money than we could afford, we did it anyway as we saw results.

November

Mon, Feb 08 2016, 4:56 pm

You already know most of the truth, OP. Hopefully you will be given tools to help your child with whatever challenges he/she has.

amother

Jetblack

Mon, Feb 08 2016, 5:03 pm

Oy. Getting the official diagnosis is hard. It's useful if you have someone to talk to who has been there before you.

That being said, there really isn't a full truth. My kid had a diagnosis of PDD-NOS at age 3. Yes, the word autism was scary. I talked to lots of other mother's of kids with that diagnosis, and each was different. The path was different depending on what each kid dealt with and how.

Meanwhile, a few years later we added adhd to add more to the picture. He doesn't have an anxiety diagnosis, but it's possible he should, though it follows directly from the autism.

These kids keep evolving. A diagnosis is useful for a guide in determining a path. But ultimately, it's the symptoms that guide you. I have another kid who may or may not have a diagnosis. I'm not getting him one because I know the symptoms and am treating them. I'll go further if I need to, but it will be revealing something we already know.

The major family changes come when you go from not knowing what to do to knowing what to do. You put therapies in, and that changes the schedule. There may be a behavior system that brings change. If the child is recommended a special school, particularly a non jewish one, that's a big change. Your family gets a label- you are a special needs family. But this can be freeing. Theres a reason you have such a hard time.

Also, this actually helped my other kids. It was easier to tolerate their sibling's behavior and other people seeing it when it had a label. Plus, the child getting all the help tends to make things easier on them, either because he gets a little better and/or because he's out of the house for therapies or occupied more at home. Which leads to...

A diagnosis often helps parents feel more comfortable asking for help. So get those chesed girls if it is helpful. Call up and say, "I need help with my adhd/ODD/PDD kid", or whatever, and get the extra pair of hands.

imasinger

Mon, Feb 08 2016, 7:00 pm

Hugs. We are here for you, and will do our best to support you in whatever the diagnostician says is going on.

amother

Puce

Mon, Feb 08 2016, 7:18 pm

Imamother rose where can I find a therapist like that? How did you find yours? To see my dc as a person with strength and not just see the weekness?