DS "no longer" special needs

mimivan

Thu, Dec 11 2008, 5:05 pm

So we took our 5 year old son, who had serious speech and behavioral issues when he was 3 for a thorough re-evalutation. After 2 years in a special gan, they came to the conclusion that my son is not PDD after all b'h.. Very Happy

The doctor said the reason for his extreme speech delay and inability to understand language by the age of 3 was something they don't have an explanation for. (we got a second opinion. The second opinion agrees)

However they said they want him to finish out the year at the special gan and enter into a mainstreaming program so he can iy'h go to a regular school next year!

Posting this because I am wondering if anyone who has a kid diagnosed with PDD/ADD/ADHD has a feeling that there has been a mistake...or someone who has had a child diagnosed and it turned out to be nothing.

My mother is sending me a book about something called the "Einstein Syndrome" about kids whose symptoms seem alot like PDD or slight autism when they are little but are just bright. (some of the "symptoms" are the same...speech delay, extreme concentration, eerily accurate memory) etc..a person knows it is this and not PDD apparently because kids with the E.S (I wish the would find a better name for it!) eventually grows out of the symptoms whereas kids with PDD make less dramatic improvment.
He for sure has sensory issues...(I.e he touches too hard) but that is the least of my worries.

B'h this is good news.

Last edited by mimivan on Thu, Dec 11 2008, 5:09 pm; edited 1 time in total

Crayon210

Thu, Dec 11 2008, 5:07 pm

That's really wonderful news!

Raisin

Thu, Dec 11 2008, 5:12 pm

wow, bh!

shalhevet

Thu, Dec 11 2008, 5:25 pm

That's wonderful, mimivan.

ShakleeMom

Thu, Dec 11 2008, 5:27 pm

Always better in this direction. What does your mom's instinct tell you ?

mimivan

Thu, Dec 11 2008, 5:36 pm

I had this feeling about a year ago. But the special gan is really great...fun for him, nice friends, emphasis on derech eretz...I taught him reading at home and could see that it was probably a wrong diagnosis...

Now my one worry is that, since he has spent so long in a "sanctuary" how he is going to cope with a real school with real school problems...?

But one step at a time iy'h.

zigi

Thu, Dec 11 2008, 5:38 pm

wow bh! what is pdd.

mimivan

Thu, Dec 11 2008, 5:43 pm

From wiki:

Quote:

PDD-NOS is a diagnosis for people who are well-described by the "PDD" label, but can't be categorized by any other disorder. It is usually milder than autism and has similar symptoms to autism, with some symptoms present, and others absent.[1] The boundaries between PDD-NOS and non-autistic conditions are not fully resolved.[2]

pgk

Thu, Dec 11 2008, 5:51 pm

PDD-NOS = Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified

Pineapple

Thu, Dec 11 2008, 7:07 pm

Great news B"H

GAMZu

Thu, Dec 11 2008, 7:58 pm

that's great! You must be thrilled!

gryp

Thu, Dec 11 2008, 8:02 pm

I'm so glad it's all sorted out, mimivan!
Hatzlacha in getting him into cheder, and everything that comes with it.

LibraMommy

Thu, Dec 11 2008, 8:05 pm

BH!

Mimisinger

Thu, Dec 11 2008, 9:18 pm

Mazal Tov! And, about the going from gan eden into a regular school - just keep a close watch and find a school was a wonderful rebbe or morah that will watch him carefully as well. You might want to ease him into it with a shadow for the first month or two of school?

GetReal

Thu, Dec 11 2008, 9:22 pm

B"H! Great news!

HealthCoach

Thu, Dec 11 2008, 11:54 pm

I'm thrilled for you!

RachelEve14

Fri, Dec 12 2008, 12:44 am

Mimivan, wonderful news!!!!!!!!!!

ChossidMom

Fri, Dec 12 2008, 1:54 am

YAY!!! B"H!

mandksima

Fri, Dec 12 2008, 2:35 am

Mimivan, my son sounds a lot like yours! He has a different backround (preemie) but was put in a spec. ed. class when he was 3 for major delays in speech and OT. He wasn't diagnosed with PDD but that was the closest I could come up with for a self-diagnosis. I didn't care really what he had as long as he was receiving therapy to make up the delays. Communication was very hard for him, perhaps because of speech issues and it often frustrated him to the point of acting out and being violent to other kids. He was marked as "difficult" and that he didn't listen or play nicely with others so he wasn't welcome in the local Jewish school with wide open arms but barely accepted because I worked there. Problem was, at age 5, when the Board of Ed did a re-evaluation, they declassified him because his delays were as bad as before and he wasn't as bad as the rest of the kids that were there. I knew, however, that he still needed therapy and didn't know what to do. That's where we differ- I was sad to see him formally declassified as he wouldn't be eligible and I knew he wasn't ready for a mainstream class. He still needed the attention a small class would give and I knew his behavior would be terrible if a teacher couldn't be on top of him to predict a potential flare-up and stop it before it could escalate.

That was one of the major reasons for making aliyah at that time. I forwarded his evaluations (not the last one that said he was declassified though as I didn't agree with it and it was basically because he didn't fit their cut-offs) and they told me he would qualify for a spec. ed. gan in Israel. He was there 2 years (mostly because he used 1/2 the year to learn Hebrew and needed extra time to catch up and socially, he still wasn't as mature as the older kids.) Now, he is even in a spec. ed. 1st grade, as he was diagnosed with ADHD with the delays still there. He REALLY needs the small class to thrive and although I would love for him to be mainstreamed as soon as possible, he really is where he needs to be and I'm not about to push him. He's K"AH, very smart, has a phenomenal memory (photographic) and is a terrific artist. He's starting to have friends but still basically has one good friend a year and ignores everyone else.

I'm VERY happy for you if you feel he is where he needs to be but I wouldn't let your excitement mar the good judgement of a mother who knows best for her child (vs. the school) so please be careful with the decision as if he is put into mainstream, it is harder to put him back if need be and he would "lose" a year of good education if lost in a regular class.

PM me if you'd like.

mimivan

Fri, Dec 12 2008, 2:50 am

mandiksma: it sounds that your ds is in the right place and he sounds similar to my ds in many way. Yes, if they are happy, they should stay where they are. B'h the gan has a "shadow" program and they will send him out iy'h a few days a week to see how it goes. Then we'll go from there..I am also very nervous about a "typical" mainstream place for him (40 boys, 2 malamedim you get the the picture..and because he is "different" I am afraid he may be vulnerable to bulling chas v shalom) but we will avoid places like that and try to find something that is matim.

b'h we are working with a very good/nice frum psychologist at Maccabi, and he might know of some smaller places for hareidi boys.