Hello there...it's been a while, hasn't it? Let's catch up, shall we...
I left off telling you that we had an appointment for D to be tested by a child psychologist. The goal was to see if he fell on the Spectrum. I was present for the testing, and as I suspected, he did very well. This is typical of D - he does fantastic with one on one attention. Actually, both the psychologist and I chuckled out loud when D was asked to describe a few items. The first one he was asked to describe was a "cup". And his explanation was this:
"A cup is a round cylinder that is open on one end. You pour water (pause), or some other liquid (pause), into it to drink" {insert hand motions throughout}.
Kindergarten class get ready...
Here is what 3 hours of testing yielded -
D was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder, or PDD. The testing that specifically looked at Autism indicated that he was a very mild autism (ADOS score of 7, where 7-9 is mild autism), but he did not think that D was truly a case of mild autism or Asberger's Syndrome. There were a few key things that caused the psychologist to choose a PDD diagnosis over Asberger's, including eye contact and his use of hands when talking.
The psychologist suggested that we pursue an application for medical assistance, which is required just to be evaluated for his recommendation of wraparound services. However, the explanation of the "requirements" to qualify for such services left my head spinning. I believe this was his suggestion to help D through some of the social difficulties that is having. And I don't think that I have done a very good job explaining that aspect, so here is a little more on that...
D is quite smart, often being mistaken for being older than he actually is (he is also a bit tall for his age). He is personable and friendly to most every adult that he meets. Yet, he struggles when playing or interacting with kids his own age. He's got quite an imagination and he plays hard; sometimes so hard that you can barely get his attention. He could quite literally run a peer over and not really know/acknowledge it because he's so wrapped up in whatever he is playing (these days it is most often Star Wars or Angry Birds). He does not read social cues from others (adults or children). For example, if someone is backing away if he's talking too close or giving verbal cues to stop/not do something. I constantly coach him through these experiences - asking him to look at their face or listen to their words. And thankfully he is making progress, especially with his siblings. But it's still very difficult; and play dates give me anxiety...
It is a very strange dynamic to be able to fully trust my 5 year old to hold his infant brother while I clean up lunch, but not be able to let him run freely in a playground filled with his peers. I digress...
Continuing to update things related to the D-man, we all continue to eat gluten free/dairy free (for the most part - Mom and Dad may have cheated on a dinner date!). Keeping D's diet more balanced and being intentional about what we eat has made a difference for all of us. His pre-school teacher and OT noticed improved attention within the first 2 weeks of the dietary changes. And we are at a point where we have let D have a treat here or there, on special occasions. He's doing very well with the nutritional aspect of things. We may begin to add some things back into the diet, but that will be determined at a follow up soon.
His OT reports that he is making significant progress and will likely meet all his goals by the end of the summer. His fine motor strength has improved so much, as well as his handwriting. He still struggles with visual attention and difficulty disassociating his eyes/head when following/tracking things. However, his current therapist left the practice, so I don't know who is picking up D's case. And I don't know if they will keep the same timeline. D has a hard time with change, and I actually have not yet told him that his therapist is gone. Wish me luck on that one :). I just hope that he is placed with an OT that he "clicks" with to continue therapy.
He's headed to school in the fall. He will be labeled with PDD and is now a special needs kiddo. I never thought in a million years that I would be a mom to a child with special needs. So, what are we doing now? In short, nothing. I have wrestled with these findings, and have put everything on hold over the last month to take it all in and pray over what is best for D.
As I have tried to filter this information through God's lens, I know that we are not what any label says about us - and that our God sees D as his child, not just a kid with PDD. He is a child of the One True King (if you know that song...if not, be encouraged by Matthew West here). And the label only sticks if we let it (from a great book for kids - Your are special). This won't define D if we continue to point him to the One who made him, and remind him that God doesn't make mistakes.
Thank you for your patience with this little ol' blog. We appreciate your support.
xoxo,
Chele
