We just got a letter thing about benefits and what my son is entitled to. On it is a rather generic "Autism Disorder" diagnostic code, so it seems the testing we had done (for which the follow-up isn't until Thursday) ended up with a positive determination.
This doesn't come as a surprise, actually, it was just weird to get paperwork in the mail already. The whole point of going through the diagnostic process was because I had seen a number of the behaviors that are indicative of some level of Autism and wanted to get a diagnosis so we could get some of the support tools that he'll likely need in school (namely, help with overstimulation and sensory sensitivities). Odds are, he's like me, and under DSM-IV would be considered Aspie, but this paperwork only used the ICD-9 code, so we'll find out more in a couple of days.
Unlike a lot of parents I've heard about, I consider this a good thing. Probably because I know what it's like to go through life undiagnosed and without some support structures that would have made life a hell of a lot easier. This will allow him to get an IEP and will make it easier to get various support tools (such as opportunities to go to a quiet area to cope with overstimulation) and not be punished for things that aren't entirely under his control (but rather, be taught to control what he can, redirect behaviors to less disruptive ones, or ask for help when it is beyond his control).
It's also a relief. I pursued this, because I highly suspected he was on the Spectrum, but in the time between turning everything in and getting the results, all the same "what-ifs" that I dealt with for myself kept going through my mind. They primarily revolved around my insecurities around communication (I suck at verbal communication and a lot of the test was me talking to the people at the center, and my husband couldn't make it that day, so I was by myself and quickly getting overstimulated, myself) -- what if I couldn't fully communicate the various telltale behaviors, patterns, and other signs I've seen? What if he didn't present enough of his Autie behaviors while at the center (since some come and go depending on the environment)? What if he's too expressive, or makes too much eye contact? What if these were enough to push the diagnosis from "Autistic" to "not Autistic" and we were left to our own devices for helping him deal with the things we know he has trouble with? I actually feared him not getting the diagnosis more than I feared him getting it, largely because not getting it would mean going without the support structures and clout that comes with having a diagnosis, and would probably mean a future of what the school would consider a delinquent, trouble-making child and even more expulsions from schools (because that was something we already had trouble with in daycare).
It's annoying that these things can be very real fears, because of the differences between the "inside outward" and "outside inward" perceptions of Autism, but thankfully, that put a lot of my concerns at ease. Now, it's just a matter of going in and seeing all the details and suggestions for help stuff.
This doesn't come as a surprise, actually, it was just weird to get paperwork in the mail already. The whole point of going through the diagnostic process was because I had seen a number of the behaviors that are indicative of some level of Autism and wanted to get a diagnosis so we could get some of the support tools that he'll likely need in school (namely, help with overstimulation and sensory sensitivities). Odds are, he's like me, and under DSM-IV would be considered Aspie, but this paperwork only used the ICD-9 code, so we'll find out more in a couple of days.
Unlike a lot of parents I've heard about, I consider this a good thing. Probably because I know what it's like to go through life undiagnosed and without some support structures that would have made life a hell of a lot easier. This will allow him to get an IEP and will make it easier to get various support tools (such as opportunities to go to a quiet area to cope with overstimulation) and not be punished for things that aren't entirely under his control (but rather, be taught to control what he can, redirect behaviors to less disruptive ones, or ask for help when it is beyond his control).
It's also a relief. I pursued this, because I highly suspected he was on the Spectrum, but in the time between turning everything in and getting the results, all the same "what-ifs" that I dealt with for myself kept going through my mind. They primarily revolved around my insecurities around communication (I suck at verbal communication and a lot of the test was me talking to the people at the center, and my husband couldn't make it that day, so I was by myself and quickly getting overstimulated, myself) -- what if I couldn't fully communicate the various telltale behaviors, patterns, and other signs I've seen? What if he didn't present enough of his Autie behaviors while at the center (since some come and go depending on the environment)? What if he's too expressive, or makes too much eye contact? What if these were enough to push the diagnosis from "Autistic" to "not Autistic" and we were left to our own devices for helping him deal with the things we know he has trouble with? I actually feared him not getting the diagnosis more than I feared him getting it, largely because not getting it would mean going without the support structures and clout that comes with having a diagnosis, and would probably mean a future of what the school would consider a delinquent, trouble-making child and even more expulsions from schools (because that was something we already had trouble with in daycare).
It's annoying that these things can be very real fears, because of the differences between the "inside outward" and "outside inward" perceptions of Autism, but thankfully, that put a lot of my concerns at ease. Now, it's just a matter of going in and seeing all the details and suggestions for help stuff.
