Any Advice/recommendations for Developmental Evaluation for My 3.5 Yr Son

Oh my goodness!! I hope you read this and respond to me. I realize you wrote this a while ago but I will try to get in touch anyway. My son is only 19 months old but from the day he was born I felt something was a little off in his behavior. I will not go into all the details cause that would take up the whole page but I will say that he now hits himself and others, he has started banging his head onto the floor very hard when angry, he has a language delay of 40 %(according to the birth to three program who evaluated him) and he has started to see a speech therapist and I am working with him with an occupational therapist about the hitting. Our pediatrician just told us last week that he feels that our son could possibly be autistic or have a form of it. He too told us to go to the clinic I think you are referring to in Madison. It is the Waisman Clinic(pronounced wiseman). We are going to go and have them evaluate him. However we live in De Pere so Madison is only 2 to 2in a half hours from us. Where are you living? We just moved to wisconsin from maryland in Sept. Anyway I would love to talk with you and see what you have done with your son etc...

Call your school system. My daughter is special needs and she has been getting therapy through the school district special education program since she was 1. They have PT and OT that come to our house each week and work with her. Other than that I would just call your local social services and talk to them. That's what they are there for is to help people. They can direct you to the right people. Definitely get the assessment done asap so he can get services if he needs them. I wouldn't even worry about going through your insurance at this point. All of the services we get through the school district are completely free for everyone.
Best of luck,
J.

My experience is that you should contact you local school district and have him evaluated by the early childhood intake specialist (usually a child psychologist and specialist with age 3-5). They can do lots of assessments and give you a baseline of where your cild is. They can also be a great resource for guiding you to doctors who specialize in whatever they find to be an issue, (ie. developmental pediatrician, therapist etc.)
Depending on the circumstances and the outcome you and your family may qualify for further assistance or services offered through your state or county. Honestly, It's a lot of time on the phone and it may seem like a run around at times. But if you are willing to do the leg work, there are lots of resources available.
I would also say don't worry about having him "Labeled" if that's what it takes to get him help then it's worth it. Schools redefine kids needs after before they start school anyway. Start the process now, sooner is ALWAYS better.
My son has a sensory and sleep disorder that made it seem that he had all sorts of other things going on. This is the route we went and he has benefitted imeasurably from the preschool, special education services, the advice and the resources they've directed us to.
Good luck to you and your son.

My son had delays in his speech and had some stuttering and pronunciation problems. We took him to a Speech Therapist. She worked with him one-on-one with sounds that are hard for most kids to pronounce and were particularly problematic for him. We posted little reminder cards around the house and used these cards to review the sounds each time he was near them. Some that I remember are: Peter Popcorn says, "puh" "puh" "puh" and Sammy the Snake says "Sss" "Sss" "Sss." Even though these seem like such simple things, the repetition of hearing and saying the correct sounds did help.
We also enrolled him in preschool a couple days per week. That seemed to help his speech progress better. By the time he went to kindergarten he was talking normally. Today he is almost 17 and he has no signs of speech problems.

I do not know much about autism, but I would not hesistate to get another doctor's opinion. I do know several children with autism and they have had problems with learning to crawl and walk and other basic developments besides speech. So, you are absolutely right that you do not want to be too quick to label him with something he may not have. Get another doctor's opinion if you are not satisfied with the results so far. The doctors are only human and do not know everything. What one does not diagnose, another may find right away.

Just know that there is hope and that you are starting early enough to make a difference in your son's life. Make sure to encourage him when he says things correctly and do NOT shame him when he says things wrong. Make sure others do not do that either. Having a good self esteem encourages learning and success.

My prayers are with you.

I have a son who is 4 1/2 yrs. he talks but not as well as a 4yr.old should you can probly uderstand him half of the time.
My son will be going to a speech specalist and that is through
the School Dist.I think you should set up an appt to have his preschool screening to see where he is at.
I will be taking my son down to the University to see if my son is Autistic or if he is ADHD.That might be an Idea to ask the Dr. about.you will probly have to get an referal thou.Just some Ideas for you I hope this is helpful because I'm going through the same thing.

God Bless and good luck.A.

I have gone through the same trials and concerns. My son will be 3 in Oct. I was very concern with him and his speech at about 18 months old. Our doctor said not to worry, everyone develops differently, but I went with my gut feelings. She first recommended the school district. We went through the schools and had him "informaly" tested (they can't actually diagnosis because they aren't doctors)He tested on the spectrum, we have been getting help from the school with speech clasees and personal teachers. The nice thing about the school is that it is free. Me and my husband have just recently decided to get him formaly tested and have an appointment at the UofM pedatric neuology clinic. My advise to you is not to wait, they can do amazing things now and early education makes a huge difference. I wouldn't mind talking with you if you want to, I know its a hard thing to go through and sometimes talking with someone who isn't going to judge you can help. S. ###-###-####

A fellow Mom in the area just told me about an organization that helps children with ADHD, ADD, Autism, and all sorts of other disorders.

www.handle.org

She has had issues with his son for years and has tried everything. Although it has gotten better over the years, it has been 2 weeks with this group and she couldn't help but sing it's praises. If the school district does diagnose your son with Autism check it out. It's a non-drug, non-surgical means to help children.

Are you looking for a neurologist? If so I work at a Neurology office and I work with a pediatric Neurologist. He is one of the number one md's in Mn. He sees pt in three offices in twin cities If you want more info please let me know. I wish you luck

I am a mom of two, and was a child psychologist before I decided to stay home full-time. I would recommend the University of Minnesota Autism Clinic- ###-###-####- excellent, nationally known testing center with extremely long waiting list- provides assessment only. Also, Minnesota Autism Center @ ###-###-####- provides assessment and programming for preschool age children. Also try the Fraser Center in Minneapolis, and Washburn Child Guidance Clinic. Wilder Foundation does good work, too, but I think they are exclusive to St. Paul residents. Hope this helps!

Does your Insurance let you go to Minnesota clinics. They have some really great people at Saint Paul Children's Hospital. Our son is just getting started with them & they seem very friendly, caring and compassionate. I looked up the distance from Baldwin to the clinic at 2525 Chicago Avenue South in Mpls and it's only about 47 minutes away from you. Try getting in with them. Their number is...###-###-####.
Try talking to Arlene in the Developmental Clinic. She is the contact I have, and our son has the same issues. I hope you have some luck with that.

Hi P.,
My name is T. and I have 2 little boys. Our oldest will turn 5 in two weeks and our youngest just turned 3 this past March, both are Autistic and at oppposite ends of the spectrum. Our pediatrician never told us anything about Autism and I'm finding out from other parents that it is the norm, it is very hard to find a pediatrician that will say the word Autism to a parent. For your sons sake though right now is the time to get him evaluated and start working with him, even if he isn't Autistic, if he is delayed the time to start is now - and trust me I know how hard it is, we've gone through this twice and live with it 24/7.

My advice to you is to call your school district. I would say to call the Birth to 3 program, which I know WI has and if your son is too old for them to help they will definatley know who to call. Our children were diagnosed in Duluth before we moved to Lakeville, MN and it was through the school district that we did everything. I am originally from Spooner,WI and have met some of the Birth to 3 people from that area so I know that they would be a big help. I hope they will be the same in your area. The school district can not give the "official" diagnosis, but they can start services immediately for speech and whatever else you need.

If you are able to come over to the Cities - Gillette Childrens Center also does testing, but it takes a few months usually to get in to see them. So to get your son started with help immediately - such as speech and OT - call the school district.

I have started a Mom's group in Lakeville for Mom's of Autistic children - and I"m not saying at all that your son is - but I know what it's like when your child is developmentally delayed. I am very open to talk about this if you would have any other questions or would like to talk about it.

I hope I haven't gone on too much about this...I just feel very passionatly about children getting help immediatly that need it, because the younger they get help the better everything for them will be (their frustration level really drops and the tantrums seem to lesson once they know how to communicate even in small ways) and ultimatley better for you as a parent also. I also know what it's like to feel the single parent syndrom even though your married. My husband is an RN at Fairview University in Minneapolis and works 7p - 7a. I stay home full time with our boys.

Hope this helps and good luck.

My e-mail address is: ____@____.com

My daughter has been generally developementally delayed since around 9 months or so. We Started the request for services about 14-15 months when she was not walking or saying much. She has since come a LONG way. I would not have changed a thing! Having gone through it we started with the county/school district with an evaluation to see if she qualified for services and she did. I did bring her to a developmental pediatrican also and I DO also advise that especially is you are worried about autism, etc! They are great with what the child might need and benefit from in addition to what the district can do! I agree I would not delay action or treatment and this is where I would start if it were me. Hope this helps!! She also had speech delays that did not qualify for speech therapy but the district worked with her on it and she is doing well. Feel free to contact me if you need anything my email is ____@____.com I may be able to assist with some referrals I have a friend who is an RN with a special needs child and I am a nurse myself. Take care!!

Shelly

My daughter who is now 6 was diagnosed with speech and language delays at the age of 3 and alot of my coworkers(I worked in childcare)Thought she had autism too. She does not have autism. I got my daughter tested through the school disctrict here in saint paul MN. If you cannot get your son tested Through your local school district I suggest contacting Childrens Hospitals and clinincs in Saint paul MN That is where I was planning to have my daughter tested if the school district could not help me. In fact my best friends daughter has some speech delays and she had her tested through childrens clinics In Saint Paul MN. There might even be places closer to wisconsin such as woodbury MN and such. I would first start with your local school district. I hope that I have been of some help to you. If you ever need anymore advice or support on this subject please feel free to contact me at ____@____.com my name is A.. I know what its like and have been through all the hardships of having a child with speech and language delays.

Good Morning,

I have 2 Suggestions:

1) Children's Hospital Rehab Center

Call this number and ask for Julia ( 651 )###-###-####
( Roseville ) She can explain the Process & Send you the correct Forms.

My son is 4 and has been going to Speech & OT Therapy for 1 yr. 2x a week. He has many Medical Issues and we thought possible Autism as well, BUT NO - he does not have it. We found a Chromosome Issue - that links all of the Medical Issues, except his Ears.

They have many Rehab Centers in the Twin Cities. I like Children's Hosp. the BEST!

2) My second Suggestion is a Place in Wis., that I cannot remember the name of, but I have made a few phoncalls to friends already to get this for you. Heard Rave Reviews of this place as well.

I am Happy to help in any way! - R.

I didn't have the same problem but a similar problem. My 3.5yr.old was delayed in her gross motor skills. She couldn't hop on one foot, appeared to be clumbsy etc. etc... She wasn't at her correct age level. I knew something just wasn't right but kept getting blown off by everyone. In MN between 3-5yrs. your child has to go through a kindergarten screening thing in order to go to kindergarten a way to see what you may need to work on or a way to catch a problem early on. I was referred to my pediatrician who referred us to have a physical therapist evaluate my daughter.Took almost one year to get apppointment with physical therapist we were on a waiting list As it turned out my daughter did indeed need physical therapy.I took her for 6mos. and enrolled her in some extra curricular activities to help strenghthen her tummy muscles and she is just fine now. I know your problem is different but what I'm trying to say the earlier the intervention the better and seriously go by your gut feeling. I was told if my daughter was still delayed physically and or had any mental delays (which she didn't), or speach problems - she does stutter. I could get her help from the school district for free. So you might want to go have your son evaluated by your school districts prescreening process before they send them to kindergarten thing. Hope this helps.

Check out www.autismhelp.org. It doesn't matter if he actually has autism or what the diagnosis is. They will show you ways to work with him at home, and they have a great success rate. I love the way they work with children, and it would be great for every child, autistic, typical, or anything else.

Hi P..

I have a friend whose two sons were both diagnosed with Autism. She initially went through our school system. Usually school districts have a screening program, information about autism, and referrals to organizations who can confirm at diagnosis and begin therapy if needed. My friends sons are being treated through MAC (Minnesota Autism Center) and she has been extremely pleased. Good luck!

C.

If you're close to Minneapolis you might try contacting Mayo and seeing what they have -- also you might try their Children's Hospital. Both are likely to be able to point you in the right direction. My neighbor's son has had some developmental delays due to being a preemie and they have also had testing done through our school district -- he's gotten all kinds of help including free early education and loads of testing -- and he's made leaps and bounds catching up with his peers in time for kindergarten -- I know it's a different issue, but I hope this information gives you some ideas for other resources that might be available.

Definitely call the school district to have him evaluated there. You can also contact Fraser School in Mpls/Richfield, www.fraser.org
They perform autism screenings and can help you with other resources.

It is absolutely true that the more you can do now the better for your child later on.

Sincerely,
A.

Hi, I too live in Baldwin. Ironic.

My son is 4 /12 years old. Went to pre-school last year.
He is currently in Speach Therapy at Greenfield Elementary even though he is not in school yet. The contact person there is Cindy. She is great and works well with the kids and my son. It is a free program and she works to get the kids up to date on their speach so they are ready for school ]
If you would like to chat more, respond to this and maybe we can chat by phone.

Hello,
I feel for you I have been thru exactly that. You name it I have delt with it. My daughter who is now 12, we went thru alot to get where we are. She is developmently delayed and had speed therapy. You can go to any doc. you wish. Get a refereal from you family doctor tell them you want someone in your area. I thought that my daughter was normal until she started school and was way behind. When she was 4 we were told she had autism, but on the lower end of the scale or parimid is how they call it. It's not a label so don't worry about that first of all. Autism is a big area very mild to severe. We see a phycologist every few months to regulate her meds., now don't be affraid of those either, he is a bit young yet anyways. Children like this are very intellegent in other area's. You son will struggle alot but he will be fine. Don't worry. Once my daughter started school that opened up a whole world of help. I have talked to all the specialist there are had all the therapies there are, and all the extra classes there are. Here is my email address if you would like to talk more, or just for the support. Just call your local Mental health clinic for suggestions i know that sounds harsh that word, but you would be surprised, that is the exact name of our clinic Range Menatal Health. Don't worry about the labels or what people may think just worry about getting him on the right track. Lots of luck to you and your not alone. ____@____.com, my name is L..