FINALLY! Neuropsych assessment starts tomorrow!!!!!

September 30, 2009

After a very rough week and a half watching my daughter struggle with social

awkwardness more than usual, and having to go into school to try and convince

the teacher that there IS something going on, we are finally getting the

assessment!!! Not from the school (I'll really start fighting them after this

private assessment), but we have to drive close to 4 hours for her to be seen by

the neuropsych assessment team affiliated with Loma University Children's

Hospital's psychology dept. Their testing is usually done in 12 appointments,

but they're stuffing all of them into 2 very intense days. I pray and pray and

pray that this will finally be the PROOF to my husband, the school, and anyone

else who thinks this is an issue of Munchhausen syndrome by proxy!! It will be

such a relief to speak with people who KNOW what to look for. It will be a

confirmation, to me as well, that I'm not making all this up.

More than all that, I hope they can tell me WHY my daughter does all these

things that are problematic, and help me figure out what we can do to lessen her

struggles. My husband will be there, at least for the intake - he may have to

leave if my friend won't keep my 3.5 y.o. for us - but I am sooooo looking

forward to the relief of having him be told by professionals that this is REAL

and she's not going to outgrow it.

I should be able to check the board before her appts start at 9 tomorrow

morning. If anyone has any tips at all I am open to them. I have started a list

of things that are problematic and cause stress to her and the family. I wrote

about mood, sleep, lack of self control, problems following directions, little

initiative, sensory issues, and lack of finesse in social situations. The list

goes on, of course, and I'm sure I'll be adding to it and trying to get it

perfect before the appointment.

Thanks to you all - Just from reading all of your posts, I feel a sense of

relief that we are not alone. Many of you write about the exact issues we're

facing, and I've even read many out loud to my husband so he can see that her

problems are actually common amongst kids with AS. I will most definitely post

our results when I know something. God bless all of you and your children.

September 30, 2009

Andie, what a relief to know this is finally happening for you and that you will

finally get some answers / insight into your daughters behavior. I like what

you said about Munchausen - I feel this way too sometimes! I do hope this

assessment will validate what you have been experiencing. Try and get a good

nights rest, it will be a long two days for you. All my best.

, BC Canada

son not yet diagnosed

September 30, 2009

You lucky dog! We've been waiting since Feb and haven't even moved up on

the list! Loma is great, so you should get good results. I love

your reference to Baron Munchausen. I don't understand why it's so hard

to get a DX--when it's there, it's there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 1:38 PM, andie6294 wrote:

> After a very rough week and a half watching my daughter struggle with

> social awkwardness more than usual, and having to go into school to

> try and convince the teacher that there IS something going on, we are

> finally getting the assessment!!! Not from the school (I'll really

> start fighting them after this private assessment), but we have to

> drive close to 4 hours for her to be seen by the neuropsych assessment

> team affiliated with Loma University Children's Hospital's

> psychology dept. Their testing is usually done in 12 appointments, but

> they're stuffing all of them into 2 very intense days. I pray and pray

> and pray that this will finally be the PROOF to my husband, the

> school, and anyone else who thinks this is an issue of Munchhausen

> syndrome by proxy!! It will be such a relief to speak with people who

> KNOW what to look for. It will be a confirmation, to me as well, that

> I'm not making all this up.

>

> More than all that, I hope they can tell me WHY my daughter does all

> these things that are problematic, and help me figure out what we can

> do to lessen her struggles. My husband will be there, at least for the

> intake - he may have to leave if my friend won't keep my 3.5 y.o. for

> us - but I am sooooo looking forward to the relief of having him be

> told by professionals that this is REAL and she's not going to outgrow

> it.

> I should be able to check the board before her appts start at 9

> tomorrow morning. If anyone has any tips at all I am open to them. I

> have started a list of things that are problematic and cause stress to

> her and the family. I wrote about mood, sleep, lack of self control,

> problems following directions, little initiative, sensory issues, and

> lack of finesse in social situations. The list goes on, of course, and

> I'm sure I'll be adding to it and trying to get it perfect before the

> appointment.

>

> Thanks to you all - Just from reading all of your posts, I feel a

> sense of relief that we are not alone. Many of you write about the

> exact issues we're facing, and I've even read many out loud to my

> husband so he can see that her problems are actually common amongst

> kids with AS. I will most definitely post our results when I know

> something. God bless all of you and your children.

October 1, 2009

Since my son only does these meltdown behaviors for us I feel like the school is

looking at me as Munchausen also. They even waned all his records from Dr's I

take him to. I have not had the neuro psych done yet but that may help us with

the school also. Was your daughter diagnosed yet?

>

> Andie, what a relief to know this is finally happening for you and that you

will finally get some answers / insight into your daughters behavior. I like

what you said about Munchausen - I feel this way too sometimes! I do hope this

assessment will validate what you have been experiencing. Try and get a good

nights rest, it will be a long two days for you. All my best.

>

> , BC Canada

> son not yet diagnosed

>

October 2, 2009

It often can be very hard to get a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome.

Our school district was abusive in their refusal to acknowledge

that there were any issues and would not agree to pay for

any testing.

Here is what I think helps:

1. the parent needs to follow a positive reinforcement plan

(not yelling or punishing) so there is no blame of poor pareting.

2. tape social interactions with typical peers. Such as your

child overly focused on their special interests even when

others are talking about other things.

3. the nueropysch is really the only good diagnostic tool

unless your child has prosody of speech (monotone speech pattern)

and excessive talking on a narrow special interest.

4. Asperger, Bipolar or severe anxiety disorder sometimes

are hard to tell apart at first in some children.

It can be one or all three combined. I look at

Asperger as the social skill impairment part and the emotional

part is often either treated as anxiety or mood disorder.

It is ridiculous and destructive that Mother's are called names

for helping to get their kids treated.

Pam

>

> After a very rough week and a half watching my daughter struggle with social