Specialists for autistic children...

Sara - posted on 09/16/2010

In response to the IEP, make sure you keep up with your child's progress in the school setting. If you feel your son is not getting everything he is eligible for and is appropriate, make sure you notify his teacher. She in turn will notify the school guidance counselor and school psychologist. You may even request an IEP meeting if you need to. This is done to go over your son's IEP and to find out what progress he has made and what is being done to facilitate his needs to help him progress so he can eventually be taught in a non-ESE setting and take the FCATs with the other children.
REMEMBER: YOU are son's first and foremost advocate. YOU have the power to make things happen. Any issues you have make sure they are known are taken care of in a timely manner.

Sara - posted on 09/16/2010

I live in florida and developmental pediatricians are the best but they are usually hard to find and get in. I waited over a year before my son got in. A psychologist or a neuropsychologist (if you can find one) is also able to evaluate and diagnose a child with autism and other developmental disabilities. Make sure you have a general pediatrician (not the same as a developmental pediatrician) that has the ability and the confidence to work with children with developmental needs. When your child has specific needs you want to go to someone who has knowledge and can give you the best advice based on your child's needs (developmentally as well as typical).

Magen - posted on 09/11/2010

I take my son to a DAN doctor and the difference is mind blowing. He has lots of experience with Autism and is great with my son. Google them and findout if one is in your area. My dr accepts my insurance i just have to bug my regular pediatrician (whom I never go to any more) for a referal every 6 months. It is a little more work than just suffering through with a dr who is less experienced but I think my son is worth the effort. If there are no DAN dr's in your area pick up the phone and start calling pediatricians til you find one that has some autism experience. With 1 in 150 children being diagnosed surely a dr near you has some experience. Good luck I hope you find a good one.

Sandra - posted on 09/10/2010

I agree w/getting a developmental pediatrician..ABA has worked for my son who is now 4 years old..I now do it myself b/c the school he goes to no longer provides it..I work w/him 1 to 2 hours a day..Good books to follow are Behavioral Intervention for the young child w/Autism by Catherine Maurice and A Work In Progress by Ron Leaf..I use the computer as a reenforcer otherwise he is not motivated to work..Good Luck and I hope this helps..

Talia - posted on 09/09/2010

Hi Sharon, my son is also a picky eater, what i do is mix veggies in everything i puree them and mix into sauces, yellow veggies into mac-n-cheese and so on, it takes a little time but thats the only way he gets what he needs (lol)..

Talia - posted on 09/09/2010

WOW!!!!!!! 17 How is he doing? I always wonder how my son will be at that age..
At nine he is very independent but at that age when he is expected to be a pre- adult im so afraid..

Talia - posted on 09/09/2010

That was very helpful .. Thank you..

Talia - posted on 09/09/2010

Sorry hun there is none. My son was diagnosed at that age also, early intervention worked great . He is now nine and is doing well, he still get his special needs classes and he has his qurikes

but all together he has overcome the worst of this so far. IT GETS BETTER...

Janell - posted on 09/09/2010

http://www.odemagazine.com/doc/70

For those who have a loved one diagnosed with a brain condition please read this article. It puts things into perspective. My heart goes out to you.

Zenzele - posted on 09/09/2010

There is such a thing as an "autism pediatrician". They are called DAN (defeat autism now) doctors. Google them and see if there is one in your area. These particular doctors take extra courses to specialize in autism which qualifies them for this title. There is a limited number of physicians and usually all booked with patients. Just keep trying. Other than that I would keep the same family doctor you have and request a referral to a neurologist. Once your son gets older than you would want to seek a neuro-psychologist or psychiatrist to make sure that his cognition is where it should be. Please be sure to look into ABA therapy for him as well. Another thing to look into that some miss is music therapy, assuming he does not have any sensory issues with noise. Due to budget cuts with the economy music therapy has been cut in many states. Check it out.

Sharon - posted on 09/09/2010

hi ashley my son is 5 and was diagnosed with autism at 2 it took 2 yrs to get him into a special unit..were he went for 7 months he is now after starting in junior infants he doesnt speak but sings really good hes a very poor eater he wont eat in school and when hes home he makes up for it have you expressed ur concerns about how smart ur lilttle boy is to his iep

Elyssa - posted on 09/08/2010

Either a pediatric neurologist or a child psychiatrist can properly diagnose and treat your son on an ongoing basis. It would also be helpful for you to find your school psychologist who can work closely with you, your son and his IEP team to coordinate school services with outside medical recommendations. Sometimes it can be difficult to find your school psychologist because they work for the school district and not just one school, but ask to make an appointment with them and they will have a lot of useful information for your son's long term success both at school and outside of school. Ask them for a list of local resources for children with autism. Good luck to you. It is so wonderful that your son was diagnosed so early and is receiving services at such a young age.

Michelle - posted on 09/08/2010

My 17 yr old has aspergers and I have never known of a specialist pediatrician but the hospitals for children know of doctors who know more about it ~ you may want to call for a local children's hospital for advice or check out www.autismspeaks.org ~ Take care.

Keisha - posted on 09/08/2010

i don't believe so but there are some that have more education or my be a specialist for autistic children. Your story sounds identical to mine except my son has been getting aba therapy since he was 2 and it has made so much of a difference. Without it i doubt he would be where he is today. That is something you could look into because really after EI is over when they turn 3 its nice to still have a team of people working with your child.

Amanda - posted on 09/08/2010

A neuro-psychologist could be a big help, if they specialize in developmental disorders. As Sarah mentions below, having access to a developmental pediatrician is awesome, but not always available. Do you have a local support group for parents of autistic kids? Sometimes other local parents are the best source of info to tell you who to try -- and who to steer clear of!

Look forward to hearing how your little guy is progressing ...

Amanda
Blogging for Billy at www.AmandaBroadfoot.com
"Life is a spectrum"

Sarah - posted on 09/08/2010

I would look for a developmental pediatrician. My son had one briefly at the "autism clinic" connected to our local children's hospital. My son ( almost 15) saw her for about 18 months recently. We switched to a psychiatrist because my son had an undiagnosed mood disorder that the autism clinic did not feel they could handle.