Posts Tagged ‘autism diagnois’

What to Expect from an Autism Center Evaluation – Part II

Saturday, August 15th, 2009

After our first visit to our new Autism Center (see What to Expect from an Autism Center Evaluation Part I), we returned a month later to regroup with the psychologist and a developmental pediatrician (OD).  The OD gave our son a neurological evaluation and observed his language, social skills and behaviors.

After the neurological evaluation, a office nurse played with our son in another room while the psychologist and the OD  reviewed all of the test results to date and collaborated with us on recommended next steps. As it turned out, my son’s original PDD-NOS diagnosis was updated to high functioning autism with an attention deficit disorder.  The topics we covered in the post-evaluation results conference were comprehensive and included: (more…)

What to Expect from an Autism Center Evaluation-Part I

Sunday, July 5th, 2009

I would gladly donate every penny of the gas money I’ve spent driving my son from one diagnostic center to another if I could  find a single, one-stop shop for autism screening!  My dream is to have all  of the tests and questionnaires completed in a single trip – preferably riding up an escalator or a moving sidewalk.  Can you imagine it? I could hold my son’s hand while we shared  ice cream cones or s’mores (it’s a dream, remember?).  As we  passed each diagnostic station– neurology, speech/language, sleep, nutrition, gastroenterology, ENT, fine motor, gross motor, etc –different specialists would take x-rays by digital camera and saliva samples by offering a cherry lollipop.  We’d then smile and move serenely from one specialist to the next, until we came to the end of the ride, where a cheerful uber-doctor would tell us in plain language what specifically we needed to do to help our child realize his potential.

The dream isn’t far off. 

Thanks to government grants, comprehensive development centers with specialties in autism spectrum disorders are springing up around the country.  And, after three months on a waiting list, we were ready to give our local autism center, located at our town’s most-respected children’s hospital,  a try.  We were particularly looking for an updated medical perspective.  Here’s a description of  our experience: (more…)

Stuff that works - for us

We  don’t assume these products will work for everyone–that’s why we ended the title with the parenthetical (for us). But if you are looking for new things to try, please read the accompanying blogs to view our experiences with these products. 

 

 

101 Games and Activities for Children with Autism, Asperger’s and Sensory Processing Disorders, by Tara Delaney, M.S. OTR

Written by a pediatric occupational therapist, this book is full of affordable and fun ways to engage your child in educational play.  Click here for our story on how we turned an ordinary family stroll into an exciting adventure!

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Model Me Kids

Model Me Kids® has broken the code on tools to teach social skills to children on the autism spectrum.

Click here for our success story and a full product review.

 

 b-Calm Audio Interventions

The b-Calm System provides audio technology to help calm and increase concentration in children on the autism spectrum.   To learn how we used b-calm, please visit our blog My Son Threw a Shoe in Class Today.

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Do You Have a Product?

Do you have a product you’d like us to review for Stuff That Works™? Contact us today.

 

L. Mae Wilkinson:

National Examiner for Autism and Education

National Public Policy Examiner

St. Louis Examiner for Autism and Parenting

Reporter,  Autism Hangout