ASD ? about PT

bumpuser511563

DS would get 30 minutes of PT from school.

DH took DS to an OT & PT place to get evaluated for private services for the summer and they asked me why DS needed to be evaluated. I told them he receives both services at school and to please evaluate so DS cannot have much regression.

They did evaluate and claimed DS needs 2 hours of PT. I am planning on getting the PT eval to see why and if I should push for more time in an IEP if needed.

If I was to rank services in my opinion in regards to DS this is how I would rate them: 1. ABA, 2. Speech, 3. OT, 4. Social Work, 5. PT. Without ABA everything will move up one slot up.

Is this actually possible? I don't care for PT and now it is biting my behind.

Can you please tell me why do we need PT fellow ASD bumpies?

TIA

hopecounts

ASD kiddos can have physical challenges that PT can help them with. 

I would get the report and go from there, either the school has been downplaying his physical challenges to get out of providing services or the PT place may be trying to get as much PT time out of you as possible.

Either is possible and you probably have a better feel for which is more likely but I would see what the PT eval report says as it could be legit depending on your kiddo.

Remember that PT like OT is a moving goal, kids gain skills as the age and it could be that your kiddo is more behind as more complex physical activity/motions become the norm as he gets older.

ETA: for example things like being able to skip/hop, kick/throw and catch a ball/ride a bike/do steps one foot on each step etc are all developmental physical skills that PT would work on.

bumpuser511563

I thought they gave DS PT at school because they thought he would like the exercise. DS is a boy that does not run out of energy. I am not sure if this is a good thing or bad thing.

I am under the impression that this private PT might have noticed something the school PT did not see.

Does this ever happen between professionals like the PT at school and private PT?

typeset

For us, hypotonia affects his ability to sit and attend. It's hard to focus on tasks when you're slumping in your chair, leaning on peers at circle, kneeling next to or propping yourself on the table, etc. You can't fix tone, but you can build strength. He also sucks at the gross motor tasks @hopecounts has listed. Hence PT. Or, rather than PT through the school, gymnastics and horseback riding privately to build his core and coordination. Ball skills are so low on my priority list right now. 

Yes, it happens that professionals disagree, particularly those getting paid by insurance versus resource guarding for a school district.  

hopecounts

Sailor Saturn said:

I thought they gave DS PT at school because they thought he would like the exercise. DS is a boy that does not run out of energy. I am not sure if this is a good thing or bad thing.

I am under the impression that this private PT might have noticed something the school PT did not see.

Does this ever happen between professionals like the PT at school and private PT?

No PT is for (typically) gross motor skills and physical delays. 
and yes as the others have noted private OT who is being paid by insurance is likely to recommend the ideal amount of therapy whereas a school district is likely to protect its resources by doing the minimal necessary. 

bumpuser511563

-auntie- said:

Sailor Saturn said:

DS would get 30 minutes of PT from school.

They did evaluate and claimed DS needs 2 hours of PT. I am planning on getting the PT eval to see why and if I should push for more time in an IEP if needed.

Does your child regress during breaks? Did he lose skills over the winter break or last summer? Was ESY considered?

Yes, DS does regress at times. There was a time that all we did was ABA and the school services that were provided. Speech was regressing. ABA was cut off and we went back to more Speech after school hours with a SLP who is working on her masters.

A couple thoughts around this-

there are two levels of service delivery- the educationally appropriate and the gold standard. 

And it's hard to get unbiased information from professionals who stand to benefit financially from service delivery. If you're interested in PT and your insurance will cover it, they'll offer it.

Do you think your son needs more PT?
As soon as I get the eval, I will see if I need to push PT in school as soon as school starts.

What issues do you feel he needs work on in school?
Maybe his balance maybe an issue. I am not sure about PT in school. I will have to see the goals. Oh they had a goal to go through a 5 steps obstacle course.

Does his school PT give homework to you and his teachers to work on between PT sessions?

No homework from the school PT.

If I was to rank services in my opinion in regards to DS this is how I would rate them: 1. ABA, 2. Speech, 3. OT, 4. Social Work, 5. PT. Without ABA everything will move up one slot up.

Is this actually possible? I don't care for PT and now it is biting my behind.

I don't understand. Every kid is going to need different therapies based on their own presentation and comorbids. The same kid may need a different tx plan overtime as skills improve or expectations change. 

Sometimes social and fine motor goals are improved with PT. If a kid has low tone in his trunk his ability to sit in a chair and be able to write is going to be impacted- he may fatigue and have difficulty attending to the task. If he can't access playground games easily, this could isolate him.

Yeah, I was looking for answer to why having PT would benefit us. DS can't write his name. He can access playground equipment easily such as slides. Swinging may not be something he is into.

Can you please tell me why do we need PT fellow ASD bumpies?

You might. Can you get a second opinion from a dev pedi or psychologist?

I could ask our psychologist.

What are hhis teachers saying?

They are out of school. I think behavior was their biggest concern this year and one complaint that we got private ABA outside of school. This was coming from the autism preschool teacher.

FTR, DS never did PT. That's a pretty extensive list of services. In a preschool setting that might be OK, but if they're transitioning to a mainstream or inclusion setting, you might want to lean toward more intensive therapy this year so he'll be pulled out less in kindie and not risk becoming a guest in the classroom.

TIA

bliss611

The evaluation should cite the reasons the PT is recommended. For DS, it's low muscle tone, body awareness and motor planning issues. He can't jump well with both feet, can't pedal a bike, etc.

I rank his therapies the same way with PT last. But, it does matter. I am starting to notice he is starting to notice his own limits when he plays with other kids at the park when he can't do everything other kids his age can.

Also, I find PT helps support OT - the body awareness exercises help build his propioceptive system which is a big part of improving sensory integration.