Should I seek a label for my DD? (Long)

MainelyFoolish

Background: My DD will be 5 in May. She was in Early Intervention for a speech delay from age 1.5 to 3 when she graduated, completely caught up with where she should be. (And now she doesn't stop talking!) While in EI, we also got a few visits from an OT feeding specialist because DD eats very few foods. The OT didn't see any physical problems with DD's chewing/swallowing and DD didn't appear to have a sensory processing disorder based on a screening questionnaire given by the SLP. We were given some advice (and read the book) on food chaining.

Since then, DD has gotten no better with regard to what she'll eat. She lives mostly off of milk, cheddar cheese, peanut butter, crackers/bread, chocolate chip muffins, Nutrigrain bars, and vanilla yogurt. She also likes chips, French fries, and several types of candy, cookies, etc. No meat, veggies, or fruits. None of the most common kid-menu items like pizza, burgers, hot dogs, chicken fingers, grilled cheese, Mac and cheese. She won't use any sauces or dips, including ketchup. It's frustrating and I have no idea how to help her, because everything we try to chain off of leads to a dead end. I thought this was DD's only problem. 

This past week we had our parent-teacher conference with DD's preschool teacher. I knew from last year that DD has a hard time sitting at group time (she had the same school/teacher last year) and DD rarely sits still at home. I figured DD was just very energetic. From what I heard from the teacher, it seems to be more than just being a "spirited" child. DD has a "wiggle seat" to help her sit at group time. She has a necklace with something she can chew on. She frequently has melt downs if something doesn't go her way (she does this at home, too). The teacher said she's trying to do a sensory diet with her to get her up to where she needs to be for kindergarten next year. I wasn't really surprised that DD is having these problems, but I didn't realize how much her actions are out of the realm of what is normal at her age. 

The teacher said that in the old days, she would easily refer DD to Child Development Services for OT, but now CDS won't work with kids for just sensory issues. She said if we wanted, she could refer her for a full psych evaluation and maybe they might call her ADHD, or maybe not. She also said that if DD is to get any accommodation in kindergarten, she'd probably need a 504 plan.

Now I'm wondering if DD's eating issues and her behavior are connected. I wonder if DD has a sensory processing disorder. I wonder if it will help or harm DD to go ahead with a psych evaluation. Should I try to get a label for DD? Can anyone offer me some insight? I feel very confused right now. 

lightgetsin

I would go ahead with the evaluation since you feel that there is something not quite "right".  What would be the harm?  She is too young to understand the purpose of the evaluation.

d.f

I would proceed with the evaluations.  I've come to think that diagnoses/labels given by highly trained specialists help, especially in education.

 My son has a diagnosis on the autism spectrum.  Getting a handle on his sensory needs (both at school and at home) has helped immensely with his distracted, ADHD flavored behaviors.  

MainelyFoolish

Thank you for your responses. You've confirmed what I think I already knew deep down, and typing it all out last night helped me solidify my own thoughts on the matter.

My initial reaction when the preschool teacher said it would be possible to get DD a psych evaulation was "What? I don't want my kid to get pigeon-holed with a label." But hopefully getting DD evaluated and understanding what is going on with her will enable us to get whatever services she might benefit from. As I think more about it, it would be a relief if there were something she could be diagnosed with so I knew where to turn for appropriate therapy/services.

macchiatto

The diagnostic process, when handled appropriately, isn't to put someone in a box but to understand better, like auntie said, what makes them tick and to help figure out what treatments and interventions will be most helpful in addressing issues causing distress or impairment in their daily lives, and helping you access services and resources that can help. It can be hard to hear, but it really is a good thing. I hope the evaluation process goes well and is helpful for you guys!