Frustrated with eval-SPD related vent-long sorry

mommytoconnor

My son is 2.5 yrs old and has SPD.  He has been followed by develop peds for the last 6 months or so, evaled for ASD, which they don't feel he fits the criteria.  Has been in OT for 10 months and speech therapy for 9 months, which he recently graduated from OT last week since he has done so great, there is nothing more they can offer him. His speech has vastly improved as well.  So at the last devel peds appt, I told her that he still was having tantrums on occassion.  Now his tantrums are very short, like around 30 seconds or so, but he is loud so they seem worse than they really are. So she said have a behavioral eval just to cover all our bases and see what they say, but that it's hard to tell at 2, since they are called terrible 2's for a reason. Basically meaning that his tantrums are normal toddler behavior. So fine, I had the eval and the behavioral eval basically told me the same thing.  Doens't appear to fall on spectrum, she sees SPD but that he is overall a normal toddler, but she can come out and help us work thru some of the behaviors that we struggle with.  She also said that the final eval should be a psych eval with specialist just to make sure they agree.  Okay fine, so I make appt for 8 am, first appt of the day. they tell me it will take an hour, I have another appt after so I make sure to tell them that I only have about 1.5 hours and they said no problem.  I get there a few minutes early, see the doc walk in about 5 minutes late, still no biggie. Then another 15 minutes go by and we still haven't been called. I ask receptionist how much longer, she said any minute but was certainly not in any hurry to find out from him how long.  Then another 10 minutes go by, we have been waiting now for 30 minutes for the first appt of the day and we have seen the doc just walking around the halls in the back.  I ask again and receptionist said any minute, again.  I said you know I had the first appt of day, I can't wait anylonger I have another appt, not to mention my toddler is having meltdowns in the waiting room. She said do you want to reschedule.  I said no, I will not I will go somewhere else.  As I am loading him in the car, the doc comes running out saying I am here to help.  I said well clearly not, I have waited over 30 minutes and won't wait any longer.  I said it is unacceptable to make someone wait that long with first appt of day and you have been wandering around the halls. He made excuse after excuse.  He practically pulled me back in office, which I should have just left, but I didn't.  He then spent less than 10 minutes asking me questions and when I would try to answer he kept interrupting me.  And the only thing he did was ask my son to look at him and my son looked him in the eye.  He then said yeah hes not autistic.  I said you are basing that on what, him looking you in the eye, I know lots of kids on spectrum who have good eye contact.  Great psych eval huh.  I mean I am happy he doesn't think he has ASD, but I wanted a total complete eval and didn't get that.  So frustrated. Thanks for letting me vent. Any suggestions or experiences with these evals would be great so I know what I SHOULD expect from next eval.Thanks ladies.

mommytoconnor

Thanks auntie for your reponse.  Generally speaking his "tantrums" last around 30 seconds and it's typically because he doesn't get his way or get what he wants.  When he had his meltdowns in the waiting room, it was because he kept going to water fountain and playing in it and I kept telling him no then he would go over and try to open the door to get out and I kept bringing him back in. He was just restless with the waiting and was getting into things. I also have seen kids with literal meltdowns and his are nothing like these kiddos were.  If I were being honest, I call them meltdowns but in reality they aren't, he just throws a little fit and because he is super loud it seems worse than it is.  I didn't actually even mention his tantrums in waiting room because I felt as if it were a normal thing due to circumstances of an antsy toddler having to wait 30 minutes.  This psych is supposedly a pediatric psych who specializes in PPD,AHDH,ASD and these type of things. But I was expecting much more and was shocked and disappointed at the "eval"  I am discussing with his devel peds at next appt and get referred to someone else.  He basically said oh he isn't on spectrum and in next breath said but he is at risk for PDD.  I know at 2 1/2 it's a little early to diagnose some things, so I am rather surprised he just blurted out that he isn't on spectrum.  When I said that he frequently tries to open the fridge or stove or dishwasher is when he said oh that's a PPD behavior.  I mean my son likes to play with those things cause they have buttons and lights that come on when you open them and it isn't obsessive about it or anything and will go days without playing with them but he made it sound as if it were a huge thing.  Isn't is possible that he likes things that he can push buttons on without just automatically jumping to PPD? I am so dang frustrated with this I am seeing red.  I am trying to advocate for my son and get him any and all therapies he needs.  Overall I think he is a fairly typical child that has some issues, I just want answers.  Can you direct me to so anything else. Thanks Auntie

mommytoconnor

Thanks Auntie for your suggestions.  He turns 3 in June and I am trying to get him into early preschool where he can get services for whatever he needs.  I wasn't really in any big rush for a dx.  I actually thought that I sort of had a dx.  I keep being told SPD, not ASD, but then with this crack pot last week it made me just kinda wonder if there is something else I should be doing or another road I should take.  So it's nice to hear from others who have been thru it as to what they would recommend.  I am definately going to talk with his devel peds and wait until after he turns 3 to do anything else.  Thanks alot.