Is there a good phrase for this?

august06mom

DS2 was given a PDD-NOS diagnosis by a behavioral pedi. Dr. felt he was "borderline" but that it was best to give him a diagnosis so that he could qualify for services. I'm having mixed emotions but know that therapy can only help him at this point, and I'm lucky to live in a county that makes it pretty easy to receive free assistance.

My question is regarding family members. Since DS just has some "quirks" (obsessively spinning wheels on cars, sorting, lining things up), how do you explain to family members that, no, there's "nothing wrong with him," but that there's nothing wrong with getting therapy either. I'm telling very few people, but I know it will come up with the grandparents. I'm sick of feeling like I have to defend myself for agreeing with doctors and speech/PT therapists that there's definitely something a bit amiss with his behavior.  

MirandaHobbes

I wouldn't dwell on the "borderline" diagnosis, personally. We just declined to tell anyone- even my parents- the entire first year DS was diagnosed, because we were given a sortof wishy-washy diagnosis as well (the school district EI labeled him "at risk for autism" so he would obtain services.) When he was 3 he was diagnosed pdd-nos by a dev. pedi. My family knew he was early intervention, but I just said it was for speech delay. When DS was acting quirky around them, I didn't say anything. When I finally told them after a year, I was really surprised to find out that they had already figured it out.

I still haven't told my grandma. She's of a generation that just wouldn't understand. Most of my family doesn't really "get" it, except a couple that happen to be psychologists. To me, there just isn't a way to make it a comfortable situation with some family. They either get it or they don't. I choose not to involve the ones that don't, but that's a hard thing to do if you're really close to family. I'm not particularly, so we've gradually moved apart from most.

august06mom

Thank you for the advice. I guess I sound like I'm in denial, huh?