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Special Needs
ABColeslaw
member
Angel Baby Elisabeth Adelle April 2008
Can I ask a question that may have been asked already??
ABColeslaw
member
When the DSM is changed and comes out with the DSM V in May, they will be changing the diagnostic criteria for ASD. My understanding is that they are doing away with the diagnosis of PDD-NOS and Asperger's and everything will now fall under Autistic Disorder with tightened up criteria. The idea in doing this is to stream line the diagnosis and keep specialists from diagnosing PDD-NOS just to get services. It seems to me like a whole lot of really needy kids are going to get screwed out of services. It also looks like in the place of PDD-NOS and Aspergers, there will be a new disorder listed as a developmental delay, not under the umbrella of ASD, called Social Communication Impairment.
So I have a few questions for anyone who might be in the know.
1. What about the kids who are already diagnosed PDD-NOS? Will they have to be reevaluated in order to receive services? Wondering also what the new criteria is and how many PDD-NOS kids will qualify as ASD and how many will qualify as Social Communication Impairment.
2. I also wasn't able to get too much information about Social Communication Impairment and what the theraputic recommendations are going to be, like if they will still recommend ABA, or if they are going to just say something like "its recommended that your child receive speech language therapy focused of social pragmatic language.
I am a little worried. ABA has been making a huge difference for us. But to be honest, Asher barely qualified as it is. He tends to do well with 1:1 interactions and you really see more of the impairment in groups...like his developmental preschool readiness group. Asher will be aged out of early intervention by the time the DSM V comes out and will have already been through the eligibility process with the local intergrated preschool, but I am worried that they will be anticipating the change and fight us for services OR that he'll have one year of preschool and then when it comes time for his annual review, they will fight us then.
I know the answers to my questions may be "We won't know until it is published" I'm okay with that as well, I just didn't know if anyone on here had access to publications that I don't.
Asher Benjamin and Lola Aisling
Infertility
PCOS, Progesterone Deficiency Disorder, Multiple Miscarriage
Clomid, Metformin, Ovadril, PIO, P17 Iron/Platlet Tranfusion
My Spring Babies!
Angel Baby Elisabeth Adelle April 2008 Asher Benjamin April 2010
Lola Aisling May 2014
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Can I ask a question that may have been asked already??
I can only answer for my situation. I don't have access to any other info.
At the follow up appointment with the Developmental Pedi she said my DS, who has a PDD-NOS Dx, will meet the criteria for the new ASD Dx. I know the term is very relative but he is considered "mild". I don't know for sure but I don't think she plans on re-evaluating at our annual follow up next Sept. Those tests are lengthy and expensive I hope we don't need to do them every year.
For preschool he did not need and did not receive a diagnosis to receive services. It was prior to his medical diagnosis. He is classified as a Preschooler with a Disability to get services through school. We could have had it changed after his Dx but I was told it's just paperwork to change the classification and would not affect his services.
I *think* this is across the board, not just my district/state, but I'm not positive. Kids only need to qualify for services under an IEP once every 3 years. There's still the annual meetings and review but qualifying is every 3 years. I'm a little nervous my DS will lose his IEP after next year since they're already throwing around that he may only need a 504 plan in the future. While I think his medical diagnosis will be part of the consideration when he he's up for re-qualification it won't be a guarantee of services.
As for medical services through your private insurance it depends on your plan. My insurance doesn't cover any behavior therapies and thankfully when I asked his Dev Pedi didn't indicated that he needs them. To receive (limited to 30 visits a year each) private Speech and OT we did not need a dx all we needed was a doctors recommendation.
It is kind of unnerving with it all up in the air.
DS 09/2008
Okay it might be something that varies by state. In Massachusetts an Autism diagnoses is a shoe in for an IEP and children become eligible for the services set for in the DSM for that condition in early intervention. Like when we got a diagnosis of PDD-NOS, Asher automatically qualified for 25 hours of ABA and at least 3 hours of speech therapy. I hope that doesn't change for kids who might now be labeled Social Communication Impairment.
You said your son is on the mild side....I'm guessing probably similar to Asher, who just barely qualified. I'd have to look at his testing to get into specifics, but it came down to 1 point she tacked on because she wasn't sure how consistent his joint attention was. But other than that his play skills are above average, as are his social emotional skills. He was mostly diagnosed based on Language Regression...which is now pretty much caught up, Hyperlexia, and Sensory Processing Issues...which can sometimes look like restrictive or repetitive behaviors...but our neurologist admitted that she wasn't sure and that his diagnosis would evolve with time.
Asher's developmental preschool readiness specialist is convinced that he is not ASD and that he has auditory and phonological processing issues and specific language impairment, coupled with Sensory Processing Disorder...which can look like high functioning ASD. I used to feel the same way, but when we got the diagnosis and decided to start ABA, I saw such a difference in him and improvements that we never saw in intensive speech or OT. I'm worried that if we lose the diagnosis...be it his best fit or not, he may lose a service that has been key for him, one that I cannot afford.
Schools in Massachusetts will only provide ABA services with a medical diagnosis. Our insurance will only pay for ABA with a diagnosis as well. We will have a 3 year reeval just like everyone else, but the school system will reconvene the team at the end of each year in addition to an annual review for kids that are in transition programs...like intergrated preschool or intergrated K programs and they will up or decrease services as needed. I know I can refuse to sign if they take away services I want, but then they will default to the old IEP and his goals wouldn't be updated and those services would have to stay to work on old goals and that wouldn't be good for him either.