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recently Diagnosed aspergers
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Yitzzy posted:
I just received a diagnosis of aspergers for my 5 year old. I have forwarded the diagnosis with to her peds doctor. I plan on making an appointment to see what referrals he might have. I am also planning on contacting my insurance to see what therapies they cover for early intervention. She has an IEP and I believe that qualifies her for Medicaid. I am going to be contacting the social security administration to see if she qualifies. (Her school said she was eligible so I assume it would be through SSDI). I am also going to be contacting the local center for autism and related disabilities. I am wondering what other things I need to do to make sure she gets as much early intervention as possible. Her weaknesses are poor overall pragmatic skills: eye contact, topic maintenance; poor oral vocabulary with complex knowledge; poor grammar; and difficulty with transitioning. [br>Some background: She has been atypical since birth. She failed to latch after birth and had to be bottle fed. She was difficult transitioning from bottle to baby food, but once she transitioned she would eat any food she was fed until about 11 months when she started spitting out flavors she didn't like. She was behind in hitting all of her milestones by at least a couple of months. She didn't walk until 18 months and didn't potty train until she was almost 4 years old. Once she decided to start using the toilet she has done so consistently with very few accidents. Because of her delays she has been in an early intervention since she was 3 years old. When she started she was non-communicative but she quickly got with the classroom routine and has shown steady improvement since that time. [br>She is an only child but she does crave other kids to play with. She has been a daisy scout for the last year which she has loved. I have her signed up for summer camp at her school to continue socialization during the summer months. Her social skills are very poor and she tends to cry and scream if she doesn't win or doesn't get a turn.[br>Any information that will steer me in the right direction or help me avoid pitfalls would be appreciated. Thanks.
1 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:recently Diagnosed aspergersI just received a diagnosis of aspergers for my 5 year old. I have forwarded the diagnosis with to her peds doctor. I plan on making an appointment to see what referrals he might have. I am also planning on contacting my insurance to see what therapies they cover for early intervention. She has an IEP and I believe that qualifies her for Medicaid. I am going to be contacting the social security administration to see if she qualifies. (Her school said she was eligible so I assume it would be through SSDI). I am also going to be contacting the local center for autism and related disabilities. I am wondering what other things I need to do to make sure she gets as much early intervention as possible. Her weaknesses are poor overall pragmatic skills: eye contact, topic maintenance; poor oral vocabulary with complex knowledge; poor grammar; and difficulty with transitioning. [br>Some background: She has been atypical since birth. She failed to latch after birth and had to be bottle fed. She was difficult transitioning from bottle to baby food, but once she transitioned she would eat any food she was fed until about 11 months when she started spitting out flavors she didn't like. She was behind in hitting all of her milestones by at least a couple of months. She didn't walk until 18 months and didn't potty train until she was almost 4 years old. Once she decided to start using the toilet she has done so consistently with very few accidents. Because of her delays she has been in an early intervention since she was 3 years old. When she started she was non-communicative but she quickly got with the classroom routine and has shown steady improvement since that time. [br>She is an only child but she does crave other kids to play with. She has been a daisy scout for the last year which she has loved. I have her signed up for summer camp at her school to continue socialization during the summer months. Her social skills are very poor and she tends to cry and scream if she doesn't win or doesn't get a turn.[br>Any information that will steer me in the right direction or help me avoid pitfalls would be appreciated. Thanks.
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pmw68 responded:
Dear Yitzzy,

Your daughter has the "classic" (though I hate to use that word since each child is expressly unique) deficits of a child with autism. Does your daughter have health insurance through you? I think you may need to contact the Social Security Department. SSI is often awarded to those with financial difficulty. Not all cases of a disabled child will receive funds. Also, if you chose to put your daughter on Medicaid, there will be a lean put on your home. This is the reason we did not go that route. I may be speakinig out of turn, as I'm not an expert in governmental supplementation so please contact the office and ask many questions. This might save you the energy and the painstaking amount of time to fill out all the forms.

Please know that you are doing enough. As parents, we question ourselves because we don't want to have regrets and find out that we missed an opportunity for our child. It sounds like you are doing great with working your daughter into the typical activities of her peers. That is what you need to do. The turn taking and meltdowns can be hard. I don't know if there is an answer to this. It can be the rigidity of our children that creates the anxiety for them or something completely different. All I can offer is to try to "feel" your way into a potential solution. What is your heart telling you about the reasons why your child has a hard time losing? Of course, we all like to win but for our children there is more anxiety for them, when they don't.
Good Luck. I hope this helps.
pmw
Report This| Share this:recently Diagnosed aspergersDear Yitzzy,<br /> <br />Your daughter has the "classic" (though I hate to use that word since each child is expressly unique) deficits of a child with autism. Does your daughter have health insurance through you? I think you may need to contact the Social Security Department. SSI is often awarded to those with financial difficulty. Not all cases of a disabled child will receive funds. Also, if you chose to put your daughter on Medicaid, there will be a lean put on your home. This is the reason we did not go that route. I may be speakinig out of turn, as I'm not an expert in governmental supplementation so please contact the office and ask many questions. This might save you the energy and the painstaking amount of time to fill out all the forms.<br /> <br />Please know that you are doing enough. As parents, we question ourselves because we don't want to have regrets and find out that we missed an opportunity for our child. It sounds like you are doing great with working your daughter into the typical activities of her peers. That is what you need to do. The turn taking and meltdowns can be hard. I don't know if there is an answer to this. It can be the rigidity of our children that creates the anxiety for them or something completely different. All I can offer is to try to "feel" your way into a potential solution. What is your heart telling you about the reasons why your child has a hard time losing? Of course, we all like to win but for our children there is more anxiety for them, when they don't.<br />Good Luck. I hope this helps.<br />pmw
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