OK, I was doing pretty well about not stressing too much about this, but this weekend dh was at his sister's and come home realizing just how different her dd and our ds, who are about the same age, really are. He was having conversations with her dd, came home and asked Tyler what he did today and got "yeah". I was thinking he was doing better, but maybe that is just wishful thinking.

Anyway, our ADI is this Thursday and I have been counting on that to help me. It occurs to me that maybe we just answer questions and go home and are not told anything. I know this is only part of the evaluation process, but those of you who have been to one, did they tell you at the end how things were looking based on your answers? Will we get any information one way or the other or does the limbo continue until after his play assessment?

Sonya, Mommy to:

Tyler 8-15-01
Amanda 5-23-03
Leah 5-23-03
Trevor 5-23-03

sonya,
we did not have a two part eval like you are having, i just took charles in one day for just over an hour with the ped. neuro. He asked me so many questions and watched charles the whole time, in the office, around in the hallways, etc, and at the end of the hour he gave me the diagnosis.
Before going in i told my DH that i didn't want to leave there with a diagnosis because i didn't feel one brief meeting with the neuro without any prior knowledge of charles wasn't enough to make a concrete diagnosis. However, i had done my research and from the criteria i pretty much knew that he was on the autistic spectrum. i also felt that the dr. asked so many very pertinent questions that i felt his observations and comments about charles were accurate and that he really did get a clear picture of what we are dealing with here. So, we did get a diagnosis on that first visit and i feel at this point a second opinion is not necessary.
It is possible they will give you some feedback (i would hope so anyway) but may not really diagnose until they evaluate him in person.
I think the hardest part of all of this is like what your DH said-- when you see other children the same age as your kiddo. i get almost irritated when i see other kids my sons age! i usually get the most depressed when we go to story time or somewhere where there are a lot of other kids that are younger than charles saying words, pointing, clapping, etc. and charles is in a corner hitting the wall or just staring in space picking his nose...
i thought that after our diagnosis came things would only get better, but that hasn't been the case, in fact some days charles is much more "spacey" than ever before. But, he has great days too.
anyway, i will be thinking about you on thursday. please let us know how it goes. you have a lot going on, dealing with this and your babies--hang in there!!

Meg

Sonya
This can be rather frustrating and can feel like a set back. Let me tell you that your on the right track. Soon you will see great changes and developemental milestones being met by your son. Soon you will be giving support and advice to someone simular shoes. I remember things Blake did and didn't do and watching other kids. Now its fine. It can be scarey and sad... but for us it did get better. Lots of therapy and lots of work with Blake. Good luck and let us know how Thursday goes!

Danielle
Easton, Blake & Hunter
1-24-99

Well, we are back and I really don't know anything more than I did before... The Dr. was very nice and the interveiw very thorough and dh and I felt that we were able to give a pretty accurate picture of ds. I asked for her feedback at the end and she agreed with our concerns, but also found alot of things encouraging - his speech, he is starting to play imaginatively, etc. The next step is the ADOS which will probably be in August, then a meeting with the doc to discuss everything. She sort of prepared us for the possibility/probablility of not getting a diagnosis even then, maybe more along the lines of "he has some traits, but not enough to diagnose. We will follow him for awhile", which I can certainly live with!

Sonya, Mommy to:

Tyler 8-15-01
Amanda 5-23-03
Leah 5-23-03
Trevor 5-23-03

sonya,
i was thinking about you today--i'm glad that it went relatively well. i think waiting with things like this is torture, but at least he will be closely followed and you can get some professional feedback on your concerns. i am interested to see what they do during their eval with tyler.
thanks for posting!

Meg