The director and psychologist from the special needs prek, along with our PT, OT, and ST, and our Babies Can't Wait Coordinator, will be arriving at my home around 11 am. They are doing the initial evaluation for services of my children. We know Kaeleb is a sure thing, as he pervasively is autistic. Kaedence is on the spectrum, so she will probably qualify without concern. Aoife does not have those types of concerns. She still doesn't have a single word (and they are 2.5 years old), or animal sound, or the ability to follow even simple commands, like "where's your nose?" or "Put the ball in the bucket." However, she doesn't have anti-social behaviors, like Kaedence who has a three foot invisable force field around her which no stranger can penetrate. Or troublesome behaviors, like Kaeleb's self harm concerns or extreme agression towards others. But she is delayed. I am so afraid of them looking at her as the best one out of the three. I want them to evaluate her on her own, without comparison. I know compared to the rest of the world's 2.5 year olds, she is terribly behind. She has no clinical diagnosis though. She has an non-specific language delay and an abnormal gait. She qualifys for everything with Babies Can't Wait (which is GA version of Early Intervention) except for the behaviorist. She was just fitted for her leg braces to help correct her walking concerns. But that's a neurological hiccup, not a developmental concern.
Kaedence has sensory defensivness, sensory intergration disorder, and autistic spectrum disorder. Kaeleb is autisitc (which is supposedly different then being on the specturm), hypertonia, insensitivity to pain, and is a sensory seeker. Aoife just doesn't talk. In comparison to her siblings, she is doing very well. In comparison to a normal toddler, she is behind. Very behind.
So, hopefully they will all qualify. I am frantically cleaning my house up from yesterdays science project and last nights dinner.
I've got my fingers crossed.

Heehee... you had me at "frantically cleaning my house." lol DH says we should invite people over every day, then the house would stay clean (and that's when I kicked him in the head).

If you're worried about Aoife, I would definitely get them to evaluate her first and make sure to ask what they think immediately after her "session." Good luck, and let us know how it goes!

Loren
GGG Jan.2005 @ 28wks

Sweetened Taters - http://sweetenedtaters.blogspot.com

Lea, hang in there. I am sure it will be fine. Sounds like they will all qualify. They can give an "educational diagnosis" even without a medical diagnosis.
I really think you will be so glad they are going. I know how hard it is to leave them there, especially when you are the only one who seems to know how they communicate, what different behaviors mean and how to calm them down and make them happy. I ended up making my husband drop them off in the beginning because I had such a hard time leaving them.
My kiddos seem similar to yours in many ways. One has the ASD dx and is a major sensory seeker, the other very sensory defensive and SID, with language and fine motor delays. She some days would probably test out as PDD-NOS, but has no formal dx. She seems to be outgrowing many of her sensory issues, and after 1 year of sp. ed preschool (plus private speech therapy) is now only about 9 months behind in speech.
When my girls started therapies they tested very similar to yours, if I remember right from you other post. They were about 2 1/2 and testing in expressive speech around 9 months and receptive maybe 15 months. Now they are still behind, but so much closer to age level than before.
I would love to chat about this anytime if you ever want. I know how hard this transition is. I've gotta go, this is the girls day off school and we have PT, OT, Speech and feeding group to go to.
Katie

Katie

"

Lea,
You are so amazing dealing with all this. Good luck on the house cleaning. (I'm right there with you. Babies Can't Wait is coming on Friday for our final eval (PT)).

Just a suggestion on the evaluating them as individuals. When babies can't wait did our intake evals for Speech and OT, I had my mom come and take the two not being evaled at that moment away from the house. (she took them for a walk around the neighborhood and I would call her cell as the therapist finished up.) That way the therapists could focus on them one on one (and I'd do Aoife first, so that they wouldn't compare her to the others, because they won't have evaled them yet.) I know your situtation is a little different, because the thearpist are already familiar with their case, but maybe that would help also.

Kimberly,
Mom to Isabelle, Alyssa, and Makenna
www.guinntrips.com

How did it go Lea? I hope you got the answers that you need!!! Tell me about sensory defensivness please.

My daughter with sensory defensiveness does things like covers her ears to loud noises, she is very sensitive in general and emotional. She does not like hand over hand contact...although she is getting better with this as she ages, she is a tippy toe walker and very picky eater. Sensitive to textures and things....

Katie

"

Today was awful. Yes, my children all met the less than 5% range of children their age criteria for placement in the special needs preschool. Unfortunately my son did not fair well with all the extra bodies in the house. He screamed for the entire hour and a half. He hit himself. He bit himself. He bashed his head into every hard surface he could find. He clawed at his face and eyes until he bled. I was completely powerless.

After the meeting, I took him up for an emergency visit with the neurologist, as this behavior is only getting worse and the medication he is on, is no longer effective. I walked in to the office, without an appointment, with my son who looked as though he had smashed his face through a window. He was bloody, battered, and bruised. They upped his antipsychotic meds and added sedatives and a neuro suppressent. I feel so defeated. They ordered him a restrainment chair and showed me how to use a household sheet to prevent movement. He is being fitted for a helmet and our weighted vest/blankets should arrive in the next week. I am so disheartened. This was a bad news day.

oh lea.
what a relentless day.

tess
mummy to 6yr old ds & the triumverate born 2004

"the days are slow but the years fly by quickly"

I'm so sorry that Kaeleb had such a trying day. I am sure you are exhausted.

Alice

Oh Lea,
I am so, so sorry. Tons of prayers going your way.

Kimberly,
Mom to Isabelle, Alyssa, and Makenna
www.guinntrips.com

Oh Lea! What a blessing that you have medical people on your side to listen and to help and the services your kids will get will be a godsend too but going through this is just not fair. I am truly sorry for your horrendous day! HUGS and prayers for a peaceful evening.

I'm sorry things went so badly today. Hopefully the programs you set in motion today will lead to a better life for all 3 of your little monkeys.

Lori

http://yesidohavemyhandsfull.blogspot.com/

Oh, Lea, this just brings tears to my eyes. I'm so sorry you had such a bad day. Let's hope these people can give you some help and advice and know what they are doing. And I hope tomorrow goes much better.

Michele
Sarah, Gregory, Amanda
born 1/22/04 at 35w1d

Our surprise baby Austin born 06/15/2005

www.fourtimesthefun.blogspot.com

Oh Lea I'm so sorry the news wasn't good and that you little man had such an awful day.

Misty
Abigail 2 lbs 14 oz
Katie 3 lbs 1 oz
James 3 lbs 6 oz
born 11/10/05
30w 5d

My attempt at a blog http://tripletblessed.blogspot.com/

Hugs to you girl. I hope that it all helps him out.

Michelle

Tyler 17 1/2 years!!
Steph 15 1/2 years!!
Ayden, Ryley & Dylan 3 1/2 years!!
http://triplethefunplus2.blogspot.com/

Wow - you must be one very special person to be able to deal with all this.

I'm sorry the day was so rough for you and for Kaeleb. I hope things get a litte better.

http://www.brianandcharlie.com/blog
^Alexandra^, Brian, Charlie 07/28/2003
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