Correct evaluation name needed

by Stephen
(Mickinney, Texas)

Hello,




I hope you can help me as we keep hitting brick walls. My son Logan is 8 yrs old and at 2 months had a cornea transplant surgeries and as well had ear issues. These 2 issues combined left my son with cognitive delays that put his mental age at around 4. He has been getting OT off and on all thru his life and was in the EID program until 3. My son has never been diagnosed with anything as all the doctors think he has some of some syndromes but not enough to diagnose.

At age 8 his hyperactivity was starting to interfere with school as he is in a life skills class, so our neurologist recommended the ADHD patch Daytrana. It seemed to help for a couple of weeks, but it did not slow down and sometimes made worse the stemming, humming and many other sensory issues that seem to be apparent in him.

The developmental pediatrician is not sure either what he has and was unable to direct us in getting any kind of firm diagnoses for Logan. The OT's we have seen at Children's Baylor house only do questionnaires and observe, but do not go any further than that. We so desperately need to know what step to take next and what is the name of the evaluation we need to get to determine exactly what is ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder or Autism.

We would greatly appreciate your advice as we have seen the name of the Sensory Integration/Praxis test and Multidiscplinary evaluations , but have been unable to find anybody willing to give these long tests as they say they are not needed and casual observation is fine.

Thanks for anything help you can offer

Stephen & Laurie W.

Michele Mitchell comments...

You need to find a SIPT certified OT who will give the Sensory Integration And Praxis Test. You had found the right name of the evaluation... good job! Now, you just need to find an OT who is certified in giving it and properly evaluating him for SPD. You can find one at: Western Psychological Services' SIPT Certified OT listings. Just pick the one closest to you... Texas is a big state and there are over 12 pages of therapists to choose from on this list. Let us know if you find one!

Anyone else have any input? Feel free to let Stephen & Laurie know.



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Jun 08, 2008
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by: Anonymous

I found out that my son has PDD-NOS. That is Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. We had taken him to a psychologist to find that out. Sensory Processing is a part of this.

I don't know if your son has this- I'm not a psychologist, but the way you explained your son's behavior sounds a lot like my son. If you don't want to wait for a diagnosis, you can go to the library or bookstore and find the "Diagnostic Criteria from DSM-IV-TR" book found in the psychology section. I sat there at Borders books looking up PDD-NOS to be sure he was qualified for that label. It gives you questions about his development and lets you decide, by your answers, what his diagnosis might be. The NOS means that he doesn't fully meet the criteria for any one pervasive developmental disorder, but has some impairment in his development. In other words, they don't know. Again, I am not a psychologist and don't know all your situation. This is only my suggestion - this is what I did.

Don't lose hope, you are doing a great job. Whether it seems like it or not, your son knows you love him and are working hard for him.

I found the Feingold diet (Feingold.org) has really helped us out tremendously.
Apr 29, 2008
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by: Anonymous

You may want to consult with a pediatric neurologist if you suspect autism. Also, I believe the SIPT needs to be given before a child turns 9. Good luck! :)

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