Not sure where to start...

I am having such a hard time with DS at home. He is an absolute angel most of the time, but suddenly, he'll snap and be a different kid. He won't listen, he'll push his sister down or hit either her or me, he can't calm down, he'll run circles around the house... I'm beyond frustrated.. I just can't control him.. I feel like I need to do something now. I can't sit around anymore and hope it gets better. We're going to his ped tomorrow for a flu shot, so I'll talk to him then, but how do I go about getting him evaluated? I feel like there is something off with him, however I also feel that it is our fault since I don't know how to discipline him anymore. Any help would be greatly appreciated, as my husband will be switching jobs and I'm not positive about the insurance information. Thank you!!

Re: Not sure where to start...

I would start by taking him to be evaluated by a private psychologist.

We called our insurance company for a list of local ones. We still had a co-pay, but he made the rec to pursue the evaluation through the school district (CPSE), since there were things he picked up on with him, that clearly weren't just "in our heads" as parents.

When I asked my ped initially about it, he just said he would write a script if the psychologist needed it.

After pursuing CPSE, he met with someone for speech, someone for OT and another psychologist. This was over the span of about a month.

Committee came together and recommended he have services for 2 1-hour sessions a week.

My DS has some sensory issues but a lot of it is behavioral too. It's too early to tell but we are concerned about ADHD.

Message edited 11/11/2012 7:09:32 PM.

Re: Not sure where to start...

Thanks so much for your imput! I really appreciate it! It's overwhelming in the beginning, so thanks.

Re: Not sure where to start...

Behavioral issues may be the result of speech and language delays. I would also recommend calling your school district to request an evaluation. They will test everything, IQ, psychological, speech, and any area of concern. You won't have to worry about referrals or about insurance costs. Behavioral specialists are also provided by the school district if recommended or requested.

Re: Not sure where to start...

Re: Not sure where to start...

It can be a long process. All districts are different, as well as different parts of the year. But stick with it. You can also call them if its taking an unexpectedly long time.

Not sure where to start...

The CPSE process shouldn't take too long - I think legally they have to have the evaluations completed and a report to you within 60 days.

My son was recently diagnosed by a private psychologist - I couldn't wait for the results of the CSE (he's in elementary school) because his behavior in school had deteriorated so badly and he doesn't have an issue with learning. If it wasn't for that I probably would have waited for the evaluation results from the school (and paid for by the school) then having to pay for a private psychologist.

I did raise concerns when my son was in preschool but was told that he would probably outgrow it - so listen to your gut and request the evaluation even if the teacher isn't convinced that it is necessary.

Re: Not sure where to start...

When I went through CPSE, the whole process took about a month.

We held off though with submitting the app because we wanted to wait to hear what the private child psych had to say.

Be prepared for a lot of people, especially older generations and family who are not around that much to tell you that you are doing the wrong thing, all kids are different, he'll outgrow it, etc.

Re: Not sure where to start...

Diet plays a major role in children's behavior. Look into the GAPS diet. Children can be sensitive to things such as gluten, soy, dairy and corn (even though allergy testing confirms no such allergy).

Gaps diet

Maybe try eliminating all dairy and gluten and see if that makes a difference in his behavior. It will take some time to get it out of his system and see results.

Message edited 11/19/2012 12:29:06 PM.