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[brandonsmom]

My 8 yr old son has been diagnosed with ADHD and emotional/behavioral disorder. His ped suspects he has PDD and SPD but he hasnt been diagnosed yet. Does a psychiatrist diagnose PPD and how long does it take (sessions) for a solid diagnosis to take place? Does a neurologist diagnose SPD and how long does it take? The reason Im asking is so far 3 docs have suspected it but havent done a checklist on him. Ive been having problems with his healthplan and he hasnt been back to his regular psychiatrist since Dec because the plan stopped paying and i was left hanging with the "I believe he has PDD and SPD". The ped also suspected fragile x, he will be tested in a few weeks. She had told me to wait until after the results came back before i looked into any other possible diagnosis'. My problem is I applied for disability for him so i could get him back on the old medicaid and he was denied, i have 60 days to appeal it or i have to start all over again. There wont be any limits once he gets back on it. Peachstate has given me nothing but problems, they quit paying. I printed out a checklist for PDD and SPD for the teachers to fill out this morning at my son's IEP meeting this morning, I figured they would have to do this eventually.

[charliegirl]

Check this out. I bet you qualify.

Sometimes, health insurance is just what a family needs.The UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation embraces and supports the concept of facilitating access to health-related services that have the potential to significantly enhance either the clinical condition or the quality of life of the child and that are not fully covered by the available commercial health insurance. The Foundation provides financial assistance toward the family's share of the cost of medical services.

Learn more about how you can apply or how you can contribute and give the gift of hope to a family in need.

www.uhccf.org/
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PDD is Pervasive Development Disorder and is on the upper level of the autism spectrum so that would best be diagnosed by a neuropsychiatrist or neuropsychologist. A very good child develpmental psych could probably also do it but unless you are positive they have experience with the autism spectrum, I'd try to find a neuro. I'm sure either could also diagnose SPD aka Sensory Processing Disorder.

I really don't know anything about fragile x. I assumed your ped could diagnose that.

[jj]

I'm afraid I can't help much but I do know you need to appeal. I guess that goes without saying but my grand niece was flat out told they rarely approve someone first time around. Stupid yes.

Everything I've read says a neuropsychologist who specializes in these areas is best for testing.

I don't know how long the tests take but I do know there are usually long waiting lists so as soon as you can find a NP in your area I'd make that appointment. A start would be calling a Childrens Hospital in your area.

For a backup plan in case SSI turns you down again you may find help through the Shriners or the Easter Seals Foundation.

My sister, whose daughter is ADHD and possibly bipolar has received much help through the Shriners but of course it will depend upon each individual state.

www.childrenscharityfund.org/hospitals.htm


www.easterseals.com/site/PageServer

Hopefully, someone else will be able to give you more info on how long the actual testing will take. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

[misty]

I was told, by someone whos been through getting disability for their child's ADHD, that its best NOT to appeal. They said it was better to wait & reapply. If you reapply, they disability people are forced to look at every thing fresh & chances are you'll get a different person assigned to the case, which could give you a better chance as they'll be looking at it for the first time. Sometimes appeals can get shoved aside & then at the last minute they just reject it.

[jj]

Misty, I'm glad that worked for your friend. I think it is a bit confusing which route is best to go. All I can say is the appeal process is there for a purpose and if all four levels of appeals are denied you can always reapply.

And by law, your appeal will be looked at by a new adjudicator(s).

Although the appeals process has been changed in some states this link is very informative on how it works.

www.pacer.org/articles/parentbriefs/ParentBrief_SSI3.pdf

I think it is a tough decision which way to go. In my grand nieces case she won by the appeal process.

[misty]

It wasn't a friend. Thast was advice given to me when I tried applying for Shannon. People on Maylengs site & schwab gave me that info. I agree it is confusing & we were turned down both times because Shannon was then in a private school & in all regular classes. Now that shes in public & in Learning Support, I could try again, but my reason for trying was for the financial support for her meds, which she is no longer on, so I have decided not to try a 3rd time.

[jj]

Oops, sorry, I just assumed you were speaking of an individual(friend) that had re-applied with success. I misunderstood. Thanks for setting me straight.

[brandonsmom]

Thank you for the information. What irritates me is the SSI letter said his condition was controlled by meds and therefore was not "disabled" Yes the meds help him while at school but he still has behaviors not controlled by the meds. He has self imposed timeouts when he has meltdowns at school. Even though he's on meds it only helps with the hyperactivity and attention but not 100%. He still has many issues fitting in, other kids thinks he's weird and strange. He has no friends and even when he does make a new friend they end up not wanting to come near him again. Lately e has been getting in trouble at school for threatening other students, the school doesnt understand that he threatens when he feels threatened. I asked the school about a 504 and they said he didnt qualify unless he needed other services or testing, he needs OT & PT. Im looking at his IEP for the next year and im not sure if its enough. This is so overwhelming for me, i always worry about him. Recently he started exhibiting risk taking behaviors that may be related to his change of meds. He's now on Metadate. He was taken off Concerta because he had violent mood swings and was being destructive. I dont know anymore if its the right meds or right dosage, they all have had different side effects. His teacher said his is much better when he's on the meds but i hate the idea of drugging my child to get him thru the day. Otherwise he would be sent to the office because of his disruptive behaviors. His prior psychiatrist had mentioned maybe putting him on Risperodal for his outbursts once he starts coming down from his meds. The afternoon is the worst time of the day for him, he and my daughter are always fighting and screaming because he gets on her nerves so bad.

[charliegirl]

www.drugs.com/pdr/metadate.html

I did a search on Metatdate and found this. I think you will find it helpful.

One thing to keep in mind is that it only works on ADHD so PDD or behavior/emotional problems not related to the ADHD won't be helped by it. Also, if there is bipolar present, it can make it worse and bring on a manic episode.

Most people who are not dealing exclusively with ADHD end up with a combination of meds in order to get the optimal effect. Unfortunately, quite often you find the right mixture by trial and error.

Hang in there. We have some great people on this site and I'm sure we can support you and help you work towards what is best for your son.

[brandonsmom]

Exactly what is a manic episode? If he is positive for fragile x then that will explain a lot of whats going on here. Ive known for some time that it was more than adhd. I checked out a lot of books on different disorders and one called "The Hyperactivity Hoax" I personally think doc are too quick to diagnose and overdiagnose. Meds help some and not others. In this book it had a checklist of different conditions that should be ruled out before slapping on the adhd label, none of which was done. Brandon comes unhinged so easily, its like hes not comfortable in his own skin. I am working on finding a neuropsychiatrist to evaluate him. Someone had mentioned to me something about a developmental pediatrician, anyone know anything about it. I think that would come in more handy with my 3 yr old than it would Brandon. thank you