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YoseMom
Emu Egg
Joined: Nov 03, 2008
Posts: 1
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 Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 10:43 pm Post subject: "Emotionally Disturbed"??? |
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| About seven years ago, while searching the internet in tears to find out 'what was wrong with my child', I found a description of Aspergers. It was so dead on to what I had felt (about myself) my whole life that I got cold chills. I did, finally, four years after that get a diagnosis of Aspergers for the son I had been looking up about (though at the time I thought he was closer to being Autistic). While the 'testing' process was going on for this son (he was five at the time), they guy from the regional center suggested I get my older son tested because he felt that my older son showed clear aspects of it as well. Unfortunately I didn't jump on that at the time (I was a single mom, of three children, going to school full time, getting ready to move and start working full time). Since then my older son's school has diagnosed him as 'Emotionally Disturbed'. The first time they did the testing for his IEP he did test as 'very likely' for having Aspergers, but this time he tested 'unlikely'. The only test they give for Aspergers (for his IEP) is a long list of questions (maybe like 100), yet for the diagnosis of Emotionally Disturbed they ask only four questions. The basis of that diagnosis is that he has trouble making friends (due to him trying too hard, telling jokes that no one gets, etc.) and that he feels depressed (because of his lack of friends). I look at my older son and I see a mirror of myself at his age. Not liking to answer questions (on paper) with full sentences (just one or two word answers), poor spelling, poor handwriting, trouble making friends, not knowing what to do or how to act to make friends, feeling 'what's wrong with me that I can't make friends'. I thought that this inability to know how to behave socially, not knowing all the little social things that everyone else seems to be born knowing, was the corner stone of Aspergers. How can this now be Emotionally Disturbed? After all who wouldn't be depressed after having almost no friends for 12 years of their life? I'm trying to find someone to evaluate my son for Aspergers (to get an official diagnosis and get rid of the Emotionally Disturbed one) but the regional center in my area won't test for that, you have to have full blown Autism for them to test. I feel like my son is falling through the cracks. What can I do, who is there to help? |
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Smelena
Cure Neurotypicals Now!
Joined: Apr 02, 2007
Posts: 2150
Location: Australia
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ster
Phoenix
Joined: Sep 24, 2005
Posts: 2727
Location: new england
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:25 am Post subject: |
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for starters, Emotionally Disturbed is NOT a diagnosis......it is a label that the school system puts on a child to determine placement in a classroom setting..........someone with bipolar, anxiety disorder, etc could be labeled ED by a school system.
as for getting a proper dx, i'd contact your pediatrician & see if they have any reccomendations. if not, see if there's a SEPTA in your area ( Special Ed Parent Teacher Association)....you could also try any local autism societies.... |
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Emmett
Sea Gull
Joined: Oct 17, 2008
Posts: 208
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 8:33 am Post subject: |
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| I would explain to the school sort of what you just did (I wouldn't go into all the details, but that's just me). Even if you have a DX, will they understand? I think what you just said should be enough to explain what is going on with your son to any reasonable person (not that I think most teachers are reasonable people, but that's just me). |
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DW_a_mom
Ignoring the To-Do List
Joined: Feb 23, 2008
Posts: 3969
Location: Northern California
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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I think your instincts are probably dead on. Trust them.
Emotionally disturbed sounds like a cop out. And it probably means they would have to offer less in the way of special services and accommodations. Don't allow them to put any label on your child that will allow them to warehouse him instead of inspire him.
AS can get more difficult to diagnose as children get older because, simply, they learn to compensate for many of the skills they lack. You need a professional who understands this and is used to diagnosing those at your son's age, to get a valid opinion.
Unfortunately, there is no medical test that can tell us with 100% certainty that someone is AS. It's all opinion.
Which is why your instinct is so important. Don't let go of it unless you are presented with a diagnosis that rings true for you (it doesn't have to be AS, it just has to ring true when fully explained and researched).
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Tortuga
Phoenix
Joined: Dec 12, 2007
Posts: 609
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| Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 11:16 am Post subject: |
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"Emotional Disturbed" is an educational label that you should reject. It's a category where they lumped together a bunch of kids with varying problems, but the problems are not so severe as to warrent "Conduct Disorder".
The problem with ED Classrooms is that they are usually dominated by street smart kids, esp. at the higher grades. While the classrooms are smaller in size, your son will be a target for bullies.
At the higher end of the spectrum, there are very few options in most school districts around the U.S. If they can't make it in mainstream and they are not LD, they slap on the ED label.
My child is homeschooled primarily because they placed him in ED classroom in kindergarten and that placement only made him worse. |
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0031
Snowy Owl
Joined: Oct 18, 2008
Age: 43
Posts: 153
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| Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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I hope that you can find the best help for your child!
(Sorry that I am unable to give you advice about it. I am reading a book on children with Aspergers at the moment, and the authors of that book have a forum called OASIS. I haven't tried it- but perhaps that's a place with more answers.) |
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natesmom
Phoenix
Joined: May 16, 2008
Posts: 698
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| Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 11:07 pm Post subject: Re: "Emotionally Disturbed"??? |
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| YoseMom wrote: | | About seven years ago, while searching the internet in tears to find out 'what was wrong with my child', I found a description of Aspergers. It was so dead on to what I had felt (about myself) my whole life that I got cold chills. I did, finally, four years after that get a diagnosis of Aspergers for the son I had been looking up about (though at the time I thought he was closer to being Autistic). While the 'testing' process was going on for this son (he was five at the time), they guy from the regional center suggested I get my older son tested because he felt that my older son showed clear aspects of it as well. Unfortunately I didn't jump on that at the time (I was a single mom, of three children, going to school full time, getting ready to move and start working full time). Since then my older son's school has diagnosed him as 'Emotionally Disturbed'. The first time they did the testing for his IEP he did test as 'very likely' for having Aspergers, but this time he tested 'unlikely'. The only test they give for Aspergers (for his IEP) is a long list of questions (maybe like 100), yet for the diagnosis of Emotionally Disturbed they ask only four questions. The basis of that diagnosis is that he has trouble making friends (due to him trying too hard, telling jokes that no one gets, etc.) and that he feels depressed (because of his lack of friends). I look at my older son and I see a mirror of myself at his age. Not liking to answer questions (on paper) with full sentences (just one or two word answers), poor spelling, poor handwriting, trouble making friends, not knowing what to do or how to act to make friends, feeling 'what's wrong with me that I can't make friends'. I thought that this inability to know how to behave socially, not knowing all the little social things that everyone else seems to be born knowing, was the corner stone of Aspergers. How can this now be Emotionally Disturbed? After all who wouldn't be depressed after having almost no friends for 12 years of their life? I'm trying to find someone to evaluate my son for Aspergers (to get an official diagnosis and get rid of the Emotionally Disturbed one) but the regional center in my area won't test for that, you have to have full blown Autism for them to test. I feel like my son is falling through the cracks. What can I do, who is there to help? |
Can you get an outside evaluation? |
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violet_yoshi
Phoenix
Joined: Aug 16, 2004
Age: 28
Posts: 1385
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| Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 3:16 am Post subject: |
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| Is it really so difficult for schools to understand, you DO NOT place Auties or Aspies with bullying children? |
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