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my son is going to have anther eval.


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Recently my child's case manager came for a home visit . She works at the regional Center, and handles my son's case.

Well now she made an appointment for for child to have an in depth evaluation at the regional center by a neuro psycholgist. I think that was the Dr's title.

After 13 years of my son recieving services from the school district, being in special day classess, medications, and having the diagnoses of cogintive delays and on the austic spectrum , It feels like we have to start all over again.

I am so uncertain as to how this is going to turn out. It was not my idea, or my choice to go through this evaluation. What if the DR. does not see the behavior my child has? What if my son is just labled as mentally retarded?

God, how I'm stressed.

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Cathy,

How does this evaluation affect you and your son? Perhaps the result will be an improvement, either in services available or whatever. You seem certain that it will be worse, for some reason. Like the case worker is doing this deliberately to harm you ... Maybe you're adding stress to your already heavy load, for no reason?

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Hi Cathy,

I'm involved an about 3-5 of these evaluations per week and the way we do it is to have all of the teachers involved with the child to complete various behavior rating scales, so the best thing to do is to make sure to let every teacher know that their feedback is critical (schools don't often take these seriously). Also, the psych will conduct some observations and/or have someone else complete what's called a functional behavioral analysis to get raw data. Finally, the child is tested. I'm curious why they're requesting a neuro-psych eval as opposed to a school psych one, it carries less weight in the school setting:confused:.

Regardless of what the psych eval says, it's the team that makes the final determination. The eval is just one (an important one tho if the findings are extremely different than what has been the traditional "label") of several pieces of info. Your best offense is to talk to an educational advocatem or the special ed director in advance, or read the law regarding IEPs (which he has if he's receiving services). While there are guidelines and rules, there are also exceptions based on specific needs not identifiable within the eval. Also, it's not the diagnosis that determines the services, it's the child's needs (i.e., if his academic performance is 2 standard deviations below his IQ, in other words, if his IQ was 100 and he was in the 5th grade but was only able to perform in the 2nd grade due to his condition, services would need to be delivered: but each state is different I think). Here he is protected by federal laws (IDEA's no child left behind, the American with Disabilities Act's section 504, and whatever state laws may pertain). A diagnosis of Autism like one of MR, opens doors.

But this is a bit confusing, typically, for the school, it's them that ask for it. If the regional center is requesting it, it may be to assess progress, to justify continued services, or as we do here, one is required every 4 months as a reassessment.

Kids who get the best service usually do so b/c the parent is a strong, demanding and knowledgeable advocate for their child!

Good luck and I hope this helps.

Edited by David O
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Hello,

I am a teacher in an elementary school. I 100% agree with David's comment. Be your child's advocate. If you don't understand something, ask to have it explained as many times as needed. Ask your school district if they have a parent representative who can work with you. Hopefully this evaluation will result in your child receiving the services that will allow your child to be as successful as possible. Good luck and I will be thinking about you.

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maybe I did not make myself clear in my orginal post. I'll try again now.

First of all the evaluation is not for school . My son has always qualified for services since the age of 3yrs old. He has always been in special day classses.

in April of last year ,I requested that my son have a more detailed evaluation by the school district. The school's Special ED , Psychologist did do the testing, and IQ performance tests. It was detailed .

NOW, when my son Regional Worker came out i showed her the evaluation. Here is the issue : The regional center worker tells me that the School Psych. can't make a diagnoses. Even though my child has seen many specialists throughout the years , and have ALL told me the same thing. That my child is on the autistic spectrum and has cognitive delays. For years this is what his diagnoses has been . He even was on SSI for years, I easily was able to get him on SSI.

NOW, here comes the regional center , case worker, telling me that he does not have a official diagnoses , REALLY? humm , because he does, however NOW, at the age of 16yrs old, the regional center worker has made an appointment for him through them , to AGAIN have a IN DEPTH , evaluation.

It makes me a bit mad that I have to put my child through this again, for the sake of THEIR records. My records and the specialists that he has seen over the past , are not good enough, aparently .

Just upsets me because it was not what I requested. AND why the heck make my son go through an in length process , when their already has a established diagnoses? It is the regional center who is doing this, not the school district.

I have dealt with the school district/special education services for 13 years . I am well informed and know how the process works. not a problem with the school district.

I GUESS that as my son does reach 18yrs old, this Eval, may help? I just hope that this next evaluater is good, and will observe well, not changing or adding to my sons diagnoses. This is what I fear. I feel like the boat is rocking , and it is unessassory.

Malign/Mark, '

good point, as usual. Wish it did not stress me out. However, when it comes to my childs needs and future, what professionals do and say about my son has an impact on me. I am a single parent , and want the best for my son.

Edited by mscat
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msact,

I'm on my way out the door so this will be short (imagine that!!!), but schools generally do not seek out a clinical eval and vice versa. A school psychologists eval is not viewed as a key piece in this evaluation since school psychologists are very limited in what they can and can't diagnose.

I'm wondering is this is routine procedure at the regional center. For us, it's one every 4-6 months to maintain services and assess progress. When was his last eval from the center?

have a good day,

david

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Guest ASchwartz

Hi Mscat,

Yes, this business of the evaluations is extremely frustrating to say the least. It seems as though you are caught between competing agencies: the school and the regional center. For some stupid reason of their own, the regional center will not accept the evaluation done by the school district. I suppose you could go to someone higher up in the regional center than this case worker. Perhaps you should try that??? What can the regional center do for you son? Why are they important? Could you explain??

Thanks and know that your frustration with this is totally understandable.

Allan

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Hi Mscat,

Yes, this business of the evaluations is extremely frustrating to say the least. It seems as though you are caught between competing agencies: the school and the regional center. For some stupid reason of their own, the regional center will not accept the evaluation done by the school district. I suppose you could go to someone higher up in the regional center than this case worker. Perhaps you should try that??? What can the regional center do for you son? Why are they important? Could you explain??

Thanks and know that your frustration with this is totally understandable.

Allan

Thank you Allen, I do have the name of my child's case manager's supervisor , had not thought of talking to her....

The reason why the Regional is so important is because they work with families and give direct support and pay for services, that would be costly to a family.

The regional center only works with people who are developmentally disabled, have autism , mental retardation , and other developmental disabilites. the great thing about them is they work with the individual for life... they will vendor out services and pay for them such as behavioral intervention, a person comes over and works one on one with the disabled clienton specific goals and needs, they have professionals that work with social skills training , that is done in a group for disabled clients.

ALL of these services are paid for by the regional center. They are amazing. They do evaluations as well, at no fee, because I was told that it could of cost me well over a few hundred dollars. They also will provide respite care, pay for it!

What irks me, in regards to my childs needs, is that the school district has not been the only professionals involved .

My son has been to child neruologists, child psychologists, child psychatrists, and is currently in therapy .

It isn't our first rodeo....

the regional believes my son does nOT have a "real" or a concrete diagnoses, crazy> I guess they don't have enough on him through their program. :confused:

Even though my son has been to other professionals many times, + the Special day classess, for 13 years , it feels like we have to start over.

This scares me. Starting over, because it brings up a whole host of uncertainty, the what ifs and what this new DR. will or will not observe in my child.

Such as , the Dr, is he going to just write down in the evaluation , my son is retarded? Is the Dr. going to see /observe enough behavioral characteriects of autism? Is the Dr. going to come up with something new? A new diagnoses?

(sigh) their are too many uncertainty's and this is what I DO NOT like . I guess it might just help because of the age my son is. Now 16yrs old, anther yr, he is going to be a senior in High school , then out of that program , into anther program offered by the Special School he is in. the services go up to age 22 .

Then , it is up to me to find a program for him as a adult. A day program .

Yes it is frustrating, but, if I did need the regional center's services and they were not so important , then I would not care.

David O ,

not for the regional center. Because it is highly expensive, it is not a routine procedure> this is a in depth Evaluation, not just a simple one. I found out tthat it is going to be pages long. I don't know excatly what it is going to consist of >

I do know that they have other DR's who evaluate children for Social Security , they work with social security > those interviews are brief though.

I knew someone who tried to get their child on SSI based on ADHD alone. I did not think they would win their claim, I was correct.

This is NOT why my son is getting evaluated, it is more to find out what EXACTLY is going on with my child developmentally and wher he fits in the autistic spectrum.

I am not keen on labels or anything. But, in order for continued services the regional center wants him to be re evaluated AGAIN. it sucks. But, I feel like their is no choice. When I don;t have a choice, this is where I personally become rather peeved.

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Guest ASchwartz

Hi Mscat,

Your answer and explanation are fully what I expected but I needed to be sure. Ya never know, not until ya know for sure. ;)

Anyway, remember the old saying, "The squeaky wheel gets the grease." Become a squeaky wheel. Go higher up in the Regional, complain, submit documentation from these doctors, etc. "The grease" is the help you need, of course.

I know this scenario so well. Many years ago, when I was much younger and had hair on my head (:) ) I worked with mentally retarded children and their families and I came to learn about all the hassles the families had to go through to have their needs fulfilled while dealing with an anonymous bureaucracy that was impossible. It sounds like the Regional is good but needs some pushing.

Anyway, I want you to know that I understand and am with you all the way.

Allan

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