What to do while waiting for neuropsych results?

[Anonymous]

We’re in the waiting period between testing and results, and everyone is a bit on edge. DC is an older teen with suspected Autism, although they tested for other things as well. Haven’t had a full neuropsych in years, and this wait feels harder, partly because DC is old enough to understand the testing and is amped up. What did you do to make the wait easier?

[Anonymous]

Need context

[Anonymous]

Why did you place so much emphasis on testing? I don’t get it.

[Anonymous]

How long is the wait?

[Anonymous]

This is weird. How will a label change anything in a teens life? So odd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Need context

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why did you place so much emphasis on testing? I don’t get it.

Not OP but I assume that it is because such a result is diagnostic. Sounds like OP's DC is waiting to hear "i am autistic" "i am not autistic". I'm sure it is a lot to process for a family.

OP, we had a chat with the tester to get results orally before the results came in the report. You can ask for that?

All the best

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why did you place so much emphasis on testing? I don’t get it.

Not OP but I assume that it is because such a result is diagnostic. Sounds like OP's DC is waiting to hear "i am autistic" "i am not autistic". I'm sure it is a lot to process for a family.

OP, we had a chat with the tester to get results orally before the results came in the report. You can ask for that?

All the best

It’s weird that it would be so built up in the kid’s mind. I’ve done tons of therapy and none of it turned on a diagnosis.

[Anonymous]

it is weird that a life-long label could be so built up in a kid's/family's mind? no, it's not.

[Anonymous]

This does not seem weird at all to me that a teen would fixate on this.

OP, can you lean hard into distraction? Go out for dinner, buy a new video game, do a family jigsaw puzzle or giant Lego set, etc.

[Anonymous]

OP here.

On the kid’s end, issues are:
- Anxiety + not dealing well with uncertainty, so they’re on edge waiting for An Answer that will explain their struggles.
- As teens do, they have read a lot and self-diagnosed. They tend to be a rigid thinker and have strongly identified with these self-diagnoses, so there might be some identity crisis, depending on the actual diagnosis.

On the parental end, not so concerned about the label. Bigger issues for us:
- Recommendations around college. Team has already hinted that they will recommend staying close to home. DC is a strong student and has been approaching college with more of an academic mindset. Starting the college search over is going to be hard for DC (see above re: rigid) and likely for DH as well. And just finding the time for visits (see above re: very concrete - they need to see a place to see themself there).
- Recommendations for therapies for DC’s last year of HS. Team has also hinted that there will be therapeutic recs for this year. DC is already in assorted therapies, but it sounds like we’ll need to find and schedule new providers. That’s always time-consuming, and our jobs are not super flexible, so there will be juggling and tight schedules and trying to have some energy left for our other kiddo.

Overall, I’d rather just know so we can get started, and also I’m kind of dreading getting started.

Fortunately it’s only a week. I like the idea of distraction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:it is weird that a life-long label could be so built up in a kid's/family's mind? no, it's not.

It’s weird that a DSM diagnosis has now become a “life long label” and identity instead of just one factor in your life, particularly for older kids and adults who likely have the most mild cases. I have fairly serious anxiety and I don’t call myself “an anxious” or see everything through the lens of my GAD diagnosis.

Somewhere along the line this kid was led to believe the dx is more meaningful than it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

On the kid’s end, issues are:
- Anxiety + not dealing well with uncertainty, so they’re on edge waiting for An Answer that will explain their struggles.
- As teens do, they have read a lot and self-diagnosed. They tend to be a rigid thinker and have strongly identified with these self-diagnoses, so there might be some identity crisis, depending on the actual diagnosis.

On the parental end, not so concerned about the label. Bigger issues for us:
- Recommendations around college. Team has already hinted that they will recommend staying close to home. DC is a strong student and has been approaching college with more of an academic mindset. Starting the college search over is going to be hard for DC (see above re: rigid) and likely for DH as well. And just finding the time for visits (see above re: very concrete - they need to see a place to see themself there).
- Recommendations for therapies for DC’s last year of HS. Team has also hinted that there will be therapeutic recs for this year. DC is already in assorted therapies, but it sounds like we’ll need to find and schedule new providers. That’s always time-consuming, and our jobs are not super flexible, so there will be juggling and tight schedules and trying to have some energy left for our other kiddo.

Overall, I’d rather just know so we can get started, and also I’m kind of dreading getting started.

Fortunately it’s only a week. I like the idea of distraction.

Why are you listening to people who want you to limit your child’s life? This is the EXACT problem with over-focusing on labels. Your kid is exactly the same post-diagnosis as before. But now you think that the label “autistic” means his/her world needs to now change. Deciding you have to limit college choice based on the dx alone is just not right but there are a lot of “practitioners” out there who will want to see your kid as more limited than they are because it’s part of their world view.

If you had concrete reasons to think your kid needs to stay close to home for college, they should have been apparent already.

Also please look into parenting therapy for anxiety. It seems like you don’t have good tools and may be reinforcing their anxiety.

[Anonymous]

This anxiety is totally normal OP!!! With so many decisions to be making at this juncture, just focus on the concepts that the insights they will share with you may (or may not) help you and your kiddo!!!

I agree with the distraction suggestions... be grateful that you have access to the testing at all. Some people do not. All the best to you!!! Hope it is helpful and empowering to you and your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why did you place so much emphasis on testing? I don’t get it.

Not OP but I assume that it is because such a result is diagnostic. Sounds like OP's DC is waiting to hear "i am autistic" "i am not autistic". I'm sure it is a lot to process for a family.

OP, we had a chat with the tester to get results orally before the results came in the report. You can ask for that?

All the best

It’s weird that it would be so built up in the kid’s mind. I’ve done tons of therapy and none of it turned on a diagnosis.

Therapy might not turn on a diagnosis, but it’s not odd that a kid (particularly one who might be autistic) is hyper focused on what a diagnostic test result could be. My child (diagnosed ASD) fixates on things and gets really worked up about the results or meaning of things. It’s not odd.