Evaluation at Kennedy krieger's department of neuropsych vs. Center for development and learning

[Anonymous]

5 yo in kindergarten has been displaying emotional and behavioral issues since preschool and has an iep for social/emotional delay. Had assesment completed through KKI neuropsych department that was mostly cognitive testing and parent/teacher feedback. Results came back cognitively in average range and with anxiety and at risk of adhd. They referred us to developmental pediatrician at KKI's center for learning and development. Our first visit there is coming up and we were told it will be an assesment to look at anxiety, adhd, etc. Im wondering if they just going to do the same assesment as the neuropsych did but with a different doctor? Anyone had experience with evaluations performed at the various KKI centers?

[Anonymous]

I am a clinician in the behavioral psychology department at KKI. In my experience reading patients’ charts, the neuropsych evals are typically more comprehensive. CDL employs a lot of nurse practitioners who will diagnose any kid with attention difficulties as having ADHD without ruling out other conditions that could be contributing to executive dysfunction. I have also seen notes from the CDL that state “no concerns for autism spectrum disorder” while also indicating sensory sensitivities, difficulties making friends, social skills deficits, and repetitive behaviors, which are core symptoms of autism. I would not trust pediatricians or nurses to diagnose your kid with any mental health/psychiatric condition. They are not trained psychologists, who receive years of training dedicated to psychological assessment, psychometrics, and differential diagnosis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a clinician in the behavioral psychology department at KKI. In my experience reading patients’ charts, the neuropsych evals are typically more comprehensive. CDL employs a lot of nurse practitioners who will diagnose any kid with attention difficulties as having ADHD without ruling out other conditions that could be contributing to executive dysfunction. I have also seen notes from the CDL that state “no concerns for autism spectrum disorder” while also indicating sensory sensitivities, difficulties making friends, social skills deficits, and repetitive behaviors, which are core symptoms of autism. I would not trust pediatricians or nurses to diagnose your kid with any mental health/psychiatric condition. They are not trained psychologists, who receive years of training dedicated to psychological assessment, psychometrics, and differential diagnosis.

Wow. I'm a parent who has been going to the KKI CDL since my DS was 2.5. I also recently had a neuropsych done with them as well. Frankly, it's concerning that you feel the need to trash your colleagues. It makes me wary of YOUR department. Not theirs.

Also, stay in your lane, there are many different reasons that kids can have sensory sensitivities, difficulties making friends, social skills deficits, and repetitive behaviors. No, they aren't trained psychologists, but then again, you aren't a trained neurologist or developmental pediatrician. And you can't diagnose someone off of a chart.

Thirdly, the phrasing you used above sounds very similar to what would be in my own son's chart. So tomorrow, I'm most likely going to draft up an email and send it to KKI and let them know that they have a seriously unprofessional person in their department and I'm concerned about privacy.

So yeah, I sound like a Karen, but I don't care. No doctors are perfect but you are out of line.

As to the original question, the CDL DevPed will conduct an assessment and testing, but it will be different from the neuropsych. They will also do physical testing, not just cognitive. For me, the DevPed is more long-term monitoring and intervention planning whereas the neuropsych is a snapshot not done very often. Some kids will only ever get one.

Not everyone has a great experience there, but I've really enjoyed ours.

[Anonymous]

PP. DS is now 11, for context on how long we've been going there.

[Anonymous]

PP. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I feel the need to reach out to them. My DS was referred to behavioral psychology around a year ago. I ended up cancelling the appointment that was originally made. That combined with the similar phrasing you used has my spidey senses up. You really shouldn't be using snippets of confidential files to anonymously trash your colleagues on the internet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a clinician in the behavioral psychology department at KKI. In my experience reading patients’ charts, the neuropsych evals are typically more comprehensive. CDL employs a lot of nurse practitioners who will diagnose any kid with attention difficulties as having ADHD without ruling out other conditions that could be contributing to executive dysfunction. I have also seen notes from the CDL that state “no concerns for autism spectrum disorder” while also indicating sensory sensitivities, difficulties making friends, social skills deficits, and repetitive behaviors, which are core symptoms of autism. I would not trust pediatricians or nurses to diagnose your kid with any mental health/psychiatric condition. They are not trained psychologists, who receive years of training dedicated to psychological assessment, psychometrics, and differential diagnosis.

Wow. I'm a parent who has been going to the KKI CDL since my DS was 2.5. I also recently had a neuropsych done with them as well. Frankly, it's concerning that you feel the need to trash your colleagues. It makes me wary of YOUR department. Not theirs.

Also, stay in your lane, there are many different reasons that kids can have sensory sensitivities, difficulties making friends, social skills deficits, and repetitive behaviors. No, they aren't trained psychologists, but then again, you aren't a trained neurologist or developmental pediatrician. And you can't diagnose someone off of a chart.

Thirdly, the phrasing you used above sounds very similar to what would be in my own son's chart. So tomorrow, I'm most likely going to draft up an email and send it to KKI and let them know that they have a seriously unprofessional person in their department and I'm concerned about privacy.

So yeah, I sound like a Karen, but I don't care. No doctors are perfect but you are out of line.

As to the original question, the CDL DevPed will conduct an assessment and testing, but it will be different from the neuropsych. They will also do physical testing, not just cognitive. For me, the DevPed is more long-term monitoring and intervention planning whereas the neuropsych is a snapshot not done very often. Some kids will only ever get one.

Not everyone has a great experience there, but I've really enjoyed ours.

“ there are many different reasons that kids can have sensory sensitivities, difficulties making friends, social skills deficits, and repetitive behaviors”

I mean - that is literally a list of the DSM autism criteria. So yeah I would not expect to see those symptoms listed but autism not having been assessed with the ADOS etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I feel the need to reach out to them. My DS was referred to behavioral psychology around a year ago. I ended up cancelling the appointment that was originally made. That combined with the similar phrasing you used has my spidey senses up. You really shouldn't be using snippets of confidential files to anonymously trash your colleagues on the internet.

Oh please. Why so defensive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I feel the need to reach out to them. My DS was referred to behavioral psychology around a year ago. I ended up cancelling the appointment that was originally made. That combined with the similar phrasing you used has my spidey senses up. You really shouldn't be using snippets of confidential files to anonymously trash your colleagues on the internet.

As a psychologist (and new to this thread), nothing about that phrasing is at all specific or unique. The post just describes how some people claim to rule out autism while noting concerns for the core autism symptoms. It may look familiar to you because it is standard language used to describe common symptoms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I feel the need to reach out to them. My DS was referred to behavioral psychology around a year ago. I ended up cancelling the appointment that was originally made. That combined with the similar phrasing you used has my spidey senses up. You really shouldn't be using snippets of confidential files to anonymously trash your colleagues on the internet.

As a psychologist (and new to this thread), nothing about that phrasing is at all specific or unique. The post just describes how some people claim to rule out autism while noting concerns for the core autism symptoms. It may look familiar to you because it is standard language used to describe common symptoms.

Sometimes I wonder if people misinterpret medical notes that say “r/o.” “R/o autism” would mean that autism still needs to be ruled out, not that it has been ruled out, right? I assume a testing psychologist would understand what this means but many an NP or a parent wouldn’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I feel the need to reach out to them. My DS was referred to behavioral psychology around a year ago. I ended up cancelling the appointment that was originally made. That combined with the similar phrasing you used has my spidey senses up. You really shouldn't be using snippets of confidential files to anonymously trash your colleagues on the internet.

As a psychologist (and new to this thread), nothing about that phrasing is at all specific or unique. The post just describes how some people claim to rule out autism while noting concerns for the core autism symptoms. It may look familiar to you because it is standard language used to describe common symptoms.

Sometimes I wonder if people misinterpret medical notes that say “r/o.” “R/o autism” would mean that autism still needs to be ruled out, not that it has been ruled out, right? I assume a testing psychologist would understand what this means but many an NP or a parent wouldn’t.

Great point. I just reread the initial post and the phrasing was actually that they had no concerns for autism, not that they ruled it out (or listed it as a rule out). Still, others may be confused by this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I feel the need to reach out to them. My DS was referred to behavioral psychology around a year ago. I ended up cancelling the appointment that was originally made. That combined with the similar phrasing you used has my spidey senses up. You really shouldn't be using snippets of confidential files to anonymously trash your colleagues on the internet.

To be fair, that phrasing describes a huge number of kids on this board including two of mine whose neuropsych reports include language like that. Also neither of them has autism.

[Anonymous]

Holy cow, take a deep breath. That common everyday phrases has made you think someone looked at your child's chart?? For real? Are you going to tell them that someone on an anonymous forum is trashing colleagues and reading charts?

And that person was right, nurses and doctors often miss major signs of autism which is why we are seeing kids coming to school with no diagnosis and major issues.

Anonymous wrote:PP. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I feel the need to reach out to them. My DS was referred to behavioral psychology around a year ago. I ended up cancelling the appointment that was originally made. That combined with the similar phrasing you used has my spidey senses up. You really shouldn't be using snippets of confidential files to anonymously trash your colleagues on the internet.

[Anonymous]

Yeah I mean honestly our developmental pediatrician (not at KKI) told me there was no way my child had autism and no reason to be concerned about it and the only way I could get him diagnosed would be to take him to a cash pay place where they diagnose anyone who will pay. I took him to Children's autism center instead and they said he was very friendly but most definitely autistic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I feel the need to reach out to them. My DS was referred to behavioral psychology around a year ago. I ended up cancelling the appointment that was originally made. That combined with the similar phrasing you used has my spidey senses up. You really shouldn't be using snippets of confidential files to anonymously trash your colleagues on the internet.

To be fair, that phrasing describes a huge number of kids on this board including two of mine whose neuropsych reports include language like that. Also neither of them has autism.

Ok but if you schlep to KKI for testing and the report says “sensory, repetitive behaviors, and social delays but not autism!” … I certainly hope that they did the ADOS and ADI and discussed with you how they reached that conclusion. and no, “ADHD causes social issues too” is not enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a clinician in the behavioral psychology department at KKI. In my experience reading patients’ charts, the neuropsych evals are typically more comprehensive. CDL employs a lot of nurse practitioners who will diagnose any kid with attention difficulties as having ADHD without ruling out other conditions that could be contributing to executive dysfunction. I have also seen notes from the CDL that state “no concerns for autism spectrum disorder” while also indicating sensory sensitivities, difficulties making friends, social skills deficits, and repetitive behaviors, which are core symptoms of autism. I would not trust pediatricians or nurses to diagnose your kid with any mental health/psychiatric condition. They are not trained psychologists, who receive years of training dedicated to psychological assessment, psychometrics, and differential diagnosis.

Thank you for posting this. CDL at KKI misdiagnosed and totally mistreated one of my kids, causing YEARS of problems and even trauma. We are much better, but trusting CDL is my biggest parenting regret. In hindsight, I regret placing trust in their branding, the definitiveness of their diagnoses, their degrees, and the apparent certainty. Those relatively short developmental ped appointments are covered by insurance but not worth it, in my opinion.

I don't post here much, but I stumbled into this because a friend mentioned it. I was glad to see this post. Certainly glad others have had positive experiences in this thread, but I would remain very, very, very cautious as a parent.