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Kids With Special Needs and Disabilities
Do kids with high functioning autism or PDD-NOS every graduate from therapies?
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Anonymous
| Just wondering. Mine is still young and is benefitting a lot, but I am just wondering..will be be paying for ST, OT, social skills groups, etc until adulthood or have people's kids graduated from this stuff? To be honest he does so well with the supports I do worry about ever taking them away even gradually. On the other hand this is all really expensive-worth it yes, but well it's expensive. |
Anonymous
| How old is your child? Where do you live? Does your insurance cover some of thee expenses? Some children who have a PDD-NOS diagnosis do "graduate" from services and some do not. If you were able to start intervention around the age age 18 months to around 2 1/2 then your child may have a fighting chance to need fewer interventions. What has your child's experience with his/her therapies? Has he/she made progress? How many QUALITY hours does he/she have? And by quality hours I mean face to face work with the child, work with the parents, and if your child is enrolled in a daycare or school system, what is the collaboration with teachers and therapists and you been like? |
Anonymous
| Sorry OP, I meant - "these expenses" |
Anonymous
Was this supposed to be an answer? Nevermind. Was it even supposed to be helpful? Oh forget it. I can look up "lecture" and "diatribe" for myself. |
Anonymous
| I think that children with a diagnosis on the autism spectrum can and do make progress. It really does depend on the child, the therapies used, and the collaboration of the team working with the child and family. I know that it can be very frustrating but often it takes a long time and hard work to see the changes in development. Don't give up OP!! |
Anonymous
| Biomedical intervention will get to you a graduation quicker. |
Anonymous
NOT FOR EVERY CHILD, it works for some but not all... worth a shot but do not put all eggs into that basket. We tried under a DAN! Dr for over a year with minimal progress, and over $6,000 in supplements, and tests not covered by insurance. |
Anonymous
Did you do ANY research on the different therapies before unloading that kind of money? Did you read the test results for yourself and research to make sure that the supplements given are compatible? Blind faith in any doc or DAN! doesn't get you anywhere. |
Anonymous
| I'm not sure about "graduate", but needs change over time. Lots of kids do different therapies at different times, with an on-and-off pattern. For example, lots of S/L when younger, then a period without, then a social skills group (because age-demands are different), then a break, then some more S/L with an emphasis on reading comprehension and writing, then some time with an executive skills tutor, etc. There are a few kids who may totally outgrow the need for intervention, but more of them need new/different interventions when they are older (but often cheaper and less time-intensive, if they're pretty high functioning). |
Anonymous
You're right about only one thing here....autism is NOT cheap. $6000 is biomed costs is NOTHING. One year on biomed will get you nowhere. |
Anonymous
Yes, we tried a few OT, pragmatic speach, etc... I am fine with the investment in biomed as I am the type to leave no stone unturned. Frankly I read several books on biomed approach and was intersted in seeing if it would work on my child. I am an obcessive researcher! Also you should try to sound a little less condesending |
Anonymous
Insurance covered about $15K... this was just the out of pocket. We also did a year on our own prior to finding a Dr. (diets, supplements, etc) There were NO changes, and the Dr said that biomed does not work on everyone. |
Anonymous
Wow, why the hostility? All of these questions are completely relevant and I suspect PP wants to help and is simply acknowledging there's no one size fits all question. I guess you want someone to say "yes, at precisely ages 7 or 8." I'm tempted not to answer your question because of your nastiness, but I will anyway. My DS also responded well to therapies but there is always something more to work on, always. I expected he would at least be in social skills groups until he went to college because every year brings its own challenges and I take them all very, very seriously. People with high functioning ASDs have elevated rates of depression and suicide and I am always on guard to help my DS feel comfortable in his own skin and adapt to the world he has to live in. But when he was 10 he announced he was done with therapies and said he only wanted to do the activities the other kids do and he explained his reasoning in a very mature, sensible way so we decided tor espect it and let him stop. I would not be surprised if down the road something comes up, we'll revisit. but this is where we are now. Does that help or are you going to attack me as well? |
Anonymous
| I am the OP and this is my first time posting since my initial question. We did start very early and we are doing everything recommended and yes we do some biomed too and yes, DS makes good progress, but he's 5 and I don't really see an end to the therapies anytime soon. I just wonder if at 7, 10, 12, 15 we'll still have these expenses. We will do whatever it takes, but just wondering what the norm is. |
Anonymous
| 18:35 again, and my apologies. I thought you were the one with the hostile questions. What I've seen with my DS and others is that the early years bring the most intensive therapies. At around age 7 we dropped back to just social skills groups and sports therapy at Fitness for Health. Much easier than all that speech and OT. Most families cut back by mid-elementary and may be done entirely by the end of elementary, though I think social skills groups will always be helpful. |