Pediatrician not at all educated about autism

[Anonymous]

I love our pediatrician, but she missed DD’s Level 1 ASD and underplayed adopted as a teen DS’s anxiety. Admittedly, both kids had physical health issues that were huge distractions, but we did ask each checkup.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I have been very lucky, OP, in that the only 2 peds my dd has seen (2 due to a move) both flagged her for developmental delays. In fact it was her first ped who referred her for EI at 12 mo when she wasn't babbling, she pointed it out to ME. I'm so glad that Dr did that (she also did the mchat that day and dd was flagged).

After we moved when dd was 2-so before her ASD dx-I was lucky enough to find a ped also noticed her delays and gave me referrals for ST, OT and a dev. ped. As it turns out, the Dr has a dc just a bit older than my dc who also is dx ASD.

After hearing other moms' stories about struggling to get the dr to be concerned and dr refusing referrals-I am so glad to have drs that are informed, and I think you should look for one too OP. I would ask around, maybe in a facebook group or something locally, where other kids' with the same dx go. Word of mouth works well for this.

Unless your insurance requires it you don’t need referrals to see speech, OT and developmental pediatricians. Or early intervention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a special education teacher who works with lots of kids with autism (in the gen ed setting so generally high-functioning). You seem to be seeking a neurodiversity-affirming provider. That’s a fairly new approach, one I have only been learning about the past 2 years or so. There are still many parents even who take the approach that they want their kids to learn to behave as (what they see as) “normal” as possible and use ABA etc as well as ask me for IEP goals that their child will approach peers on the playground to initiate play and start conversation (when their child very clearly does not have any interest in doing so). So I don’t know that your pediatrician is wrong persay but it isn’t the currently thought of best approach. But their approach is still a very common practice and viewpoint among parents and professionals. You have to decide if you can work around it.

NP. The child has no interest then but may in the future and may see the benefit after doing it successfully. That's why parents continue to ask for those IEP goals rather than support their DC in their preferred social avoidance.

I understand why the parents want this type of goal. However, there should be free time during the school day for students to choose what they want to do and take a break from being told what to do. Just like their non-disabled peers get. And if a student wants to do a solo activity and not initiate conversation or play with peers they should be able to choose that at 10 years old. Just as some of their non-disabled peers do.

Initiating play when the student is not interested is not part of the neurodiverse-affirming approach:
https://therapistndc.org/neurodiversity-affirming-therapy/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I have been very lucky, OP, in that the only 2 peds my dd has seen (2 due to a move) both flagged her for developmental delays. In fact it was her first ped who referred her for EI at 12 mo when she wasn't babbling, she pointed it out to ME. I'm so glad that Dr did that (she also did the mchat that day and dd was flagged).

After we moved when dd was 2-so before her ASD dx-I was lucky enough to find a ped also noticed her delays and gave me referrals for ST, OT and a dev. ped. As it turns out, the Dr has a dc just a bit older than my dc who also is dx ASD.

After hearing other moms' stories about struggling to get the dr to be concerned and dr refusing referrals-I am so glad to have drs that are informed, and I think you should look for one too OP. I would ask around, maybe in a facebook group or something locally, where other kids' with the same dx go. Word of mouth works well for this.

Unless your insurance requires it you don’t need referrals to see speech, OT and developmental pediatricians. Or early intervention.

I have never had an insurance plan that did not require referrals. Also, every provider has asked for them, aside from Early intervention which you can self refer to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I have been very lucky, OP, in that the only 2 peds my dd has seen (2 due to a move) both flagged her for developmental delays. In fact it was her first ped who referred her for EI at 12 mo when she wasn't babbling, she pointed it out to ME. I'm so glad that Dr did that (she also did the mchat that day and dd was flagged).

After we moved when dd was 2-so before her ASD dx-I was lucky enough to find a ped also noticed her delays and gave me referrals for ST, OT and a dev. ped. As it turns out, the Dr has a dc just a bit older than my dc who also is dx ASD.

After hearing other moms' stories about struggling to get the dr to be concerned and dr refusing referrals-I am so glad to have drs that are informed, and I think you should look for one too OP. I would ask around, maybe in a facebook group or something locally, where other kids' with the same dx go. Word of mouth works well for this.

Unless your insurance requires it you don’t need referrals to see speech, OT and developmental pediatricians. Or early intervention.

I have never had an insurance plan that did not require referrals. Also, every provider has asked for them, aside from Early intervention which you can self refer to.

Do you have a HMO?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I have been very lucky, OP, in that the only 2 peds my dd has seen (2 due to a move) both flagged her for developmental delays. In fact it was her first ped who referred her for EI at 12 mo when she wasn't babbling, she pointed it out to ME. I'm so glad that Dr did that (she also did the mchat that day and dd was flagged).

After we moved when dd was 2-so before her ASD dx-I was lucky enough to find a ped also noticed her delays and gave me referrals for ST, OT and a dev. ped. As it turns out, the Dr has a dc just a bit older than my dc who also is dx ASD.

After hearing other moms' stories about struggling to get the dr to be concerned and dr refusing referrals-I am so glad to have drs that are informed, and I think you should look for one too OP. I would ask around, maybe in a facebook group or something locally, where other kids' with the same dx go. Word of mouth works well for this.

Unless your insurance requires it you don’t need referrals to see speech, OT and developmental pediatricians. Or early intervention.

I have never had an insurance plan that did not require referrals. Also, every provider has asked for them, aside from Early intervention which you can self refer to.

Do you have a HMO?

No, BCBS Fed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I have been very lucky, OP, in that the only 2 peds my dd has seen (2 due to a move) both flagged her for developmental delays. In fact it was her first ped who referred her for EI at 12 mo when she wasn't babbling, she pointed it out to ME. I'm so glad that Dr did that (she also did the mchat that day and dd was flagged).

After we moved when dd was 2-so before her ASD dx-I was lucky enough to find a ped also noticed her delays and gave me referrals for ST, OT and a dev. ped. As it turns out, the Dr has a dc just a bit older than my dc who also is dx ASD.

After hearing other moms' stories about struggling to get the dr to be concerned and dr refusing referrals-I am so glad to have drs that are informed, and I think you should look for one too OP. I would ask around, maybe in a facebook group or something locally, where other kids' with the same dx go. Word of mouth works well for this.

Unless your insurance requires it you don’t need referrals to see speech, OT and developmental pediatricians. Or early intervention.

I have never had an insurance plan that did not require referrals. Also, every provider has asked for them, aside from Early intervention which you can self refer to.

Do you have a HMO?

No, BCBS Fed

I have BCBS Fed too and I just called Kennedy Krieger directly to make an appointment with the developmental pediatrician. Children’s too. They didn’t ask for referrals. The one speech place that took our insurance didn’t need any referrals either (Metro Speech), they just asked for a copy of the developmental pediatrician’s assessment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I have been very lucky, OP, in that the only 2 peds my dd has seen (2 due to a move) both flagged her for developmental delays. In fact it was her first ped who referred her for EI at 12 mo when she wasn't babbling, she pointed it out to ME. I'm so glad that Dr did that (she also did the mchat that day and dd was flagged).

After we moved when dd was 2-so before her ASD dx-I was lucky enough to find a ped also noticed her delays and gave me referrals for ST, OT and a dev. ped. As it turns out, the Dr has a dc just a bit older than my dc who also is dx ASD.

After hearing other moms' stories about struggling to get the dr to be concerned and dr refusing referrals-I am so glad to have drs that are informed, and I think you should look for one too OP. I would ask around, maybe in a facebook group or something locally, where other kids' with the same dx go. Word of mouth works well for this.

Unless your insurance requires it you don’t need referrals to see speech, OT and developmental pediatricians. Or early intervention.

I have never had an insurance plan that did not require referrals. Also, every provider has asked for them, aside from Early intervention which you can self refer to.

Do you have a HMO?

No, BCBS Fed

I have BCBS Fed too and I just called Kennedy Krieger directly to make an appointment with the developmental pediatrician. Children’s too. They didn’t ask for referrals. The one speech place that took our insurance didn’t need any referrals either (Metro Speech), they just asked for a copy of the developmental pediatrician’s assessment.

Another long time BCBS FEP person. The main reason I've stayed with BCBS FEP is because I can self-refer and not have to get one from our primary care provider.

[Anonymous]

Interesting...I'm not local, but do have BCBS Fed, and have had to have referrals from the ped for therapies and to see the dev. ped. Maybe it's state specific? I don't know. But I've always needed them, although to be honest I don't think providers always understand BCBS Fed isn't the same as state BCBS plans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pediatricians' bread and butter is ear infections, etc.

They have limitations. No need to switch-- just don't rely on their opinion for more specialized things.

I thought the vaccines provide the most consistent, and highest profits.