Mainstream preschool for child with PDD-NOS

[Anonymous]

I haven't yet decided how I feel about it. On the one hand, I think there are a lot of Asperger's folks out there, struggling through, and the last thing they need is additional stigma. OTOH, maybe it makes it easier to get services and raise awareness.

Time will tell.

[Anonymous]

I don't believe an autism diagnosis should carry stigma and if we treat it like a source of shame it only perpetuates the idea of stigma. I think there is this idea of Aspergers exceptionalism, that it is the "better" diagnosis, that is really distorting. I hear parents of kids who really have autism saying their kids have Aspergers because it sounds better and other folks dismissing Aspergers as no big deal. Lets just get rid of the whole thing and diagnose kids according to their level of impairment. I say this as a parent of a child with Aspergers.

[Anonymous]

It's in the works for 2012- 2013 Autism, PDD, and Asperger to be all under spectrum disorders. I don't believe you can say a child with autism/asperger is going to be more successful than a child with PDD or visa versa. It also comes down to terminology, but it's really about the individual no matter what dx is given. Some studies have shown high functioning autistic children with a speech delay that develop a large vocubulary later are very similar to asperger children. My son has some autistic traits, but is very typical child in many ways. He was diagnosis by a team of doctors during a clinical study. The doctors disagree with each other on dx. One doctor believe he was PDD while the other believe he was autistic. All that really matters is can the diagnosis can get you the threapy you need, and what is the end results. Does it really matter if you call it mild autism or PDD? Unless you aren't going to get the coverage you need for insurance. I have meet many children that have been mainstreamed with autism, pdd, and asperger. It is possible for these children to have very bright futures. My son is doing very well. I think perspective and positive attitude go a long way. Every one has a different story we need to all show compassion and lend helping hands.

[Anonymous]

My 7yo at ages 3-5 was thought to have PDD by a couple specialists. He has significant ADHD so he missed out on social cues (also has.

When he was moved to a smaller classroom, he started to display his personality and fantastic social skills because there was less noise and stuff going on to make him shut down.

The PDD diagnosis was stricken from his school record (as the school put the label on him... not his doctors, ugh) and he is definitely does not have PDD. Kids grown in and out of their issues.

And said son is now being considered for full time GT placement. A smaller classroom can really do TONS of good.

[Anonymous]

St. Columba's can be great for some kids but it is very unstructured (play based) and there is little social support or direct social skills work. It was a challenging place for my child with poor play (sequencing) skills and with a lot of tactile sensitivity (tons of animals and a very sensory rich environment). We fell in love with the program but in hindsight it was not the best place for my particular DC. I think a place like Bridges or Maddux would have been more useful. Agree with a PP that I wish we had done the concrete social skills work sooner, if DC was able to do it herself or by watching other children she would not have had PDD. Kids with other challenges thrived there, but they were more able to observe and model. I'd also see how open the school is to having a shadow who can facilliate interactions for your child.

[Anonymous]

I know a now 19 yr old guy who was diagnosed PDD as a child.
He was always in mainstream schools, and actually played competitive soccer as a teen in a catholic high school.
Now he's in college, doing well. Still disorganized and scattered, but he has many talents.

[Anonymous]

OP: my nephew had a PDD-NOS diagnosis at 3.5. My brother and SIL had been in denial that anything was wrong though they knew he had speech delays. I urged them to go for more testing, but my SIL really believed that PDD just meant delays and he would "catch up" some day which really is not the case. He has an NT sibling and it was hard for them to accept.

It turns out that the daycare felt they could not handle him anymore, so my SIL had to find a home daycare for him. But he was put into a special pre-K class at the local elementary in CA once he was old enough and mainstreamed for part of the day. He received speech, OT and PT. He was fully mainstreamed in K and then they moved east. He was mainstreamed through 1st, but once he got to 2nd, it was clear that he could not be mainstreamed anymore. He can read and write, but his processing is slow and he has problems with comprehension, so he understands second grade level books. He can read more advanced books, but he doesn't get them. He also has problems with math - the concepts are beyond him, so the teachers are just trying to help him understand addition/subtraction and making change with money. He's now in 4th grade and is in a separate classroom in CT with other children who are on the autism spectrum.

Given where he was, he has made enormous progress. He still has some articulation deficits, but he talks well and pays attention which was not the case an an infant. He loves to play baseball, but this season, his parents may not have him play on the regular team. He can't hit the ball from a pitch (uses t-ball stand) and while he can throw, he can't catch, so he still has motor coordination issues. Hope this is helpful - it all depends on what your child's deficits are. But there will be progress. Mainstreaming will really depend on whether your child can keep up academically. It was not a problem for my nephew throught grade 1.