Borderline ASD: How to get services (DCPS)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Nobody diagnosed my child with Aspergers. But a doctor did use the term to describe some of her HFA traits.

Anyway, I posted to ask about people's experiences accessing public school services for a child with many ASD type social impairments, not to get all of DCUM to weigh in on her diagnosis or lack thereof.

I do have another child with a formal diagnosis, so I know what that looks like. I also have a NT child, so I know what that looks like, too.

My youngest, frankly, is in between. She may not have enough impairments in different areas to I warrant an official diagnosis, but I as her parent -- and, most certainly her teachers -- can see that she has a range of ASD-type issues that pose a range of developmental challenges.

She may not warrant an official diagnosis.

But most competent professionals would also see that she has a range of social and gross motor delays that warrant extensive early intervention, and that these traits are similar to some of the issues her older HFA sister has.

But sorry if the term "borderline" troubles some. It doesn't trouble me.

It should trouble you bc "borderline" isn't going to get your DD services, supports and/or an IEP. Do NOT show these reports to your school, they will not be helpful at best and may keep your DD from getting an IEP.

Like PP suggested, ask the school for an evaluation for psychoed testing, OT, PT, etc.

OP should be able to get services under Developmental Delay, for now. Her daughter may indeed not fall on the "yes" side the the ASD spectrum -- but it's a spectrum, right? She can have issues, as OP recognizes, without falling on that line of ASD. My child for example was found to have 'borderline ADHD' or "at risk for ADHD" -- not quite enough to be ADHD.

Frankly it's a frustrating situation to be in. I know because because my child had troubling behaviors, coordination difficulties, sensory issues, etc.

So it's hard when your child doesn't fit into a diagnostic box, mainly because, as others have said, it's much harder to get services when your child falls just outside the lines and therefore does not have a particular diagnosis. But those lines were put there by humans and are (somewhat) arbitrary.

I hope you can get services under Developmental Delay for now, OP. GL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP- take her in for the ADOS.

OP here. I should clarify: she's been evaluated twice -- first by Children's, then by Dr. Shapiro. Childrens (Dr. Mintz, who's quite good) said she had ASD traits that fell short of a diagnosis. And Shapiro diagnosed her with borderline HFA/Aspergers. We are satisfied with his report, which was a thorough as they get.

Anyway, we are pursuing an IEP.

Interesting that Dr. Shapiro, who is worshiped by many on these boards for his autism expertise, says your child is borderline ASD.

So, either Dr. Shapiro isn't as good as everyone says, or there is indeed a borderline ASD.

Of course there are people on the borderline. A diagnosis is formed by evaluating people against a standard. There will always be people who fall just on either side of a standard.

But people who fall on either side of the standard "have" ASD or "not". It's just sloppy language on Shapiro's part to say "borderline" when the child clearly needs an IEP and services.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP- take her in for the ADOS.

OP here. I should clarify: she's been evaluated twice -- first by Children's, then by Dr. Shapiro. Childrens (Dr. Mintz, who's quite good) said she had ASD traits that fell short of a diagnosis. And Shapiro diagnosed her with borderline HFA/Aspergers. We are satisfied with his report, which was a thorough as they get.

Anyway, we are pursuing an IEP.

Interesting that Dr. Shapiro, who is worshiped by many on these boards for his autism expertise, says your child is borderline ASD.

So, either Dr. Shapiro isn't as good as everyone says, or there is indeed a borderline ASD.

Of course there are people on the borderline. A diagnosis is formed by evaluating people against a standard. There will always be people who fall just on either side of a standard.

But people who fall on either side of the standard "have" ASD or "not". It's just sloppy language on Shapiro's part to say "borderline" when the child clearly needs an IEP and services.

So he should fake the diagnosis to ensure services?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP- take her in for the ADOS.

OP here. I should clarify: she's been evaluated twice -- first by Children's, then by Dr. Shapiro. Childrens (Dr. Mintz, who's quite good) said she had ASD traits that fell short of a diagnosis. And Shapiro diagnosed her with borderline HFA/Aspergers. We are satisfied with his report, which was a thorough as they get.

Anyway, we are pursuing an IEP.

Interesting that Dr. Shapiro, who is worshiped by many on these boards for his autism expertise, says your child is borderline ASD.

So, either Dr. Shapiro isn't as good as everyone says, or there is indeed a borderline ASD.

Of course there are people on the borderline. A diagnosis is formed by evaluating people against a standard. There will always be people who fall just on either side of a standard.

But people who fall on either side of the standard "have" ASD or "not". It's just sloppy language on Shapiro's part to say "borderline" when the child clearly needs an IEP and services.

So he should fake the diagnosis to ensure services?

He would not be faking bc he isn't using a standard evaluation tool like ADOS with a definitive point system. He diagnoses based on observation and checklists filled out by parents and teachers. He could easily have said ASD without faking anything.

[Anonymous]

As it stands now, his report is useless in getting services.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP- take her in for the ADOS.

OP here. I should clarify: she's been evaluated twice -- first by Children's, then by Dr. Shapiro. Childrens (Dr. Mintz, who's quite good) said she had ASD traits that fell short of a diagnosis. And Shapiro diagnosed her with borderline HFA/Aspergers. We are satisfied with his report, which was a thorough as they get.

Anyway, we are pursuing an IEP.

Interesting that Dr. Shapiro, who is worshiped by many on these boards for his autism expertise, says your child is borderline ASD.

So, either Dr. Shapiro isn't as good as everyone says, or there is indeed a borderline ASD.

Of course there are people on the borderline. A diagnosis is formed by evaluating people against a standard. There will always be people who fall just on either side of a standard.

But people who fall on either side of the standard "have" ASD or "not". It's just sloppy language on Shapiro's part to say "borderline" when the child clearly needs an IEP and services.

How is it sloppy if she doesn't fall on the ASD side of the line but exhibits some tendencies?? She is who she is!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Nobody diagnosed my child with Aspergers. But a doctor did use the term to describe some of her HFA traits.

Anyway, I posted to ask about people's experiences accessing public school services for a child with many ASD type social impairments, not to get all of DCUM to weigh in on her diagnosis or lack thereof.

I do have another child with a formal diagnosis, so I know what that looks like. I also have a NT child, so I know what that looks like, too.

My youngest, frankly, is in between. She may not have enough impairments in different areas to I warrant an official diagnosis, but I as her parent -- and, most certainly her teachers -- can see that she has a range of ASD-type issues that pose a range of developmental challenges.

She may not warrant an official diagnosis.

But most competent professionals would also see that she has a range of social and gross motor delays that warrant extensive early intervention, and that these traits are similar to some of the issues her older HFA sister has.

But sorry if the term "borderline" troubles some. It doesn't trouble me.

It should trouble you bc "borderline" isn't going to get your DD services, supports and/or an IEP. Do NOT show these reports to your school, they will not be helpful at best and may keep your DD from getting an IEP.

Like PP suggested, ask the school for an evaluation for psychoed testing, OT, PT, etc.

OP should be able to get services under Developmental Delay, for now. Her daughter may indeed not fall on the "yes" side the the ASD spectrum -- but it's a spectrum, right? She can have issues, as OP recognizes, without falling on that line of ASD. My child for example was found to have 'borderline ADHD' or "at risk for ADHD" -- not quite enough to be ADHD.

Frankly it's a frustrating situation to be in. I know because because my child had troubling behaviors, coordination difficulties, sensory issues, etc.

So it's hard when your child doesn't fit into a diagnostic box, mainly because, as others have said, it's much harder to get services when your child falls just outside the lines and therefore does not have a particular diagnosis. But those lines were put there by humans and are (somewhat) arbitrary.

I hope you can get services under Developmental Delay for now, OP. GL!

I think with the two evals you have you can go through the schools for an evaluation. They should be able to use the Developmental Delay label to accommodate your child's needs for now. Sometimes, kids need just a bit of time to catch up.

[Anonymous]

A medical diagnosis of autism is different from an educational diagnosis of autism. Even though we have a medical diagnosis of autism (from Dr. Black, no ADOS), we still had to go through the criteria for an educational diagnosis. Does your child meet the educational criteria? They are:

Eligibility Criteria: To be eligible, a child must demonstrate Criterion 1, 2 and one or more criteria under Criterion 3 through 6:
1. The child displays difficulties or differences or both in interacting with people and events. The child may be unable to establish and maintain reciprocal relationships with people. The child may seek consistency in environmental events to the point of exhibiting rigidity in routines;
2. The child displays problems which extend beyond speech and language to other aspects of social communication, both receptively and expressively. The child’s verbal language may be absent or, if present, lacks the usual communicative form which may involve deviance or delay or both. The child may have a speech or language disorder or both in addition to communication difficulties associated with autism;
3. The child exhibits delays, arrests, or regressions in motor, sensory, social or learning skills. The child may exhibit precocious or advanced skill development,
while other skills may develop at normal or extremely depressed rates. The child
may not follow normal developmental patterns in the acquisition of skills;
4. The child exhibits abnormalities in the thinking process and in generalizing. The child exhibits strengths in concrete thinking while difficulties are demonstrated in abstract thinking, awareness and judgment. Perseverant thinking and
impaired ability to process symbolic information may be present;
5. The child exhibits unusual, inconsistent, repetitive or unconventional responses to sounds, sights, smells, tastes, touch or movement. The child may have a visual or hearing impairment or both in addition to sensory processing difficulties
associated with autism.
6. The child displays marked distress over changes, insistence on following
routines, and a persistent preoccupation with or attachment to objects. The child’s capacity to use objects in an age-appropriate or functional manner may be absent, arrested or delayed. The child may have difficulty displaying a range of interests or imaginative activities or both. The child may exhibit stereotyped body movements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A medical diagnosis of autism is different from an educational diagnosis of autism. Even though we have a medical diagnosis of autism (from Dr. Black, no ADOS), we still had to go through the criteria for an educational diagnosis. Does your child meet the educational criteria? They are:

Eligibility Criteria: To be eligible, a child must demonstrate Criterion 1, 2 and one or more criteria under Criterion 3 through 6:
1. The child displays difficulties or differences or both in interacting with people and events. The child may be unable to establish and maintain reciprocal relationships with people. The child may seek consistency in environmental events to the point of exhibiting rigidity in routines;
2. The child displays problems which extend beyond speech and language to other aspects of social communication, both receptively and expressively. The child’s verbal language may be absent or, if present, lacks the usual communicative form which may involve deviance or delay or both. The child may have a speech or language disorder or both in addition to communication difficulties associated with autism;
3. The child exhibits delays, arrests, or regressions in motor, sensory, social or learning skills. The child may exhibit precocious or advanced skill development,
while other skills may develop at normal or extremely depressed rates. The child
may not follow normal developmental patterns in the acquisition of skills;
4. The child exhibits abnormalities in the thinking process and in generalizing. The child exhibits strengths in concrete thinking while difficulties are demonstrated in abstract thinking, awareness and judgment. Perseverant thinking and
impaired ability to process symbolic information may be present;
5. The child exhibits unusual, inconsistent, repetitive or unconventional responses to sounds, sights, smells, tastes, touch or movement. The child may have a visual or hearing impairment or both in addition to sensory processing difficulties
associated with autism.
6. The child displays marked distress over changes, insistence on following
routines, and a persistent preoccupation with or attachment to objects. The child’s capacity to use objects in an age-appropriate or functional manner may be absent, arrested or delayed. The child may have difficulty displaying a range of interests or imaginative activities or both. The child may exhibit stereotyped body movements.

Not OP but this is very helpful! Which school system? Is there a link.

DS probably will not be eligible for an IEP if he had to go through the IEP process now with that criteria even with his ASD/ADHD diagnosis . He's not that impaired probably due to all the early intervention services he received through his IEP.

We got an ASD diagnosis in preK4 but got the IEP under "developmental delay" until K when the coding had to be changed to "ASD." In DC, K and up cannot have an IEP under "developmental delay" but everyone who is eligible in preK3 and preK4 gets an IEP under "developmental delay" whether or not there is a diagnosis. This is probably why it is much easier to get an IEP before K. We never had to meet the above criteria to be eligible for our IEP under "autism". But we are very very happy that DS has an IEP and the supports/services.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A medical diagnosis of autism is different from an educational diagnosis of autism. Even though we have a medical diagnosis of autism (from Dr. Black, no ADOS), we still had to go through the criteria for an educational diagnosis. Does your child meet the educational criteria? They are:

Eligibility Criteria: To be eligible, a child must demonstrate Criterion 1, 2 and one or more criteria under Criterion 3 through 6:
1. The child displays difficulties or differences or both in interacting with people and events. The child may be unable to establish and maintain reciprocal relationships with people. The child may seek consistency in environmental events to the point of exhibiting rigidity in routines;
2. The child displays problems which extend beyond speech and language to other aspects of social communication, both receptively and expressively. The child’s verbal language may be absent or, if present, lacks the usual communicative form which may involve deviance or delay or both. The child may have a speech or language disorder or both in addition to communication difficulties associated with autism;
3. The child exhibits delays, arrests, or regressions in motor, sensory, social or learning skills. The child may exhibit precocious or advanced skill development,
while other skills may develop at normal or extremely depressed rates. The child
may not follow normal developmental patterns in the acquisition of skills;
4. The child exhibits abnormalities in the thinking process and in generalizing. The child exhibits strengths in concrete thinking while difficulties are demonstrated in abstract thinking, awareness and judgment. Perseverant thinking and
impaired ability to process symbolic information may be present;
5. The child exhibits unusual, inconsistent, repetitive or unconventional responses to sounds, sights, smells, tastes, touch or movement. The child may have a visual or hearing impairment or both in addition to sensory processing difficulties
associated with autism.
6. The child displays marked distress over changes, insistence on following
routines, and a persistent preoccupation with or attachment to objects. The child’s capacity to use objects in an age-appropriate or functional manner may be absent, arrested or delayed. The child may have difficulty displaying a range of interests or imaginative activities or both. The child may exhibit stereotyped body movements.

Not OP but this is very helpful! Which school system? Is there a link.

DS probably will not be eligible for an IEP if he had to go through the IEP process now with that criteria even with his ASD/ADHD diagnosis . He's not that impaired probably due to all the early intervention services he received through his IEP.

We got an ASD diagnosis in preK4 but got the IEP under "developmental delay" until K when the coding had to be changed to "ASD." In DC, K and up cannot have an IEP under "developmental delay" but everyone who is eligible in preK3 and preK4 gets an IEP under "developmental delay" whether or not there is a diagnosis. This is probably why it is much easier to get an IEP before K. We never had to meet the above criteria to be eligible for our IEP under "autism". But we are very very happy that DS has an IEP and the supports/services.

I posted the educational qualifications. It's from DCPS. I don't know if there's a link; I copied it from our eligibility materials.

[Anonymous]

interesting, PP. Np here. I couldn't find a link to that on the DCPS website.

Regarding DCPS or charter special ed, remember that DC passed special ed reform law last December. It was supposed to increase eligibility, including I think expanding the amount of time a student could fall under Dev Delay. I couldn't find any confirmation of that quickly, but here's some coverage. The law passed unanimously:


http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-special-education-overhaul-advances-unanimously/2014/07/10/fbad7e00-07ae-11e4-bbf1-cc51275e7f8f_story.html