Is neuropsych needed in our case

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Your psych's dismissal of this is a red flag to me. Neuropsych provides objective data and rules out other diagnoses (learning disabilities or issues, processing speed or memory problems). Particularly with anxiety, it is important to consider what could be causing the anxiety -- underlying biochemistry? learning differences? speed or memory problems? language issues? Difficulties in all those areas can cause anxiety, and in order to address the anxiety, you would have to address the underlying issues also not just medicate or do therapy.

OP here, thanks.
I am fine with the 3K, we have high deductible but can pay out of pocket. It was the psychologist who said it is pointless to do as it will cost thousands to learn what we already know.
And for anxiety we did not medicate, but he has not overcome his anxiety either by exposure to the alarm sounds.

Thanks again, it is really hopeful that neuropsych gives more objective assessment than ADOS we have had in the past.

He was just discharged of IEP this year, the school did educational-Kaufman and one other, classroom observation, socio cultural tests in Jan. All seem clear. And yes they did this every 3 years in FCPS, and gave him speech and reading support, and lunch bunch/social skills. Based on education, now he is on grade, so they closed IEP. No ADHD or autism flags, reading on grade. Over and over again he shows higher in non verbal than verbal. We dont have any grounds to dispute them since his only issue (atleast the one he displays) at school is the fire drills and they are providing 504. They are also continuing lunch bunch.

Our main issue is anger/defiance at home. But appears neuropsych can help us help him in areas he is just getting by as well and could possibly be doing much better if we could get to the root cause of his anxiety and anger.

Thank you! Yes I think the psych's concern is that if he is on spectrum and has communication deficits/rigid tendencies, she might not be very effective.

Regarding IEP, he had behavior outbursts since he was a child, and always only at home. It is less frequency, and it is just that being a tween now he has more intensity. But yes definitely some of these are school triggers, like a kid bullying him or teasing him. The school does take action when they see such behaviors, and the 504 with written support to pull our during fire drills make him calmer. In fact his previous FCPS school was just holding his IEP with emotional disability for last 1-2 years to give him fire drill support, though there was no educational or any underlying emotional need atleast at school.

Majority of his random outbursts are due to defiance and lack of emotional regulation on disappointments.

OP, I agree with what the OP above was saying. Regardless of whatever testing you end up doing/diagnoses you end up getting, I would take a look at the Unstuck and On Target book: https://www.amazon.com/Solving-Executive-Function-Challenges-Unstuck/dp/1598576038/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1496447883&sr=8-2&keywords=unstuck+and+on+target

Even if you don't do the class. Even though the social skills class was developed with children who are on the spectrum, it basically addresses executive functioning issues. Not only kids with autism have these difficulties. ADHD, LDs, anxiety can all effect emotional regulation. Many kids need help learning the problem solving skills.
https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/executive-functioning-issues/key-executive-functioning-skills-explained

[Anonymous]

I don't understand. One of the ADOS evaluation got you an ASD diagnosis. Did you do anything with it? Even if he's borderline, behavioral therapy can help. You said he explodes with no trigger, but there's always a trigger and a good behavior is the can identify the correct ABCs for your child.

[Anonymous]

I recommend a neuropsych with David Black. He'll do elements of ADOS to tease out what's going on with social cognition, plus do the other elements of the neuropsych.

[Anonymous]

"Your psych's dismissal of this is a red flag to me. Neuropsych provides objective data and rules out other diagnoses (learning disabilities or issues, processing speed or memory problems). Particularly with anxiety, it is important to consider what could be causing the anxiety -- underlying biochemistry? learning differences? speed or memory problems? language issues? Difficulties in all those areas can cause anxiety, and in order to address the anxiety, you would have to address the underlying issues also not just medicate or do therapy."

I agree with this. I think you need to understand the root of the anxiety to understand how to best address it. Meds and/or CBT for anxiety? Meds for ADHD? A betters school environment? Different parenting techniques?