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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Can I just say it is so crazy that we have to pay thousands for evaluations when they won't even test for autism unless you go to someone specialized in autism and/or pay extra? What is the role of the evaluator if the family has to come in already knowing what diagnosis they need? Is it really that difficult for a doctoral level professional who evaluates people for a living to administer the ADOS?[/quote]

It’s crazy because they are money-making operations exploiting the desperation of parents. Just put your name on the list at Childrens, KKI and Mt Washington. School testing is also very good, contrary to beliefs here, and they’re supposed to repeat it every 3 years. We had school testing followed by Children’s testing a year later and the school report was actually more insightful. [/quote]

It's not just beliefs. We had a provider, who is an amazing provider herself and whom I have an enormous amount of trust and respect for and is not affiliated with any other practices, say that the reports she read from Children's and KKI were not great. Very cut and paste.

Also, this is kid dependent. Girls have a tendency not to get diagnosed with ASD until much later than boys despite similar symptoms. Mine was definitely at risk of being in that boat. DD may not get an IEP anytime soon but the diagnosis and detailed report is so helpful.[/quote]

That’s one person’s opinion. The road of SN parenting is long, and we cannot shell out $1000ss every time someone claims “this is the gold standard!” A Childrens or KKI evaluation is going to be absolutely adequate for diagnosing autism. Everything else in the report (suggested accommodations, educational impact) tends to be guesswork anyway. For designing individual accomodations it’s much better to have an educational consultant with an education background who can help with the IEP. And even with that, the needs are going to change over time, and it’s always an ongoing process to see what works. No matter how many times you pay Stixrud or CAAT or whatever $5000 for a “full neuropsych,” they cannot “prescribe” an IEP or set of therapies that is going to work on that one-off basis. [/quote]

I mean you talking about parents that use private providers with an enormous amount of disdain and insist anyone who thinks differently than you just has incorrect beliefs or reflect "one person's opinion" while you seem to think you know everything. I have a friend whose kid got diagnosed through an IEE and they were very lost in terms of the recommendations because they were not appropriate for the kid. They had also had an IEP for almost 2 years before they got diagnosed, which is 2 years of not receiving appropriate services.[/quote]

[b]Yeah and none of that is solved by paying Stixrud or CAAT $5000 every 3 years for something you can get for free or a copay.[/b] If you have the money to spare, sure, maybe it’s a value add. But most of us do not, and should not be misled into believing that it’s the only way.

As for advice on accomodations - there’s zero reason this has to be bundled with the testing. The tester sees your kid for a few hours and makes some guesses (informed) on accommodations; then no doubt you’ll have to pay more to get them to review the IEP, meet with the school, and monitor progress. If you feel you need support in designing accommodations, get the diagnosis as cheaply as possible then advice on accommodations a la carte. Our ed consultant charges MUCH less and provides many more hours of actual services. [/quote]

Yes, paying for a private evaluation can mean a faster diagnosis and can mean better, more individualized advice on supportive services and accommodations. It did for us, so yes it was "solved" by paying a private provider thousands. I never said it was the only way, but I do think for certain kids with atypical presentations of ASD or ADHD, it might be the best way. I don't know, I can only speak to our own experience and say that it's been really beneficial for us. I fully recognize the cost is out of reach for many families and I think that's horrible and insurance needs to cover good neuropsychs that can be provided in a timely fashion.
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insurance doesn’t pay for “neuropsychs” for all on demand because often that level of testing is overkill. And you can get school testing on a defined timeline, then an IEE if you disagree. [/quote]

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