Anonymous wrote:Of course kids are diagnosed w autism for insurance purposes. I've got such a kid -clear cause of brain damage, couldn't get the services we need without autism diagnosis.

Yes. Co-worker's child has a severe genetic disorder but only gets therapy paid for because they were also able to lable her as autistic.

The truth is any severe disability will also hit all the boxes for autism.

Of course kids are diagnosed w autism for insurance purposes. I've got such a kid -clear cause of brain damage, couldn't get the services we need without autism diagnosis.

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Anonymous wrote:I'm not a huge fan of labeling kids either. I have an SN kid who probably has an autism diagnosis. I like to deal with the issues as an individual thing rather than label my child.

I'm the mom fyi. I use the diagnosis to get services but refuse to describe my child as his diagnosis

Autism is a keyword for insurance billing purpose. Insurance won't cover Speech Therapy if the diagnosis is Language Disorder , if the diagnosis is Autism they'll cover. Parents doesn't have to accept autism as the real diagnosis since it's a insurance keyword, but they've to accept their child's deficit (language disorder in this case). Autism diagnosis is a blessing in this case.

Kids aren’t diagnosed with autism for insurance purposes. But you’re right, language disorder doesn’t garner much in terms of insurance reimbursement b/c it’s not considered medical.

Tell me what doctor should diagnose the child with language disorder(LD) to get the services covered by insurance? Answer is : Autism

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not a huge fan of labeling kids either. I have an SN kid who probably has an autism diagnosis. I like to deal with the issues as an individual thing rather than label my child.

I'm the mom fyi. I use the diagnosis to get services but refuse to describe my child as his diagnosis

Autism is a keyword for insurance billing purpose. Insurance won't cover Speech Therapy if the diagnosis is Language Disorder , if the diagnosis is Autism they'll cover. Parents doesn't have to accept autism as the real diagnosis since it's a insurance keyword, but they've to accept their child's deficit (language disorder in this case). Autism diagnosis is a blessing in this case.

Kids aren’t diagnosed with autism for insurance purposes. But you’re right, language disorder doesn’t garner much in terms of insurance reimbursement b/c it’s not considered medical.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not a huge fan of labeling kids either. I have an SN kid who probably has an autism diagnosis. I like to deal with the issues as an individual thing rather than label my child.

I'm the mom fyi. I use the diagnosis to get services but refuse to describe my child as his diagnosis

Autism is a keyword for insurance billing purpose. Insurance won't cover Speech Therapy if the diagnosis is Language Disorder , if the diagnosis is Autism they'll cover. Parents doesn't have to accept autism as the real diagnosis since it's a insurance keyword, but they've to accept their child's deficit (language disorder in this case). Autism diagnosis is a blessing in this case.

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Anonymous wrote:We never accepted the autism diagnoses either.

Best thing we ever did. Kept us far away from the autism industrial complex.

Just reading through this thread, I have a 2year old recently diagnosed with ASD that I completely disagree with…and am concerned that she now has this label in her medical files…how do we deal with this ? #Concerned

She's 2? How was she diagnosed?

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Anonymous wrote:We never accepted the autism diagnoses either.

Best thing we ever did. Kept us far away from the autism industrial complex.

Just reading through this thread, I have a 2year old recently diagnosed with ASD that I completely disagree with…and am concerned that she now has this label in her medical files…how do we deal with this ? #Concerned

Get a second evaluation? Have the new provider (developmental psych, neuropsych, or similar) conduct the eval without access to any of the old records.

Curious what makes you disagree with the initial diagnosis, though.

Exactly. If you feel your child was misdiagnosed, then you get a second opinion. In the meantime, there's a reason why you went for the evaluation, so focus on whatever challenges were presenting themselves.

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Anonymous wrote:We never accepted the autism diagnoses either.

Best thing we ever did. Kept us far away from the autism industrial complex.

Just reading through this thread, I have a 2year old recently diagnosed with ASD that I completely disagree with…and am concerned that she now has this label in her medical files…how do we deal with this ? #Concerned

Get a second evaluation? Have the new provider (developmental psych, neuropsych, or similar) conduct the eval without access to any of the old records.

Curious what makes you disagree with the initial diagnosis, though.

Anonymous wrote:We never accepted the autism diagnoses either.

Best thing we ever did. Kept us far away from the autism industrial complex.

Just reading through this thread, I have a 2year old recently diagnosed with ASD that I completely disagree with…and am concerned that she now has this label in her medical files…how do we deal with this ? #Concerned

Um I think you're responding to a DP

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Anonymous wrote:I totally get being upset his wife won't consent to an evaluation. I don't understand being upset his wife won't accept an arbitrary label.

A diagnosis of autism isn’t arbitrary (nor is it a “label.”)

Then you know nothing about autism spectrum disorders.

My friend has been an OT for 40 years. She says that they used to get kids diagnosed w brain damage.

Now every kid with any kind of brain damage or neurological difference, so long as they have communication or social or sensory issues, it doesn't even need to be all 3, gets diagnosed with autism. It's the catchall diagnosis.

As a parent whose dc was dx a year ago (so, 'now')-this is not true. At all. My child wasn't even dx until age 4.5, dc had been in EI since 12 months. No one slapped an ASD label on dc, it was after a 2 day neuropysch eval that included ADOS.

My dc was dx with ASD because my dc has autism.

Every child, family and diagnosis was different. Plenty of kids are diagnosed at 2 or younger now. Its often done for insurance billing purposes. Glad you got it properly done but that's not the case with every family.

Nobody said "÷)eveey family." You are the one who implies that everyone is misdiagnosed with a "catchall."

There are plenty of misdiagnosis. Several people have said their kids were labeled MERLD when it was ASD. People have said their kids were labeled ASD or anxiety when it was ASD or all three. Others say their kid was tabled ASD when it was a language or other disorder. There are misdiagnosis on many levels and kids shouldn't be diagnosed with anything until age 4 or 5 when things start. That's why its not recommended to do a neuropsych until age 7 (or sometimes slightly before).

YOU are the one here saying there is misdiagnosis. Just you. You and your old OT friend. I guess I will trust the actual Drs who conducted the neuropysch-and you have no idea what you're talking about that 'things start' with these kids at age 4 or 5. Did you miss the part where my dc has been in EI since 12 months?

Parents of kids with ASD don't just wake up one day when dc is 5 and go, oh dc is a late talker, let me run down to the corner and get a dx! Not how this works.

Just wanted to chime in that I am married, my husband has ADHD and is adamant against medication. When my oldest was having problem at school constantly (social) and *I* was the one getting 3 to 4 e-mails per day, I went ahead and looked for a diagnose from her pediatrician through the Vanderbilt and later on, a neuro from Children's. I just told him the dates, but didn't ask for permission - WTF!

Oldest didn't take medication, but youngest was having problems that even he acknowledged (still against medication). I told him - "ok, if you don't want to do medication, you are the one going to responsible to teach her how to read and do math" - very quickly he changed his tune.

Oldest now (2 years later) is moppy, can't really cope with increased demands of schools, etc. He just kept telling her Spotify was all depressed people songs...I went ahead and made an appt with a children's psychiatrist and got a prescription for ADHD. He found out today when I asked him to go pick it up.


Maybe you husband is different of mine OP, but if my husband wants to make decisions about medication and diagnose, he would have to actively participate in their eduction and deal with the fall outs of their problems by dealing with the fallouts of their problem with schools, friendships and whatnot.

Otherwise, just do what you have to do.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I totally get being upset his wife won't consent to an evaluation. I don't understand being upset his wife won't accept an arbitrary label.

A diagnosis of autism isn’t arbitrary (nor is it a “label.”)

Then you know nothing about autism spectrum disorders.

My friend has been an OT for 40 years. She says that they used to get kids diagnosed w brain damage.

Now every kid with any kind of brain damage or neurological difference, so long as they have communication or social or sensory issues, it doesn't even need to be all 3, gets diagnosed with autism. It's the catchall diagnosis.

Your friend is an idiot.

No they aren't. The friend has been an OT for 40 years. The terms have changed over time. Those with brain damage and other things now are terms ASD.

Anonymous wrote:Why do you need him to agree?
I often just sign consent forms and don’t even inform my ex. He can sue me if he finds out but he doesn’t give two effs about what the kid needs or doesn’t need. So unless I need his share of payment I don’t inform him.

I'm married, never had to have my spouse consent to anything. They just need one parents consent. OP can arrange and bring his child.

Why do you need him to agree?
I often just sign consent forms and don’t even inform my ex. He can sue me if he finds out but he doesn’t give two effs about what the kid needs or doesn’t need. So unless I need his share of payment I don’t inform him.