C's Appointment with the Developmental Ped

I needed to make sure I kept this appointment, especially in light of our current situation. Having a start, with a working diagnosis, when moving to a whole new state is so much better than none at all. And we've been waiting since May to get in.

So I must say I knew from the moment I got up this day was going to be interesting. C didn't sleep very well last night, and the worse the night's sleep the more his "quirks" come out. It was just me, C and lil' J- I debated all morning long on how to get to the appt.- walk or bus it. Driving DH to work was not an option today. I settled on the bus- not sure still if this was harder on myself or not but we survived.

I knew once we got there we were all in for it. We were a good 30 mins early and C was not content with the toys or books in the waiting area. He bolted out the door 3x and almost got onto the elevator once. He hid behind this screen they have hanging at least 5x and even found a power tool and step ladder! I handed those over to the receptionist and got a weird look from her. Hey its your office maybe you should look around on occasion! LOL

We finally got called back and that's when C really got to be a handful. Getting him weighed, measured and his blood pressure taken was a huge task- my hands were half full with wearing J and the nurse was about 5 months pregnant. C was not cooperative nor going for bribes of stickers. He didn't like how she tried to hold his head still to get his height or arm for the blood pressure cuff (we gave up on that completely!). It took both of us holding his hands to get him back to the room.

I answered her few questions but was already being distracted by a very busy C. He'd found the sink and made a bee line straight for it. I attempted to distract his with a shape sorter toy, which he promptly removed all the shapes from and instead of trying to fit them in the wholes he sorted into shape on the floor. Then got upset they didn't have even one of the circle pieces it was supposed to have.

We played a few minutes while waiting of the doctor, stacking the blocks and then discovered a red train (from the Thomas the Train collection- I know at least one of you out there will know his name I don't!LOL) the "goed" when pulled back. And we had a successful distraction...for about 10 mins! The doctor came in during this time and we tried to start talking- tried being the key.

C demonstrated his sensory seeking abilities quite well the the Ped. Showing how focused he can be!

• He wouldn't leave the sink alone- not really wanting to play in it just turn it on and watch it flow.
• Continually tried to climb up onto the exam table. (Luckily he didn't realize the kids' table at the end of the exam table would help him accomplish this.)
• He wanted to open the door and go running down the hall.
• Figured out how to open the sliding doors under the exam table.
• Found the game of turn off the room's lights the highlight of the visit. (I think we spent a good 5-10 mins in the dark!)
• Decided the blocks were for throwing at us.
• Hit J- a first! He's never done this at home.
• Drooled the whole time- actually more than usual.
• Decided the crayons were also for throwing, but just at the doctor.
• That he'd show the doctor how bad his meltdowns can be when we tried to distract him or remove him or something from him. To the point of throwing himself on the floor. 
• Also showed how well he can follow simple directions- like putting his snack trash in the garbage or cleaning up books.
• Showed how interested he is in how things work.
• Showed how he still likes to eat non-food items- like the crayons and paper towels.
• Also showed a few of his avoiding issues too- like resisted the doctor's touch during the whole physical exam. Getting rigid at any touch. 
• He also verbally regressed some- pointing and grunting to ask for things he wanted, something we'd started to move past.

I ended up taking little J off very early (like while the nurse was in the room) and sitting on the floor with the both of them. J decided he wanted to be part of it all too and was very mobile and vocal during our time. At one point the doctor asked if we had a PCA (personal care assistant)- I giggled and said "I wish!" (A PCA is basically an insurance covered adult mother's helper. There just to lend support and a hand.) I felt very scatter brained and know I forgot to talk about a lot of things we'd wanted to. But in the end I think C's actions were to best view of how he can be. Can be- I must stress- as this is not typical everyday behavior. Today's was extreme, for him.

So what did the doc have to say... Well he said not ADHD (how can you Dx a 2 yr old w/ADHD?! Really?) because he's too focused.Not ODD because he's not really oppositional- just focused. He won't rule out mild Autism Spectrum- C's too young to really have the social aspect evaluated at this point- there are some social "short-comings" though. And thinks it needs to be revisited when he's a bit older. (Like he wasn't upset at all when he hit J and J started to cry. And the only times he wants affection is when he's tired. And the fact he doesn't like to have certain areas of his body touched, by anyone.) The doctor referred to C as rigid numerous times- and not in the inflexible way- but physically, especially during a meltdown. I think this is a red light for him. He said C is definitely sensory seeking and avoiding. And he thinks C will benefit greatly from OT. He's writing out his findings and getting them to us fast, so we have it when we move.

It's good we have this now, we'll have it when we find a Ped and a Dev. Ped. and won't have to start the whole process over- we're still moving forward- but taking a break at the moment. Now it's time for me to find sensory diets for both C and O. And do what I can in the mean time.

A busy day but good. (Sorry I didn't get time to proof read this so it may go off a bit or ramble. I wanted to get it all down into writing before I forget anything.)