Expert: James Michael Roan - 8/27/2005

Question
ok, keith is hfa. now, the more i read and test kameron, he seems to fall under the PDD category.

now, my question is. is pdd the same as autism with just fewer quirks, or ????

kameron is 7, has repeated kindergarten, and is just starting first grade. he went to a reverse mainstream/dd preschool, as a child with no developemental issues.  his teacher there said to me once, he was just like all the other kids, but she wasn't getting funding for him. that was enough for me to yank him out, b/c she was like he is such a burden.....i don't know.  

anyway....keith has a neurology appt on the 16th and i plan to take kameron with me to it to talk to the dr about him too....takes about 3 months to get an appt. but i figured i had better get the ball rolling on him.  but, applying for benefits for keith, ssi, medicaid, and whatever else i can get, would kameron be eligible for benefits also, dubbed PDD, or do they have to be labeled autistic to qualify??????

please help,

kate  

Answer
Hi Kate;

I can answer some of your questions. First, PDD-NOS is under the umbrella of austism spectrum disorders (ASD). It is a label that is given to a child who has many but not all of the required symptoms of autism as set forth in the DSM-IV.

Regarding your last question about funding: I don't know. Most physicians and healthcare profressionals are sensitive to the needs of children with autism and will be happy to support them diagnostically. I suggest you check with the Dept. of Disability, SSI, etc. to find out the specifics of what labels they support so that you can share the realities of the funding situation with your physician/psychologist etc.

Kind Regards,
James