Buki having fun with a photo app

Back in February, we went to a developmental pediatrician to have Buki evaluated for Asperger’s. That’s what the school told us was going on, so we decided to do an official eval.

I wasn’t super impressed with the pediatrician, but she came highly recommended. She did a test with a book and then played with Buki. I know she has to stay a little removed to see what his reactions would be, but the play session was painful to watch because of her, not my son. She made no attempt to make him feel comfortable, and as a result, he just stared at her when she attempted to engage him. I remember thinking that it seems like she’s never spent any time around kids, which can’t be true, as she does this for a living.

At the end of the assessment, she told us that her initial feeling is that Buki is not on the spectrum, but she wanted to do a more thorough evaluation with the help of a psychologist. So we made an appointment to come back.

Our second appointment was more of the same. More testing, more awkward playing. This time a psychologist did a test. I liked her even less than I liked the pediatrician. She made no attempt to make my son feel comfortable. She wasn’t all that friendly. And then after the test was over she tells us that our son has anxiety. Well … that may be true, but part of it was her demeanor toward him.

After everything was over, they told us that he is not on the spectrum. They see several behaviors and symptoms of Asperger’s, but not enough to call it Asperger’s. He’s close to the line, but apparently not on the spectrum. Though it’s a close enough call that they want to see him again in six months.

I should have been happy about it, but I wasn’t. I thought they were wrong. They don’t spend time with him day in and day out. I thought he had Asperger’s and that they were wrong.

Now? I just don’t know. He may or may not be on the spectrum, and we may not have a definitive answer for several years. But the important thing is to treat the symptoms and get him help, and the pediatrician agreed. We now have prescriptions for occupational therapy and speech therapy. Choosing a therapist is another story, but at least we’re moving forward.