Re: Re: OCD and Aspergers--QUESTION

September 7, 2009

I have just read all of your posts about OCD and Aspergers, and was hoping

someone could tell me if a speech evaluation could diagnose this.

My daughter's speech sounds perfectly normal but at her last eval(with a

regular neuropsychologist)she scored in the 9th percentile for pragmatic

language skills.( Isn't that a red flag right there alone?)She scored in the

superior level on all the other testing. She is extremely stubborn as you have

all described( to the point of sometimes being labeled as having ODD)

She was diagosed with PDD-NOS when she was hospitalized at age 9. She is now

12. Her current eval said that although she has many obsessions and compulsions,

he did not see enough of it to label her as having OCD, although every doctor

she has seen since age 5 has said she has OCD.

Does anyone know exactly what type of evaluation she should have to diagnose the

Aspergers. She is an extremely complex kid. I have been looking for answers for

years, and am having a very hard time with her school.

Any input would be helpful

thanks

Judy

September 7, 2009

Hi Judy,

It does become so confusing, and although we know we have to live with their

issues no matter what it's called, a diagnoses does help you find the right kind

of guidance and help when needed.

My daughter was diagnosed with OCD and GAD, but we were also looking at

Asperger's. The Asperger's, for us, was evaluated using a very intensive

questionnaire that each parent filled out separately, and then her teacher

filled one out at well. Even though both us parents scored her " highly likely "

for Asp, her teacher's responses scores " unlikely " ...so she did not receive the

diagnosis because it wasn't " severe and pervasive " as stated in the official

diagnosis. Even her OCD is less apparent at school, so I think she just

maintains control better in that environment.

But ironically enough, she was " diagnosed " with perfectionism, lack of social

skills, pragmatic language difficulties such as you describe, immaturity, and

sensory issues. So even though we didn't get the Aspie " label " , they did nail

down some of the individual symptoms for whatever that's worth. And we are to

have her evaluated again in a year or two, particularly if she has trouble at

school this year (it was a big change this year because she's been in Montessori

so she had the same classroom and teacher for first through third grade, and now

in fourth she has new room and new teacher...her anxiety has spiked of course).

Besides the Asp questionnaire, she underwent numerous neuropsych tests,

assessment by both occupation therapist and speech/language therapist, and she's

been in therapy for about a year.

Subject: Re: Re: OCD and Aspergers--QUESTION

To:

Date: Monday, September 7, 2009, 8:04 AM

I have just read all of your posts about OCD and Aspergers, and was hoping

someone could tell me if a speech evaluation could diagnose this.

My daughter's speech sounds perfectly normal but at her last eval(with a

regular neuropsychologist) she scored in the 9th percentile for pragmatic

language skills.( Isn't that a red flag right there alone?)She scored in the

superior level on all the other testing. She is extremely stubborn as you have

all described( to the point of sometimes being labeled as having ODD)

She was diagosed with PDD-NOS when she was hospitalized at age 9. She is now

12. Her current eval said that although she has many obsessions and compulsions,

he did not see enough of it to label her as having OCD, although every doctor

she has seen since age 5 has said she has OCD.

Does anyone know exactly what type of evaluation she should have to diagnose the

Aspergers. She is an extremely complex kid. I have been looking for answers for

years, and am having a very hard time with her school.

Any input would be helpful

thanks

Judy

September 7, 2009

Hi, Judy.? I don't know about the speech--it is a subject I am not well-versed

on.? I did want to tell you that went through testing at her doctor's

office to determine whether or not she had Asperger's.? Since she has been a

patient there for many years for the OCD, her testing consisted of mostly

questionaires and interviews.? Once she received the diagnosis and was referred

for testing for special education services at the school, they did testing as

well that agreed with the diagnosis.? I wish I had more to offer--Asperger's is

a hard one to pin down.? Kelley in NV

Re: Re: OCD and Aspergers--QUESTION

I have just read all of your posts about OCD and Aspergers, and was hoping

someone could tell me if a speech evaluation could diagnose this.

?My daughter's speech sounds perfectly normal but at her last eval(with a

regular neuropsychologist)she scored in the 9th percentile for pragmatic

language skills.( Isn't that a red flag right there alone?)She scored in the

superior level on all the other testing.?She is extremely stubborn as you have

all described( to the point of sometimes being labeled as having ODD)

?She was diagosed with PDD-NOS when she was hospitalized at age 9. She is now

12. Her current eval said that although she has many obsessions and compulsions,

he did not see enough of it to label her as having OCD, although every doctor

she has seen since age 5 has said she has OCD.

Does anyone know exactly what type of evaluation she should have to diagnose the

Aspergers. She is an extremely complex kid. I have been looking for answers for

years, and am having a very hard time with her school.

Any input would be helpful

thanks

Judy

September 7, 2009

I think for my dd there were a lot of questions that apparently ended up being

part of what is called the Gilliam Asperger Disorder Scale. I didn't know I was

filling it out because my dd was in residential and it was all done over the

phone. Judy, did you fill out that scale? My dd also had cognitive testing which

showed a large discrepancy between verbal and nonverbal. All the tests that she

scored lower in were sections that people with Asperger's don't do as well in.

She was also observed by staff 24 hours a day for about 5 weeks before they

suggested the testing. They noticed she was different than the other girls. Her

report also speaks of her obsessive compulsive traits, difficulty coping with

change, difficulty managing emotions, extreme social anxiety which are all part

of Asperger's. My dd did not have a separate speech assessment. Her trouble with

pragmatic language showed up in the cognitive testing. For instance she scored

in the 9th

percentile in picture arrangement. This section requires that pictures be

arranged in order to tell a story. Measures nonverbal understanding of social

interaction and ability to reason sequentially. Most of the pragmatic language

they were able to observe her struggle with during the time she spent there.

Judy, is the school taking another diagnosis and giving her services that way?

Stormy

________________________________

To:

Sent: Monday, September 7, 2009 11:45:29 AM

Subject: Re: Re: OCD and Aspergers--QUESTION

Hi, Judy.? I don't know about the speech--it is a subject I am not well-versed

on.? I did want to tell you that went through testing at her doctor's

office to determine whether or not she had Asperger's.? Since she has been a

patient there for many years for the OCD, her testing consisted of mostly

questionaires and interviews.? Once she received the diagnosis and was referred

for testing for special education services at the school, they did testing as

well that agreed with the diagnosis.? I wish I had more to offer--Asperger' s is