I am miffed! REALLY miffed!
Posted by Lori-ann at 3/5/2008 4:57 PM and is filed under Assessment,Diagnosis,Mental Health,Asperger's 
Let me start by saying...I am miffed! REALLY miffed!
J has been having some problems lately and came to me and asked if he could get some help with this. Of course I want the best for my boy and I was so proud of him for seeking help. So off we went to the family physican. She agreed that we definately need to look into the situation, ordered some testing and made a referral to the Mental Health department of our local Children's Hospital. So off we go. The psychiatrist asks J if he wants me to stay while they do the intake interview or if he would prefer that I leave. J says Mom can leave. This is actually pretty momentous because J has had a lot of issues around seperation anxiety from the time he was a small child. Anyhow, about 25 minutes later we are asked back into the room. The Dr. looks at me and right off the bat says, "I understand that J has a diagnosis of Asperger's. After interviewing him today I would never give that diagnosis." I nearly fell off my chair. First of all, this person has never met J before and has spent less than half an hour with him. He is not trained to diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorders. He has no concept of the day to day struggles that J, the school and the rest of the family have to deal with. J has learned, very admirably, to control many of his impulses in public situations where he is aware that people are judging him. He can hold it together for short periods of time. I think what upsets me most is that this comment was made in front of J. I don't understand how a psychiatrist can say something like that and have no consideration of the impact that it will have on the individual or the rest of the people that interact with him on a daily basis.
We are now left to deal with the fallout of this statement. J has become aggressive and argumentative, sullen, uncooperative. In short, he thinks we have lied to him. Why does life have to be so hard? He is skipping school and being defiant. None of this is new behavior it is just more intense and we are less able to get past the situations that are arising.
I am at a loss as to how to handle this situation. We will be seeing the psychiatrist one more time in follow-up to hear his recommendations and then we will be referred for further services elsewhere. I feel like I should write a letter and tell him exactly what I think of his tactics and what the fallout has been at home. Will he care? Will it change his perception of J? Will he seek more understanding of J through a parent interview? I doubt it. I might as well spit into the wind.
J has been having some problems lately and came to me and asked if he could get some help with this. Of course I want the best for my boy and I was so proud of him for seeking help. So off we went to the family physican. She agreed that we definately need to look into the situation, ordered some testing and made a referral to the Mental Health department of our local Children's Hospital. So off we go. The psychiatrist asks J if he wants me to stay while they do the intake interview or if he would prefer that I leave. J says Mom can leave. This is actually pretty momentous because J has had a lot of issues around seperation anxiety from the time he was a small child. Anyhow, about 25 minutes later we are asked back into the room. The Dr. looks at me and right off the bat says, "I understand that J has a diagnosis of Asperger's. After interviewing him today I would never give that diagnosis." I nearly fell off my chair. First of all, this person has never met J before and has spent less than half an hour with him. He is not trained to diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorders. He has no concept of the day to day struggles that J, the school and the rest of the family have to deal with. J has learned, very admirably, to control many of his impulses in public situations where he is aware that people are judging him. He can hold it together for short periods of time. I think what upsets me most is that this comment was made in front of J. I don't understand how a psychiatrist can say something like that and have no consideration of the impact that it will have on the individual or the rest of the people that interact with him on a daily basis.
We are now left to deal with the fallout of this statement. J has become aggressive and argumentative, sullen, uncooperative. In short, he thinks we have lied to him. Why does life have to be so hard? He is skipping school and being defiant. None of this is new behavior it is just more intense and we are less able to get past the situations that are arising.
I am at a loss as to how to handle this situation. We will be seeing the psychiatrist one more time in follow-up to hear his recommendations and then we will be referred for further services elsewhere. I feel like I should write a letter and tell him exactly what I think of his tactics and what the fallout has been at home. Will he care? Will it change his perception of J? Will he seek more understanding of J through a parent interview? I doubt it. I might as well spit into the wind.
Did the psychiatrist give you any reasons why he/she disagreed with the diagnosis? I can't believe this "professional" made such a comment in front of your son! I would be enraged!!!
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That is absolutely HORRID!! I had a shrink do that to my son as well. I call him a shrink because I don't feel he deserves the right to be classed with real professionals that know how to act like one. Al had to see him for his disability determination. Al chose to have me with him (he also has seperation anxiety... REAL bad) and, after about 30 minutes of this guy asking fairly basic questions, he looks at my child and says "I don't think your son has anything wrong with him other than he's a smart ass." :O My jaw hit the floor. He continued on to say, "He's your typical class clown looking for attention and he needs to learn self-control." I've come to realize in the past 10 years of my child's life that arguing with these idiots is pointless. I got my child and left, thinking his determination just went out the window when he really needed the medical care and, what with my being disabled from complications at his birth and me being a single mom, that was devistating.
There apparently wasn't anything to be concerned about though because his medical records proved beyond any doubt of his disability and he's now getting the help he needs. I couldn't let that jerk's comments go though. When I went to Social Security to manage Al's paperwork I made certain to file a complaint with them regarding that "expert's" inappropriate behavior. The case worker was shocked and appalled by how the man treated my son and I was assured the matter would be dealt with. It gave me a little peace of mind to think that there was some chance that he would be kept from treating any other kids the way he did my child and I didn't have to waste my breath on a jerk like him who would've gained nothing from my losing my temper anyway. As you said... it's like spitting in the wind.
Really though, if it was a private practice there's not a lot you can do but if it was a clinic there's alway someone higher up looking out for the bottom line. Talk to them, if only for your own peace of mind, and perhaps you'll be saving another child from having to be treated so inappropriately. Good luck to ya'!!!
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