Daughter Is PDD, Now What?

Hi S.,
I'm not sure which school your child is attending, but my mother is a dyslexic teacher at Rustic Elem. She also has a lot of experience with autism as well. She is wonderful. I say this not because she is my mother, but because of the overwhelming number of requests from parents for her help. She is well known in the education/special needs circles. Her name is Debra Brown and you can reach her at Rustic Elementary in Pearland. She may be able to offer you some advice or direct you down the right path for your child. I hope this helps.

Who diagnosed your daughter? We had suspicions our son had asperger's syndrome (called "high-functioning by some people but actually a similar but different disorder under the pdd umbrella). He is now almost 7. At his 3 yr. check-up I brought up our concerns to the pedi. He was referred to Tx Children's. I've heard of people thrilled with Tx Children's and those not so excited about them. We have a WONDERFUL developmental pedi there though. Her name is Penelope Pivalizza. She tested Jared and he was diagnosed as having high-functioning autism.

I just want to tell you your child is NOT a lost cause. Depending on the severity of the autism, she may be able to lead a somewhat normal life. Early intervention is essential. Speech, o.t., and possibly p.t. are definitely therapies you should be pursuing, as well as a great education program. Please feel free to e-mail me off-list if you like. I'm not an expert but I can tell you where we've been, etc. Research, research, research! There is a lot of information on the web. The more knowledge you have, the less powerless you are going to feel.

I would suggest that you get a very through evaluation at Texas Children's Hospital Learning Resource Center and then ask for another ARD meeting and share the information with the school. ____@____.com also knows a lot about PDD and Aspergers Syndrome, I suggest that you email her.

Dear S.,

My family and I live in Pearland and we have friends who are battling similar issues. They also has a 5 yr old (boy) with autism. She has made it her passion to educate herself and family members on autism, possible causes, treatments, etc. She's extremely proactive in strengthening the quality of life for her son and has even initiated better special needs programs at her son's school. Please e-mail me directly at ____@____.com and I would be more than happy to put you in touch with her. They live in San Marcos, Tx - but she will have tons of resources and advice to share with you.

Best Regards,

J. S.

Hi,
I'm in private school education and I've seen alot of parents go through what you are. If your child has PDD she is going to need a few extra's such as occupational therepy and some educational modifications. At home she will need some xtra attention in regards to you and your family interacting so she learns social skills which is something that children with PDD struggle with. They don't understand boundries so you need to have higher expectations for her to learn them and xtra patience as she does.The biggest mistake parents make with special needs kids is they let stuff go and give the excuse "oh, she has PDD." Don't do that to your child. Expect her to work harder, she has to catch up, to feel normal. She is just as smart if not smarter than her peers. But kids with PDD have a wall that seperates them from the world. Your job is to teach her how to break through that invisible bubble. I'm sure she is a great kid. Enjoy her. If you need someone to bounce ideas off of, feel free to email me.