J's CDSA evaluation is finally in...

Well it has now been a week since I wrote anything here.  Time has been slipping away from me.  Well that and I feel like 'why am I doing this blog anyway?'  Is anybody even reading this?  But I will carry on for now at least...

So I got my hands on a copy of J's evaluation report completed by the CDSA.  It was very thorough and professional and we agree with what it states.

They did the following evaluations:

Battelle Developmental Inventory, 2nd Edition

Childhood Autism Rating Scale (C.A.R.S.)

Preschool Language Scale IV

Clinical Observation of Functional Communication Skills

What did they find?

Well overall they saw pretty much the same things we see from day to day.  They obviously took our concerns and information into consideration and also expressed those in the report.

Battelle Developmental Inventory, 2nd Edition
~Adaptive  (Self Care & Personal Responsibility) - Mild Developmental Delay
~Personal/Social  (Adult Interaction, Peer Interaction, Self Concept & Social Role) - Significant Developmental Delay
~Communication (Receptive & Expressive) -  Significant Developmental Delay
~Motor (Gross, Fine & Perceptual) - Average
~Cognitive (Attention, Memory, Reasoning, Academic Skills, Perception & Concepts) - Mild Developmental Delay


Childhood Autism Rating Scale (C.A.R.S.)
We completed this screening tool together based on the Psychologist's interpretation of the questions/choices.  The possible score range is anywhere from 15-60 with 15 being normal (non-autistic) and 60 being severely autistic.  The 'cutoff' score for autism is 30.  We came up with a 35 which falls right on the threshold of mild or moderately autistic.  His highest elevations were verbal communication, listening response, visual response, activity level & relating to people.

 Preschool Language Scale IV
Auditory Comprehension - rated him at 1 year, 6 months (or 18 months)
Expressive Communication - rated him at 1 year, 9 months (or 21 months)
Total Language Score - rated him at 1 year, 7 months (or 19 months)

 Clinical Observation of Functional Communication Skills
Speech Sound Production - Delayed (limited for forming words)
Oral Motor Skills - Within Normal Limits
Voice - Within Normal Limits
Fluency - Within Normal Limits  *I don't agree with this one
Pragmatics - Atypical (delayed social communication skills)

 - They also noted below normal eye contact as well.

--sigh--

Well I am so glad we decided to go in to the CDSA for the evaluation today.  I couldn't be more pleased with the two people we worked with.  They were very friendly and very knowledgeable - we really couldn't have asked for anything more.

We are awaiting their official report but I think the sum of it will be to refer us to an occupational therapist who will assess and address any sensory processing issues and/or motor skills.  We will also receive a referral to a speech/language pathologist who will address his lack-of-speech skills.

One of the evaluators was a speech/language pathologist who said she was quite certain he didn't have apraxia of speech.  That is obviously a great relief to us as well.

We will be able to receive in-home services through the summer (Thank You Lord!).  Both of the evaluators expressed that they felt confident that he would start improving very quickly.  I can do nothing but Praise Him for this.  My faith grew even stronger today.

So what is our plan?

We have an evaluation scheduled for J on Wednesday morning.  The evaluation will be performed by the Child Development Service Agency (CDSA) - Early Intervention.  They will do a very thorough evaluation based on the intake information I gave them.  I cannot tell you how ready I am for that day to get here.

We will use what we learn from them to make our next decisions (though we already have multiple plans in mind).  My understanding is that they can/will make referrals to the appropriate care providers based on the child's needs.

As for our concerns about B...
We have already had a speech/language evaluation completed on him and he will receive services through a private provider for the time being.  Once we figure out where we are going with J, we will pursue other evaluations for B to include our concerns about Asperger's and Sensory Processing Disorder.

I will be working on setting up a schedule for our daily lives.  All of the research I have been able to read thus far indicates that children that are on the Autism Spectrum function best on a very structured schedule.  This will not come easy for me.  I have always been very much a laid-back-no-schedule kind of person.  There is NO doubt that will be changing and pronto.

I am asking for prayers over the course of the next week.  Please pray first of all for our family.  Pray that we will keep our focus.  Please pray for little J.  I am not sure how well he will take the evaluation honestly.  He has a very difficult time with anything that has not been experienced before and this will definitely be a first for him.  Please pray that the Lord will guide us in the right direction.  Please pray that he will help us to see clearly what we are to do.  I feel selfish for asking for prayers for ourselves when there are SO many others out there who are suffering from many worse things than these.  So lastly I would like to ask that you make sure to pray for all of the people who are sick, hungry, lonely or upset.  There is much hurt and pain in this world for sure.  My last prayer is that those who are 'lost' will find Him who is the great healer.  I surely could not imagine how we would make it through the coming days without Him.