Hoping

It's funny how even though I'm blogging all the time now, I still fail to mention big things that are happening. For instance, we found a specialist for Owen!

Of course, you didn't actually know we were looking, did you? Because I never mentioned it. The bigger thing I never mentioned was the pressure we've been getting from the special ed teacher at school to put Owen on medication for anxiety.

The first time she mentioned it was at fall conferences. I was caught off guard, having never had anyone describe his behavior as signs of anxiety. I've since learned more about the anxiety that comes with autism and would have to agree that Owen's meltdowns do look a lot like anxiety. But medication still seemed like a big step, so I consulted his pediatrician who said there was no evidence that medication would be a good long-term solution for Owen and that, unfortunately, "some teachers like to make things easier for themselves."

So I started looking for a specialist and found that most of them had mile-long waiting lists and didn't take our insurance. When we went back to conferences the next time, I delivered the news that no, we would not be medicating him, but I was trying to find a specialist he could meet with to learn coping mechanisms (since apparently they don't teach such things in school). I thought the issue had been settled, but when we recently went back for his annual IEP meeting, the special ed teacher brought it up again, saying she knows where I stand on it, but that she really thinks treating the anxiety would help him in the classroom.

In the very same meeting, his classroom teacher - who is the one that sees him most of the day and has wonderful things to say about him - reported that he's having fewer meltdowns, but seems like he's having more trouble focusing...to which, the special ed teacher commented, "Well, that's the autism." Uh-huh...so you want me to medicate the issue that seems to not be as much of an issue, but there's nothing we can do about the spaciness?? (Needless to say, it became even clearer that we need a professional who is smart about these things.)

Naturally, I found the special ed teacher's push for meds to be irritating and somewhat distracting from the real issue at hand, which was how she planned to help my son in school, but it has since come to my attention that her behavior is actually illegal, seeing as she is not a doctor...which makes it all the more abominable, but still does nothing to help Owen.

(And I want to point out that I'm aware that many kids with autism do need medication and I am not against it as a last resort, but the idea that we would go from zero to pills - against the advice of his pediatrician, no less - is crazy to me. He is seven!)

So anyway, after much searching and calling and waiting, we are seeing a child psychology who specializes in both autism and anxiety on Thursday! And she's covered by our insurance!

I don't want to get my hopes up too high, but I am hoping that she'll be able to help Owen develop the skills to reason his way out of the fear that holds him back. And I'm hoping she can teach us how to help him. I'm just hopeful.