Im going to post an update even though I keep thinking its bad taste - I know Lu would slap me and tell me to get over myself

We had a Ripley meet the psychologist session yesterday. I sat outside for most of it but he kept asking her where I was (I was listening at the door!). She's a bit confuddled by our little guy; on one hand he has some interesting traits that DONT mesh with an ASD diagnosis................but then he has some interesting traits (like echolalia that I never noticed) that DO mesh with an ASD diagnosis. I asked her what she was hinting at and she said he could be ASD but she wants to be absolutely certain it isnt something else before we pay out thousands of $$$ for the ADOS assessment. She feels he may be cognitively delayed more like years than months; maybe even permanently and in no measure. He's definately not normal. It was hard to hear that and I feel incredibly guilty about it being from something that Ive done (even the psych said it isnt, the other two boys are right on track for their age so obviously its not our parenting or anything, he just IS that way).

So at this point in time our plan of attack is to have the Griffith testing done to assess his cognitive abilities. The main psychologist at the practice has just been trained to give the test and because she needs 6 tests done for feedback purposes we get it for free. I cant tell you how happy I was to hear that. From there we will know where to go. Kimberley (the head psych) is quite experienced, esp in ASD, so if she feels he is possibly on the spectrum then she'll recommended we do the ADOS too.

So I still dont fit in here exactly but I hope you'll let me stick around. Not really other threads to chat in for these kinds of issues.

to everyone.