Where are we now?

I want to apologize now for what will probably be very lengthy posts...I love to write and I think this is going to turn into a great therapy for myself on those days that are very trying!

It is June 24, 2009 and Brycen will turn 3 years old in exactly 1 month. He has a handful of single words, 2 signs, and a couple 2 word phrases...and of course babbling that we try to decipher every day. About a month ago, AEA rated him at a 16 month old level...do the calculations...that is less than half of his actual age! His "odd" behaviors are pretty much a normal part of the day now...opening and closing all the drawers in the kitchen that are not yet child proofed, shuffling/wrestling his toys around, laying on the floor pushing his tractors/trucks back and forth, throwing toys, jumping up and down while flapping his hands, grunting when he wants something, playing with his hair continuously, and so many more. His aggressive behaviors are getting worse each week...spitting and blowing bubbles when he is unhappy or mad that he isn't getting what he wants, hitting us or his sister, throwing temper tantrums on the floor and throwing/breaking toys.
Last Wednesday, I took Brycen to Child Health Speciality Clinics in Fort Dodge for his initial evaluation. We came home with a most likely confirmation that Autism is the correct diagnosis and of course more questionnaires and profiles to fill out for the Iowa City specialist. I met with his educational team on Thursday for his IEP for school in the fall. Though the services they provide won't change with a medical diagnosis, they are putting him in the Mild-Moderate Autism category from the profiles we filled out for them and the observations they have made over the months. Yesterday, I received a call from U of I hospitals to set up his final evaluation/observing of him. They can't fit him in until Monday, August 31 which is 9 weeks away...though we know getting into a specialist can sometimes take months, so 9 weeks is probably very good. He will be seeing an entire team that includes a physician, speech pathologist, psychologist, and some others for about 5 hours that day. This team will determine the actual medical diagnosis (Autism is a very large category in Developmental disorders, so they need to determine what criteria he meets under Autism Spectrum Disorders for the exact diagnosis) and help with devising a treatment plan that works best for his needs and personality. Through this phone call, I also learned that part of the appointment is considered educational and our insurance company most likely won't cover the cost of that portion...$520! I have yet to call the health insurance company about coverage for the rest of the appt, but I did notice on our benefits page that Autism disorders are covered under the Mental Health section, so the medical part of the appt should be covered...though I will still call them to confirm this for my own piece of mind.
Of course Brycen's health comes first, so we will pay anything and do anything we need to to ensure he is receiving the best treatment for him! We learn more and more each day about the sacrifices parents make for their children...and we also learn that it is all worth it!