some concerns about Dash..

I took Dash to his nine month well child checkup last week and I had some concerns about his physical development, mostly gross motor. Well, all gross motor. He hasn't gotten close to crawling and he just recently started supporting weight on his legs. I talked with our pediatrician, Lauren, about it and she felt that it was appropriate to do a physical therapy referral. She wrote a prescription for a private based PT and also recommended that I call the Birth to Three program in our school district.
At the checkup, I filled out a screening form that my doctor uses at nine months to potentially identify children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. I filled it out and thought nothing more of it.
Lauren called me yesterday with the news that Dash scored below average in symbolic communication and communication. Needless to say, I was upset. She asked if the Birth to Three program was scheduled to visit and I told her that the appointment is scheduled for 5/12. I asked her if we were potentially looking at some red flags for Autism and she said that she didn't think he would be a low functioning child with Autism but that he may possibly have an Autism Spectrum Disorder.
This was really hard news to hear. This is what I do for a living and the thought of experiencing special education from the other side just stinks. There's no other way to put it. But, I'm thinking that five years working in the school district has equipped me to handle it and I know my way around the system.

We had our Family Care Coordinator come out from the Birth to Three program yesterday and I'm really happy with her. I feel like she understands us and I l feel like we click well. We did a interview style screening and I answered some questions about Dash's strengths and areas of need and concern.

So after our appointment yesterday, the family care coordinator recommended a full evaluation. This will be an "arena" style event where the Speech Therapist, Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Teacher, and School Psychologist are in the room and playing with Dash and I think we'll be there to answer interview style questions.

The thing is that this is what I do for a living. I know just too much to be cool and calm about it all. I know that we wouldn't be recommended for a full evaluation if the family care coordinator didn't think there were a need.

I don't think that Dash has "autism"; my gut says that if we can do early and intense intervention now, then hopefully we can pick up those two language areas he was low in. My biggest goal right now is to help him out and get him on the right path and hopefully avoid a label in six years. Maybe he'll be a kid somewhere on the Autism Spectrum and if so, he's in the right house where his momma is equipped to deal with it.

My gut also says that he does have delays and right now I'm thinking it's more a global (all around) delay instead of an Autism Spectrum Disorder. In truth, if he were Autistic, he wouldn't be diagnosed until much much later anyway. If he gets a label at this point, he will be labeled Developmentally Delayed.

I feel like I've been saying I've had a newborn for a very long time, and after going through the screening with the family care counselor, I see why. There are a lot of things that he should be doing that he's not. The good news is that these delays are all around. If he had some areas of high and some areas of low, I might be a bit more worried.

And, he's in a great place because I know what he's federally obligated to receive in terms of services from the school district.

I'm feeling better today. No tears :)