Step Three

What if people and doctors don’t believe me, when i say that there is something else happening with my child? It happened before, what if it happens again?¹

Parents often state that their worries are sometimes dismissed by their friends and family. They are often told that they “worry too much” or that their child is “just fine.” They are sometimes told that they are just being over-protective of their child or may be told that it is “all in their head.”

We know parents are usually right when it comes to your children. The concerns that you have about how your children are developing are usually valid and legitimate. Professionals from both the allied and medical fields need to understand this. Some of you may spend a lot of time with your child. Some of you know your child inside and out. You may not know much about child development, but you do know your child better than anyone else. In fact, you are the experts in charge when it comes to your child. While some people may not have believed you, you still got your child assessed and diagnosed, and got your child the services that he or she needs.

If you are concerned there may be something else happening with your child, follow your heart. Do not give up. Some of you have been right before and chances are you are right again. We know that many children with special needs have more than one diagnosis. We also know that the secondary diagnosis often takes place sometime during the middle childhood years.

Here are some steps that you can take to make the referral process a bit easier this time around:

• Read the Module 2 sections of this course: the birth to six part and the six to twelve part;
• Talk to the therapists currently working with your child. They know your child well. They also know quite a bit about special needs and co-morbid conditions;
• Talk to your family doctor or your child’s pediatrician. They were probably involved in the referral process the first time around, and they may be more inclined to believe you this time around;
• If your child is already in school, talk to the school’s special educator or school psychologist;
• Finally, and perhaps most importantly, talk to other parents of children with special needs, especially those who have older children with special needs. There are a number of support groups available to you so seek them out and talk to them. Other parents of children with special needs may be your biggest allies. As Rick Lavoie (2008) stated in an article , these parents “are a remarkably generous group”. They will be able to help you.

It is important to note that what is happening with your child may be medical rather than developmental or educational. It may be that whatever condition he or she has is a disease, rather than a disorder. This means that your child may need to be placed on medication. It can also mean that your child may need to be placed on a special diet because of allergies that he or she may have developed.

¹ see https://blogs.ubc.ca/earlychildhoodintervention4/