Second verse, same as the first.

We saw a psychiatrist Thursday. Based on what he has read about our case, heard from our psychologist, what he has learned from me, and what he saw for himself at the appointment, he agrees that we are likely looking at pdd-nos. He opted to keep her at the 10mg dose of Strattera instead of increasing it because she is so small, and has already had trouble with the side effects. We also switched to giving it to her at night. He was able to clearly see the eye tic and mentioned Tourette's as well.

We received a referral to yet another psychologist at a different clinic and I wasn't going to make an appointment because I didn't see the point in seeing another psychologist... but when the lady called me about my paperwork and I told her that, she responded that our PCM specifically requested we see this doctor so that we can get a diagnosis in our records and start on a treatment program. So I figured it can't hurt to get another opinion, especially if this doctor is more willing to put it in writing.

So, that appointment is Thursday at 3. It could (and likely will) take more than one visit to pinpoint the problem. They are also recommending ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) if they agree with the pdd-nos diagnosis. I'm not sure how I feel about that yet, I have to research it more. Plus it may take a while to jump through all the hoops with our insurance to get the extra benefits for special needs.

Tic Tac Toe

Well, really only tic. We went to the doctor today and had her evaluated for the eye blinking thing. The doc said it is definitely a tic and is just another piece that will help complete our puzzle. He mentioned Tourette's, which I have read sometimes goes along with autism. Let's hope it doesn't progress into what most people think Tourette's is!
The main reason we went in is because our psychologist and our PCM finally managed to actually speak to each other. They agree with an ADHD diagnosis for now and a medication trial to "take the edge off" so that the underlying problems will hopefully become easier to decipher.
The doc is putting her on Straterra, which he said is not usually his first choice, but because some of the other ADHD meds can cause or exacerbate tics this one should be better for her because it is sometimes prescribed to help with tics.
Obviously we will be starting at a very low dose. 10mg for a week, then 18mg if she tolerates it well.
I'll keep you all posted!