Testing Results Part 2

I wrote about the results of Maddy's sleep study in a previous post. The other test that yielded results during Maddy's week at the Mayo Clinic was the neuropsychology tests. This involved several survey and play type tests where a physiologist watched Maddy interact with one parent (in this case Dad) and a trained worker over a video feed.

Most of these tests came up with typical or "normal" results. The one that did not was the ADOS test. In a nutshell, this is the golden standard for diagnosing autism. (click on the link for more info). The test (which is observation based) did show Maddy as being on the low end of the autism spectrum.

At first, this was a surprise to us, as every other doctor we have ever seen has told us Maddy does not have autism. But, after hearing the explanations from the psychologist, it made more sense. She told us that while she really doesn't think Maddy is autistic, she does have some of the characteristics of the disorder.  Some of the score is based on communication. Maddy does not speak, does limited signing and really has a very basic level of communication at this point. That alone almost puts her as being on the spectrum. In addition, Maddy did do some level of "ignoring" and played in her own little world during the test. All of which can also point to autism. What doesn't point to autism in Maddy's case is her ability to make and hold eye contact, her interactions with others and her response to affection both in seeking and giving it.

At this point, I still feel that we don't have a true diagnosis, as both the medical doctor and the psychologist stated they don't feel this is really the only or the final answer. So far, it feels like we have more questions than actual answers to anything. We will keep carrying on to try and find more answers for Maddy.