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Question: I currently have my 3 year old on the waiting list for an appt with one of the Neurologists at Specially for Children in Austin. We are seeking a dx, probable PDD-NOS, for insurance purposes. Initially it was recommended that we see a Developmental Pediatrician. The only D.Pedis on my insurance plan are located in San Antonio. Is this a better fit? Should we make the drive and seek services there or stick with the Neuro?

posted by cbms16

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I think a neurologist can make the diagnosis...however, a developmental pediatrician is going to give you a lot of useful information about what kinds of therapies might make sense given your child's level of functioning, or delays in functioning. I cannot speak for the developmental pediatrician on your list, but my experience taking my son to a DP showed me that they typically run a lot more testing on your child to see where they are in their development. By seeing what gaps your child has, you can more effectively target private therapies, like speech or PT or OT. Neurology and DP are likely to give you the same DX, but they will give you different information about how they arrived at that conclusion. I like a lot of information, so that's why we've seen both for my son with autism.

posted by dmom