I would consider myself conservative on the subject of counseling etc. and diagnosis due to how I was raised, and DH is worse, but when DD was 3 and her preschool music teacher said "don't let that child enter a public school without a diagnosis" and strongly advised, as a friend, sensory processing issues, I listened and learned about it. However DD's ped at the time would not "cooperate" and sign the required script/papers for the eval and sessions, and we muddled through.
Anyway, long story short, we're at age 8 with 4 hard years behind her. She's a lovely kid blessed with a fantastic sense of humor, but it hasn't been fair on her. I haven't given up trying and I believe she knows that but it's hard on the family.
I really respected that ped back then but it was not good advice.
5 years later, she's in OT and it's great and better than not doing it, but it would have been great if she started when littler.
And now we have a neuropsyche appt scheduled for the spring. Her current ped (third one since we moved to new state less than 3 years ago) readily admitted that he is a conservative ped but in some circumstances he is willing to listen, learn, grow, and DD's case is one of them. We spoke on the phone for 30 minutes yesterday evening...he called at home after 7 pm, and he is on board for anything that needs to happen based on her history and getting to the core of some of the reasons for the history.
Anyway I probably went overboard with this post, but I agree with other posters that you can be friends with your ped and respect them for what they are, but you might be right back to the neuropsyche in a few years or so, and that's time wasted for your DD and a huge amount of stress for your family to go through.
Best wishes...
