So, I just got a call from the school psychologist... the long and short of it is that he's leaning toward using the label 'Emotional Disturbance' for DS in order to put into place a BIP (behavioral intervention plan.) I can't fully put into words exactly why that seems wrong to me. It just seems like such an incredibly loaded term. The psychologist said that when DS was with him he showed good eye contact (I am pretty amazed by this, he wouldn't even look at his teacher before we practiced looking at the spot between a person's eyebrows, and he won't look at me or his father for a full sentence most of the time) and he says that DS told him he has friends... so because of this he doesn't believe he should have an Asperger's label...
My informal take is that the school psych doesn't know what he's talking about.
Eye contact is not diagnostic to rule AS in or out; as aculady says, it can be highly variable.
Asking your DS if he has friends is also not diagnostic. If you ask my DS (textbook AS) if he has friends, he says yes; this is partly because some kids are truly kind to him, and partly because he still doesn't truly grasp what a reciprocal friendship entails.
In your shoes I would not consent to the ED label without confirmation from the outside neuropsych. An ED label can lead to very inappropriate classroom placement. If your DS has Asperger's, being placed in a classroom with ED students can make things worse instead of better.
They can put an informal behavior management plan ("building plan" or "intervention plan") into place while you are waiting on the neuropsych. You do not need to consent to the ED label in order to get this done.
I would plan to bring an advocate and/or the neuropsych to subsequent school meetings to ensure that the school develops an understanding of what is really going on.
DeeDee
