Stories of Getting Better at Children's Hospital Colorado

"It’s amazing how accurately, and quickly, Children's Hospital Colorado can diagnose."
by Melissa, mother of 3-year-old Connor

Connor was diagnosed with
pervasive developmental
disorder, a condition he
might just talk himself out
of.

As a parent, you try to talk yourself out of being worried. At 2 years old, Connor still wasn’t talking. We chalked it up to being a late bloomer or that he was just speech delayed. But, at our 2-year well check, our pediatrician felt he should be evaluated. We started with a program called Child Find, which evaluates children for special needs. Child Find felt Connor showed signs of autism, but they wanted us to go to Children's Hospital Colorado to be sure.

When I took Connor in for his developmental evaluation at Children's Hospital Colorado, I still wanted to believe there was nothing wrong, that Connor would grow out of this phase. I instantly became disheartened as Connor shied from the team of clinicians there to help. For the first hour, Connor wouldn’t look at them and hid in the corner. I thought for sure they would label him autistic. But, they didn’t. That’s because they spent the time they needed to get to know Connor. They gave him the space and time he needed to be comfortable. Hours went by and yet they felt as though they were just starting to understand Connor.

As a team (an occupational therapist, physical therapist, child psychologist, and a developmental pediatrician), they reached a diagnosis. They took everything into consideration: the extensive forms I’d filled out, discussions with me and my husband, Connor’s behavior, and the Child Find resources. So, when Dr. Ann Reynolds [a developmental pediatrician] gave us the diagnosis, we had total confidence. She said Connor had pervasive developmental disorder and that he could possibly overcome it through speech therapy and other careful intervention.

He is now in preschool and a completely different child. After 10 months of speech therapy, he’s finally been given the tools to communicate. I am so excited for the team at Children's Hospital Colorado to reevaluate him—they will be so surprised and thrilled. And, we have them to thank for it.

Read more about the Child Development Unit at Children's Hospital Colorado