[acb-hsp] Diagnosing Developmental Disabilities

[Darla Rogers]

Hi Everyone,

 

I haven't worked a lot with adults who had diagnosed developmental
disabilities--our TANF clients were given a brief IQ tests and some other
things and if their IQ as evidenced by the test results--they were deemed
eligible for VR services under our TANF grant.

 

I am working with a 62-year-old consumer who, even in my limited MH
counseling experience, has depression and asserts she has a personality
disorder, panic disorder and claims she is developmentally disable, though I
personally don't see that, but she is determined to have an evaluation for
developmental disabilities.  Even if, on the off chance she has them, what
can really be done at this point?

 

It appears to me she wants to be cared for; she has a husband, but their
relationship isn't good, I'm guessing, partly because of all her physical
and emotional ailments--she asserts she also has bursitis, arthritis, GI
problems; stenosis (which, if any of you don't know, is just a narrowing of
the vertebra that surround the spine.

 

She appears to have no goals either except wanting to live back in the
country which, as an ILC, we can do little to help her achieve that, and I
believe she is using us as a social outlet, and once our VR contract is
signed, we truly won't have the time--and most of us don't have the
expertise to do mental health work.

 

She has been to several mental health facilities in the area, so I'm hoping
she keeps her promise and signs the release; that way, we might have an idea
whether or not we can really assist her.

 

She does not follow through, at all, and as a depressive myself, I
understand that one very well, so I tried breaking it down into small
tasks--Call X and check on Y this week--next week Call y and ask about
X--but she does none of these things, and as an independent living center,
it is our job to help clients be empowered to help themselves.

 

Anyway, after the novel:  I want to know any advantages of a late-in-life
diagnosis of developmental disability; she claims she was beaten and
otherwise abused as a child, but my sense is something else is going on with
her, and I want to make sure she is getting the best referrals possible.

 

 

 

Darla J. Rogers

djrogers0628 at gmail.com

 

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