8 months ago
SACRAMENTO, CA - Early on, Jennifer McCain knew something wasn't quite right with her child, Tess. Her pediatrician thought Tess could have autism. At 34 months, physically Tess was fine but McCain said, "She had a few words, but they were mostly rote and she didn't really communicate with anyone verbally." Doctors conducted hearing tests which came back normal. McCain said her daughter's receptive language was equal to that of a 15-month-old and her expressive language was that of a 20-month-old. McCain said Tess had strong resistance to eye contact and minimal social interaction. Then something short of a miracle happened. Through a referral, they met Dr. Michael Chez who is a pediatric Neurologist at Sutter Hospital. Tess was 3 years old then and Chez had just moved to Sacramento. He ordered an extended 24-hour EEG of Tess's brain activity which showed slowing brain activity during periods of sleep. McCain said the doctor believes the slowing was a result of an inflammation in the brain. They will probably never know the root cause of that. At the time, Tess displayed autistic characteristics, but didn't fit the profile of a child with autism. Chez diagnosed Tess with Central Auditory Processing Disorder, which affects only about five percent of school-age children. Kids can't process the information they hear in the same way as others because their ears and brain don't fully coordinate. Tess was prescribed Depakote, and McCain said, "The change was immediate. She began picking up language and using words she was learning in speech therapy." "Tess is no longer on Depakote, and language is no longer an issue," said McCain. While Tess is still on another medication and continues with speech therapy, the improvements have been amazing, said her mother. Now the family is preparing Tess for kindergarten in July. While McCain says the family is a bit nervous, they are thankful they met Dr. Chez and continue to celebrate her improvements.
