Dr. Wiznitzer, or, Birds of a Feather

http://casemed.case.edu/dept/neurology/Wiznitzer.html

We had an appointment today with Dr. Wiznitzer, who is a pediatric neurologist. We didn't need to see him, per se, as there has never been any indication that Ellie has a chromosomal disorder that would manifest as a neurological problem, or that Ellie has any of the other disorders that neurologists treat (ADHD, seizures, etc). However, our regular pediatrician (Dr. Joyce, or "Dr. Kelly" as Dr. W. called her) felt that he should see Ellie and put his two cents in. First, it only took us 3 months to get an appointment (I called in late April)...Dr. Joyce had predicted that I would have to wait until at least October. Second, he is very...spectrumy. He has an interesting social demeanor and an unusual lilt to his voice. But he looked Ellie over, and asked some good questions, and agreed that although Ellie falls on the spectrum, she is "just super...she is going to be just fine." He didn't recommend any additional (traditional) therapies ("just be more time and money, and you're getting the biggest bang for your buck already") and said that we were smart to start early (as Nancy Roizen says, "these are the golden years"). He steered us away from unconventional (read: untested, unreviewed, and often dangerous) treatments that are often hurled at parents who are desperate for help. He also noted that unless an undesirable behavior is related to Ellie's ability to communicate functionally or socialize appropriately, it's probably just a 3 year old tantrum. Boy, did our ears perk up with that. She won't get away with much now. Stinker.