Dr. Edwin E Pearson, MD

My 20-something-year-old went for an assessment with Dr. Pearson. My son had previously been qualified for developmental disability services for his autism (he also received SSI, as well as special education services in school). He had failed to submit paperwork to keep his services active, so his case file had been closed, and he needed to reapply for services. He was sent to Dr. Pearson for an assessment. My son's hygiene leaves something to be desired, and he attended the assessment with dirty hair and beard and wearing clothes that were not clean. He had his girlfriend go with him to the assessment because he was nervous. He reported (truthfully) to the doctor that he spent a lot of his time playing video games and was not very motivated to get things done. The doctor told my son that he was lazy, needed to grow up and get a job. He also told my son's girlfriend a couple of stories from his school records in a way that embarrassed my son. I am appalled by the lack of… professionalism in his comments. My son called me partway through the assessment and was sobbing over the phone. Dr. Pearson reported to DDS that my son had a record of Asperger's Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder but did not met the criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder under the new DSM. This makes no sense to me. DDS told us we are only able to reapply if we independently obtain (and pay for) a new assessment by a qualified psychologist. I feel dissatisfied with the assessment result, of course, but even more than that, I am shocked that a psychologist would think it was his right to speak so harshly and disparagingly to a young man whose developmental disabilities mean that he does not always present himself in the best light.