Dr. Matthew Kressin, PhD

Very dismissive. Failed to provide options for my child.

My daughter saw Dr. Kressin at the Center for Disabilities and Development in Iowa City. She is 13-years-old and has struggled with autistic symptoms her entire life. Several years ago we were told by a different doctor at the CDD that she is not autistic, even though she had no other explanations to give for the autistic like behaviors my daughter was exhibiting. After several years, we chose to go back to the CDD for more testing, where she saw Dr. Kressin. Dr. Kressin went through the ADOS testing with my daughter and he issued a diagnosis of autism. In addition, he gave us a plethora of information and organizations we can reach out to in order to receive additional support and services. He listened to and answered all our questions and concerns, and helped us to feel as though our opinions matter. I have no issues with Dr. Kressin or the service he provided. In fact, he honestly answered our questions when other doctors could not.

A year ago I took my daughter to Iowa City in order to help determine if she had a learning disorder and receive further help for her as she was struggling in school. Dr Kressin was very dismissive of my concerns. Showed no care of concern for what I was saying. Spend less than 90 minutes with my daughter, gave her an IQ test and diagnosed her as having a mild intellectual disability. When I pressed for more answers, insisted that I believed there was more to her struggles than that and if there was any thing else we could do get her help, he strongly suggested that I apply for state aid. Then had me fill out a severely out of date state aid form, which I later refused to complete with the state as I do not think his diagnosis was correct. Two months after his diagnosis, I found Childserve. They were kind, listened, and determined that my daughter could most definitely benefit from a couple of therapies, so we began them immediately. I am happy to report that after just 6 weeks,… my daughter showed signs of improvement and after 10 months of therapy, my daughter is happier and progressing at a remarkable rate. While she is still behind her peers, I see improvements and my daughter continues to surprise me every day with something she couldn't express, say or do the week or two prior. My daughter will always have a challenge when it comes to learning but I no longer feel hopeless about her future. I STRONGLY caution all parents who see Kressin, to seek out other opinions, and to consider other alternatives. Do not give up on your child. Seek out other answers that work for you. I have found that Psychologist and Psychiatrists are not very good at connecting you with other resources such as Childserve, and they are not interested in providing your child care that helps them progress. It has been extremely frustrating but I am glad my child got the help she deserves and does not have to rely on the State to provide her assistance.