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Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

SN children

CAMHS

36 replies

3Trees · 23/08/2010 09:32

Hi,

So, here we are a little further down the long, and complex road of assessment etc.

DS, who possibly / probably has an ASD of some kind, is being referred to CAMHS. Which I know is Child (and adolescent) mental health.

Is this usual? I was told initially, he's go to a peadiatrician, but no, he's going to CAMHS.

dh says that in some authorities it's just that CAMHS gate keep statementing etc, is this true?

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StarlightMcKenzie · 23/08/2010 09:37

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3Trees · 23/08/2010 09:43

GP, for ASD assessment.

I am, through work and personal circumstance a bit of an expert on MH issues, and am sure that the GP would have said if he were being assessed for anything in that area?

I KNOW he has genetically elevated risks for certain MH issues, but they wouldn't be assessable at this age anyway. He also has VERY elevated risks for ASD.

And, obviously, if they thought I needed MH support, I wouldn't go to CAMHS. (excuse my paranoia there, now it seems unusual, I get to worrying, lol)

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StarlightMcKenzie · 23/08/2010 09:47

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StarlightMcKenzie · 23/08/2010 09:48

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StarlightMcKenzie · 23/08/2010 09:53

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3Trees · 23/08/2010 09:54

Yes, he's 3yrs 9mo.

HV said she would get him in for a developmental check, with a view to referring to the paed, but we never heard anything else from her.(Not unusual ime)

I shall go away and worry about his environment now then Wink Can't think what might "cause " his issues in his environment (what would possibly cause super advanced reading / number skills, lack of social skills, confusion when asked questions which are even slightly abstract, massive need for routine, times and dates of things etc, idiosyncratic speech - excellent, but odd - lack of creativity etc etc etc etc?) What should I be doing that I might not be?

Tbh, I have NO clue how ASD friendly our GP is, I've never needed to see them for such a thing.

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StarlightMcKenzie · 23/08/2010 09:58

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3Trees · 23/08/2010 09:59

lol, not scared, we've been away staying with my parents. it's been a massive upheaval for DS - ALL his issues got worse, although he did seem to make social progress by playing almost with his cousins. (ie doing what they WERE doing five minutes ago - it caused some annoyance on the part of his 5yr old cousin who got fed up of him very quickly)

It also showed me just HOW out of step he is with his peer group. Something I had not seen, since the groups he went to kind of dried up when he started preschool, and before that we did swimming, which is not really about interaction, signing (which he still likes, as he had speech delay initially, and it reduced frustration for both of us) and music groups. But baby groups don't expect skills or sociability etc.

No idea if there is an SN HV. The HV services here have been drastically cut, so I ahve no idea who any of them are when I occasionally see one.

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3Trees · 23/08/2010 10:01

yeah, I got that about my parenting, I was just trying to be light about it, and also work out where the concern might possibly be (ie what I am doing wrong / am not doing right etc)

Never thought of ringing QEII

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StarlightMcKenzie · 23/08/2010 10:04

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3Trees · 23/08/2010 10:05

Oh and DH, and various friends are SWs - some CaFservices, so, given my propensity to paranoia, his family dynamic type behaviour, general care etc are informally noticed fairly frequently

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StarlightMcKenzie · 23/08/2010 10:07

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3Trees · 23/08/2010 10:12

DH is not, some of the others are.

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StarlightMcKenzie · 23/08/2010 10:18

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daisy5678 · 23/08/2010 14:49

CAMHS here do all the dxing.

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gaia · 23/08/2010 17:04

Just wanted to add that where I am camhs do the diagnosing as well,a child psychiatrist with a specialism in learning difficulties and a paediatrician did it in a joint clinic but it was a camhs led thing. They also got us a fab nurse specialist as well who I've found really useful.

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StarlightMcKenzie · 23/08/2010 17:08

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Bigpants1 · 23/08/2010 18:37

Hi. Where I am, CAMHS also can do the ASD assessment-they have not only child psychiatrists, but cliical psychologists, OTs and Speech&Language therapists on their team.
Where you get referred for assessment varies across the country. Here, there is a "pathway" being developed for ASD and ADHD, and when completed, pre-schoolers will be referred to a Paeditrician,and school age dc to CAMHS.
What matters,is that the professional involved with your dc, is trained in ASD assessment, and you can have trust and a working relationship with them.

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logi · 23/08/2010 22:52

hi,my son was referred to CAHMS he was dx by them and they were great...the only people who actually listened to us.

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StarlightMcKenzie · 23/08/2010 23:17

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sexybrunettemotherof5 · 23/08/2010 23:38

So what exactly can CAMHS do? My ds is under the paed, OT, SALT etc baeing assesed for asd (verbal dx of as), but his SALT has referred us on to CAMHS. I think it's cos she saw ds really playing up for me, and we talked about what areas I'd most like help in, and told her I don't care about a dx really, just want to know how to cope with his behaviours. So will CAMHS be able to help with this sort of stuff?

Sorry to hijack the thread btw.

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colditz · 23/08/2010 23:40

Ds1 was referred straight to CAMHS, has never seen a paed. They diagnosed him with ADHD and Autism.

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StarlightMcKenzie · 23/08/2010 23:41

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wasuup3000 · 23/08/2010 23:45

CAMHS here where I am have a specialist ASD team.

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sexybrunettemotherof5 · 23/08/2010 23:47

So basically CAMHS differs from area to area then?

Thanks for your reply starlight. I really really hope that they CAN help with some of his difficulties. What I most want help with is advice on what to do, how to react etc re his behaviour. I just don't seem able to parent this one properly...I feel quite at a loss as to what to do, and it's not through lack of experience, I have 4 older children who were all reasonably straight forward.

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