New and need some advice please about son who is 4.

[Mum2boys3]

Hello

I have a 4yr old son called joshua and ever since he has been a baby i have struggled with his behavour even as a young baby he did not want to cuddle and was very hard to play games with. Would just cry/scream and get so frustrated with what we was playing with. He has very poor speach and see a speech theapist every two weeks but it is so hard for them to work with him he has little attention span and will not sit still at all. W ehave had many appointments with the paed but they just ask me Q's and Q's every tiem we go and never any outcome. We have been refered to the child mental health unit and they helped so much with his behavoir at home. Now he attends nursery every afternoon at the local infants school they have just asked me to sign a form for him to see the school sycologist because he will struggle next year in the class room invioment.

His main poblems are:

slow and unclear speach, he is very loud and shouts most of the time, he repeats him self over and over. Very active cant sit still and finds it hard to learn from watching others. You have to guide him verbally in everything he dose and how you want him to do it. He also drbbles uncontrollably and you have to remind him to swalow it and dry his mouth. He never seems to learn what he can and cant do you have to contantly tell him the same things over again every day.

I was hoping someone on here might reconise something as i have no idea on what could be wrong. I just know and have felt from birth it seems there is something wrong with my lovely little boy. From a worried mummy. Steph

[steinermum]

Hello Steph, hang in there you WILL get some answers in the morning, if not now. Lots of mums on here have vast experience with children who have various developmental difficulties and special needs. Also, if you're sitting up on your computer, have you looked through the special needs section or typed in key words to see what has been discussed in the past?

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

Steph

Has your son seen a person called a developmental paediatrician to date?. I know you mention a paed, just wonder what sort. Has the paed given any possible indication at all as to what Joshua's problems could amount to?.

With regards to his starting school the school have not done all that much to date for Joshua. My counsel to you in this regard is to write to your LEA (as a parent you can do this and there is nothing to stop you from doing so) as Joshua's parent and ask for them to assess him with regards to obtaining a Statement of Special Needs. You do not have a diagnosis (dx) for Joshua yet but this should not prevent you. I say you to write rather than the school because you have the right to appeal if the LEA refuse to assess, the school do not.

The Ed pysch may well recommend Joshua has a statement when he is seen by this person but you can set this ball rolling now. Don't leave this till he starts school as it can take six months for such a thing to be set up.

A Statement is a legally binding document that will provide Joshua a set number of hours per week additional support in the classroom. A good statement could help your son no end in school.

Has an ed pysch ever observed him in nursery?. If not I would request the nursery to get this person in to their nursery asap.

Am sorry to burden you further with all the above on top of everything else but forewarned is forearmed.

www.ipsea.org.uk is a good website to look at with regards to his schooling. It also has model letters you can use for the LEA.

[Mum2boys3]

Hi thanks for your reply's. The pead was a developement one i think. Was refrered by the speech therapist. The only things i have to go on are that his farther suffers from dyslexia and dysparaxia with autistic tendencys according to his gran i do not have contact with his farther unfortuantly.

He has always been clumsy walking into things falling over for no reason. He is being assessed by the school after easter and with this his teacher said he will get extra help with lessons they want to catch him early befoe he starts full time in september.

In some ways he is vey bright can master the computer all ready find his programs and is an excellent puzzle doer. Thanks for your help. I have been told by one speech thaerapsist he might have verbal dyspraxia.

[KristinaM]

hi steph and welcome to mumsnet

[mum24boyz]

am sorry hun, i'm not in a position to give advice here really, i'm still fighting for both my ds3 and ds4 to be diagnosed, they are both statemented, but paed doesnt wanna comit to dx at all, funnily enough your ds sounds like my 2 rolled together lol, i've got 1 clumsy with poor speech, and one whose the puzzle doer, apparently there is no genetic link with asd(this is what i was told mumsnetters is this right) definately seems to me they are missing something somewhere though, as quite a few children diagnosed with asd seem to have parents with same tendencies, i know my hubby defo has asd tendencies, as does ds3. good luck with all the assessments etc hun. ps, your name didnt half confuse me before lol.