Visual tracking, retained reflexes and autism/attachment disorder

[Mummyscrewedup]

An OT has picked up that my 5 year old has retained reflexes, she has visual tracking difficulties, sensory processing difficulties. She has social and emotional difficulties, a speech sound disorder, hypermobility.

There is an ongoing conflict over whether she is attachment disorder (due to witnessing ongoing domestic abuse aged 0-2) or autism. How might these difficulties link to either of these?

[Mummy0ftwo12]

Only a Paediatrician can diagnosis OP and in the case of autism, that wouldn't just be a Paediatrician but reports would be sought from many professionals with a consultant Paediatrician overseeing. Is she already on the autism diagnosis pathway?

Attachment disorder would certainly imply social and emotional difficulties.

A speech sound disorder doesn't strike me as being linked with autism, a reception/expressive delay yes but a specific speech/sound disorder - not something i've heard of as being linked with either.

I think seeing a Paediatric Consultant is probably your quickest way to get answers.

[sian111]

Visual tracking /retained reflexes....First of all was your child born by caesarea or was premature or perhaps did not crawl much. All of which could cause retention and lack of spatial perception which in turn results in not knowing their place in the world physically amd mentally. That than causes them to bump in to things or be clumsy . Also can cause problems with letters and numbers as they cannot visualise them mentally in visual notepad ie then eyes are not connected to brain. As well as hand eye coordination and motor skills. This is not autism or attachments issues. They get frustrated at the world around them. They need lots of experience in the outside world scaffolding parks ,forests, assault/obstacle courses building logical thinking and spatial awareness this than builds motor skills and lots fine motor skills need spractice with play doh etc they also need special glasses like prisms and bifocals. You should be able to get referral to OT via gP but for visual processing unit there are only a few in this country otherwise you have to pay for behaviour optometrist neurological assesment and glasses which is about £700