Assessed children having no SN? Does that happen?

[WhoseGotMyEyebrows]

Has anyone had their dc assessed and found that their feeling that there was something different about their dc were actually wrong?

Is it that if you are worried enough to ask for your child to be assessed then then must be something wrong? Or can it be that you (or rather me) are just not understanding your child/personality clashes/bad parenting etc?

(is it the SENCO within the school that do it? Don't even know what the CO stands for)

[5inthebed]

Yes it does. My friends son was assessed over a year by CAHMS and a paed team for possible ADHD and ASD, he was found to have neither, just emotional problems.

[IndigoBell]

SENCO - stands for Special Education Needs Co-ordinator.

They don't do much assessment, and they certainly don't diagnose.

But discuss your concerns with them.

My DS1 has ASD, and we thought that DS2 also did. So I made a meeting with his teacher and SENCO, and they were both adamant that he didn't have it. That he was fine, and maybe just home was a bit stressful due to DS1.

And that re-assured me.

[lisad123]

nope both mine assessed and both autistic

[WhoseGotMyEyebrows]

5inthebed Emotional problems would make sense.

Here is my previous thread about it if anyone is interested . . .

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/behaviour_development/1290567-Is-it-possible-to-have-an-arrogant-child-of-only-5?pg=1

Opinions would be welcome.

[IndigoBell]

It's fine to talk to the SENCO or the teacher even if you don't think she has SN, you just want to talk about her......

[Claw3]

Ive had very bad experiences with SENCO's and teachers, not noticing ds's behaviour which i had concerns about, even with expert guidance they still seem unable to notice. So one thing i would say is that SENCO's and teachers are by no means experts when it comes to identifying SN's. (should also add this might not be so in your case).

Speak to the teachers, SENCO, if you are still not happy ask your GP to refer you to Paed.

[WhoseGotMyEyebrows]

Claw3 What behaviour did you notice?

[Claw3]

Whosegot, ds began to engage in repetitive behaviours such as scratching his skin off, it got so bad he ended up in hospital is the most serious example. Experts observed him doing it in school, yet school still denied all knowledge of it. I removed him from that school.

But even in his new school, with a diagnosis of ASD, SENCO and teachers are still unable to identify behaviours, all questionaires and in reply to any experts that attend school, they still quote 'no difficulties'

Example of what experts have observed, but school havent;-

ASD team observed

Ds was unable to change his library book without adult assistance.

Ds became anxious and close to tears at fruit time and needed her to prompt him to tell the teacher that he did not want fruit.

During a small group assessment ds struggled with language, communication, rigid thinking and separating fantasy from reality.

She observed his avoidance technique of having his PE kit, but saying he had left it at home.

The above is just to clarify my point of teachers not noticing.

I suspect you are asking more to compare your dc and what you describe in your thread about inflexible thinking ie your dc wanting everything done his/her way, could be a sign of a disorder, it could also just be a sign of a typical 5 year old thinking. What other concerns do you have?

[Tota1Xaos]

sencos know lots about teaching kids, and varying amounts about the different SN they come across, but they are not diagnosticians! so I wouldn't see the senco's opinion as being definitive either way...

[WhoseGotMyEyebrows]

Claw3 Why is the lying about the PE Kit thing relevant I wonder? Mine did that once, it was because she had worked out that if she didn't do PE she could look at books or draw instead. She's not very sporty as she gets tired quickly.

The school have noticed that her attention span isn't great if it isn't a subject she's interested in but I don't know unusual it is for the age. They felt that she is very playful and that maybe she's just a bit younger in that way then the rest of the class, but not a significant amount. Homework time though is like getting blood out of a stone!

Did you read all my posts on that thread Claw? (amazed if you did!) I think it sums it up really. She thinks she is in charge of the world!

She has always been a bit difficult and from birth would scream every time her clothes were changed and objected and complained about everything. I have often thought that the awful time I went through must have effected her and I wonder if it has left her less able to handle her emotions. She was a low birth weight baby and I have read that they are more likely to have emotional problems, add to that that I was extremely ill with anxiety whilst pregnant and after she was born and lost someone very close to me and was consumed by grief . . . I don't know how she could possibly have come out of it unscathed.

So I wonder sometimes due to my family history if she has a difficulty or if the way she is, is a reaction to her early life.

She is a very sociable girl and very vocal. Her nursery when she was just 3 commented that she is very able to express her feelings and was explaining all about feelings to the other children which they thought was unusual.

The scratching the skin off thing must have been awful to see. The worst mine does is twist her own hair til it falls off but she seems to be coming out of that habit now. (saying that I pull my own eyelashes out!) So is he getting on better in his new school?

[Claw3]

Whosegot, ds gets tired very easily and finds some of the movements difficult, due to poor motor skills, sensory difficulties and hypermobility. Although until these things were diagnosed, it just looked like he disliked certain physical activities and was 'lazy'.

Sorry no i didnt read them all, just your OP, i didnt realise there was more, sorry, i thought you had posted here because you didnt get a response on the other thread

Ds has a good attention span IF its something he is interested in, again although this can be an ASD 'trait' it can also be age appropriate behaviour. Ds likes to control everything too.

Did your dd start life in an incubator due to her low birth weight?

Sorry to hear you had such a hard time, it is difficult to seperate behaviours and what they could be due to isnt it. Ds also suffers with anxiety and he has previously done the pulling out his eyelashes. Obviously as you have recognised, which is good, she could be picking up on your anxiety. What is your GP like, do they have much understanding of anxiety and such like?

Ds is happier at his new school, as he isnt being bullied, he still engages in lots of repetitive behaviours etc, but an improvement as he is happier if nothing else.

[WhoseGotMyEyebrows]

No, she wasn't prem, just small, so was healthy.

[Claw3]

I found this for you from the NAS, regarding Aspergers it might be helpful to you to have a read and see if you think it describes your dd well or not.

The characteristics of Asperger syndrome vary from one person to another but as well as the three main areas of difficulty, people with the condition may have:

love of routines
special interests
sensory difficulties.

Love of routines

To try and make the world less confusing, people with Asperger syndrome may have rules and rituals (ways of doing things) which they insist upon. Young children, for example, may insist on always walking the same way to school. In class, they may get upset if there is a sudden change to the timetable. People with Asperger syndrome often prefer to order their day to a set pattern. For example, if they work set hours, an unexpected delay to their journey to or from work can make them anxious or upset.

Special interests

People with Asperger syndrome may develop an intense, sometimes obsessive, interest in a hobby or collecting. Sometimes these interests are lifelong; in other cases, one interest is replaced by an unconnected interest. For example, a person with Asperger syndrome may focus on learning all there is to know about trains or computers. Some are exceptionally knowledgeable in their chosen field of interest. With encouragement, interests and skills can be developed so that people with Asperger syndrome can study or work in their favourite subjects.

Sensory difficulties

People with Asperger syndrome may have sensory difficulties. These can occur in one or all of the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste). The degree of difficulty varies from one individual to another. Most commonly, an individual's senses are either intensified (over-sensitive) or underdeveloped (under-sensitive). For example, bright lights, loud noises, overpowering smells, particular food textures and the feeling of certain materials can be a cause of anxiety and pain for people with Asperger syndrome.

People with sensory sensitivity may also find it harder to use their body awareness system. This system tells us where our bodies are, so for those with reduced body awareness, it can be harder to navigate rooms avoiding obstructions, stand at an appropriate distance from other people and carry out 'fine motor' tasks such as tying shoelaces. Some people with Asperger syndrome may rock or spin to help with balance and posture or to help them deal with stress.

[Claw3]

Sorry should add i am not suggesting that your dd has Aspergers, more an elimination process.

[WhoseGotMyEyebrows]

That in a few ways sounds like my brother but not my DD.

She doesn't insist on routine but just likes things her way. For eg. when pushing her down the road in her buggy as a baby she would scream if I didn't walk around the tree in the way she expected me to. She would want me to go back and do it again. I know a lot of kids do that but it seemed extreme.

[WhoseGotMyEyebrows]

Actually that sounds ALOT like my brother (just read it again)

[WhoseGotMyEyebrows]

Lenin Thanks will go and read after the school run.