Help needed please :-(

[flyingunderpants]

I had a meeting with the school SENCO yesterday about DS2.
DS2 is all ready on an IEP but his targets this term are the same as a year ago.He hasn't reached any of his targets,in an whole school year.He is in y2 and isn't able to read or write.He also as speech delay.
There are other things that his teacher and myself worry about.He gets confused about things, like which classroom he needs to go to.Even though they are the same rooms he was in last school year.Four weeks into the new term he has started to forget his teachers name.She's isn't a new teacher,DS had her last year too,so knows her well.
If they have to move class rooms or go some where else,DS will stand there and cry.
At home he has started turning all the lights, on before he will go to the bathroom.
SENCO have asked me to see my GP's,to see if they can help with anything.
But what can they do?What can anybody do?
Help please.

[MangoMonster]

I guess the gp could refer you to a specialist who might be able to help. I think it's a good idea to speak to gp, if your concerned.

[chocjunkie]

Has your DS been seen by e dev paed? If not I would get him referred. Also, is he under SALT? if he has not made any progress for a year with an IEP, I think you going down the statementing route is well overdue...

[flyingunderpants]

chocjunkie whats a dev paed?Sorry i'm learning about SN as i go along.
SALT have been into school to see DS,and i'm waiting for same group sessions to come throught.
How do i go about getting a statement?
Thanks for any help and advice.

[madwomanintheattic]

definitely make an appointment with your gp and ask for a referral to a developmental or community paediatrician.

they will do developmental assessments and refer on as appropriate (eg for speach and lang etc)

school are more than capable of kicking off the statementing process, and should be, but may be wanting more reports from external professionals before they do so.

[madwomanintheattic]

speach? wtf? sorry.

[madwomanintheattic]

the lights thing isn't at all unusual for that age group btw, so not everything is worrying! (even my nt kids developed irrational fears of being in the dark/ on one floor of the building alone etc) sometimes it's difficult to know what to worry about.

are any of these new or worsening issues? any regression?

[dolfrog]

you might like to have a look at a Wikipedia article Specific language impairment which has a UK expert among its editors and also included in the research Reference links

[flyingunderpants]

DS has all ways been afraid of the dark.I have all ways had to leave landing light on but now he has to have the light on in the room he is in too.
Forgetting names is a new thing.Some times he even seems to forget what he is talking about,and has to stop and think.
Two weeks ago he knew his key words that he was working on.This week he seems to be struggling with them.
Last school year he enjoyed after school clubs like sports.This year he hasn't wanted to do any.Even at home he seems to be quieter,just sitting and playing with lego.
The more that i'm writing to more things i'm noticing.
I thinks i'm going to write a list to take to GP.
Thanks for the link,i'll have a llok now.

[madwomanintheattic]

ask school to do ep assessment, as well.

[Agnesdipesto]

Is he getting any 1:1? If not ask the school to put in some asap you don't need a statement for this schools can put in 15-20 hours from resources given to them by the council

[flyingunderpants]

DS2 gets some help in the classroom,but i think it depends on how many other children need help.On his IEP it says he will have 1:1 sessions once a week for 10mins.
Other things that i have noticed,he only plays with one kind of thing.i.e. for a couple of years it was cars,now its lego.
He also doesn't like any children younger then himself.He won't talk to them or make eye contact.
A close friend asked me today, if i thought he might be austistic.
Has anybody any thoughts on this?
Thanks again everybody.

[pinkorkid]

The rigid habits and being upset by changes to routine plus lack of eye contact could be indicators of autistic traits but may simply be signs of the stress he is feeling if his other needs in school are not being met.

I would make a list of all the things you have mentioned here: possible autistic traits, problems with working memory, language delay etc to present to the gp and discuss with hime where he will refer you. A developmental paediatrician would be a good starting point although in some areas they may refer you directly to camhs (child and adolescent mental health service) if ASD is suspected and to Speech and Language therapist if you are not already seeing them.

It might be worth asking the school to arrange for your ds to be assessed by the lea educational psychologist as well as the combination of issues is clearly having a big impact on his progress and well-being at school.

[Agnesdipesto]

well 10 mins is clearly not enough for a child who hasn't met a target in a year and can't read or write.
could be a lot of things. speech delay can happen with and without autism. possibly he is confused because he cannot understand or process the level of language the teacher is using. we have this with DS who does have autism he is at a 3 key word level and the teacher is talking way above this so he is only cueing into the first few words and missing anything else.
could they give him a buddy to make sure he gets to the right room?
if you think is losing skills then you might want to think about ruling out epilepsy type conditions as that can lead to skill loss.
was he always delayed eg with walking etc?

[mariamagdalena]

Agnes is right. Delay is one thing, but losing skills is another.

You need to see a paediatric neurologist NOW. If your GP isn't sure how, then get referred to a general paediatrician's urgent clinic and they'll sort the basics and the onward referral out. And don't let the pre-existing problems confuse people into fobbing you off. From your posts the regression sounds quite new and quite marked and therefore very urgent, whereas for long-term problems, a few months delay matters less.

[flyingunderpants]

Thank you for all your replies.
I will write everything down for when i go to the GP's next week.
Another thing that SENCO said, was DS couldn't remember or understand intructions.He is ok with something simply like 'go and put your coat on'.But if you say 'go and put your coat on and go into the hall',he would forget what he should be doing and just stand by his peg.
No 10mins is not enough.Even though he gets some help in the class,she isn't there just for DS.So that is something i want to push for.
Up until DS was 10mths he was ahead of his milestones.He rolled ans sat ect early.Then at 10mths he was very ill and in high dependency unit for a week with breathing problems.From then he seemed to slow down,or he would learn to do something but then seem to forget again.

[flyingunderpants]

mariamagdalena i think he has always learnt things and then forgot them again.I just hadn't realised.
I think it is just that now he is at school it is showing more.Like last school year he knew his numbers 1-10 but now he struggles with them.Words that he knew last week he can't remember now.

[mariamagdalena]

Hi flying
That does sound less concerning.

[Tiggles]

Hi flying, DS1 has aspergers (part of autistic spectrum), part of which he can get very anxious and stressed. When he was really stressed at his old school he got to the point that he couldn't remember words, and would have panic attacks that he couldn't remember what words were e.g. drink, or what they meant. Now that he is at a different school where his stress levels are a lot lower I haven't seen the same behaviour.

[flyingunderpants]

I would just like to thank you all again for your replies.
I have made a GP appointment for thursday,so i need to write a list of things i want to discuss.
Not sure if it would be better to talk to GP first without DS.

This morning while waiting for the school bell to ring,DS got hit and pushed over.These boys then came over laughing and asking if DS was crying.I feel so sad and helpless.How can i help DS?He knows he shouldn't hit back, but he does sometimes, and nearly all ways gets told off by a member of staff.

[pinkorkid]

It will be a lot easier to talk openly with the gp without ds being there - ideally if someone could come with you to look after him in the waiting room while you talk to gp first - as they will probably want to talk to ds as well.

How aware do you think the school are that when ds gets in trouble for hitting that he's reacting rather than initiating?

[flyingunderpants]

Took DS to the GP today.
I told him everything that i had said here, and about DS's imagery friend,(i forgot the add that to earlier posts).
Has i was talking,the GP was typing what i was saying on the PC.He asked me a couple of things.Then said he would send a report to somewhere for an assessment.But i can't remember where he said,i have been trying all night to remember,and i'm getting more and more stressed about it.
Anybody got any ideas?It was something like child and adolescent something or other.I feel like a rubbish mum for forgetting.I feel rubbish for saying how far behind with development DS is.I feel like i'm failing DS.

[Agnesdipesto]

Might be CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services). don't be put off by the mental health bit - in our area the clinical psychologist (who also does mental health cases) is the one who assesses for autism / atypical behaviour / development.

[flyingunderpants]

Thank you for the fast reply.I think you are right.
Anybody have any experience with CAMHS,or and advice?
Thanks again.