ASD Assessment and schools.

53 replies

RuRed · 13/12/2024 19:19

Hi, so I don't know if this is just a vent and it would be nice to have POV's.

my son is going through neurodevelopmental assessment for autism and adhd. He is 8 nearly 9.

we have had his one to one appointment and I have had the parental consultation all forms have been filled in by myself and his school.

Today was his school observation, I wasn't supposed to know but he came out and told me there had been an inspector that had watched him so I put two and two together. I emailed the school after 3:30 to get confirmation as his teacher was off sick.
Got back a shi**y email saying yes it was and that I wasn't supposed to know and that they would give feedback to the lady that came as his teacher was off sick.

I'm now worrying that the teacher being off will of messed everything up, my son will of reacted differently to his 'normal self' with a stand in, and no proper conversation will of been had about his needs in school.

anybody else been through this!? I think I just need to chill and stop overthinking. I just don't want anything to disrupt the process.

OP posts:

Negativefeedback1 · 14/12/2024 01:21

RuRed · 13/12/2024 23:55

We are lucky, a private clinic suddenly started to take NHS right to choose and I had inside info due to my job about their waiting list, I was straight on it as any parent would be given the choice. My heart goes to those waiting longer 11 months has felt like a lifetime xxx - W'yokshire for anyone following x

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Thank you for the info. My DC is being seen privately, funded by the NHS, as they have been waiting over 2 years on the waiting list. I asked about RTC for my other DC and was told that the child had to be 17+ for RTC. I wonder if this varies from area to area?
I do have another DC who was diagnosed through CAHMS who didn’t have a school assessment but lots of meetings and an ADOS. Good luck to the op.

Oaoejvr · 14/12/2024 07:39

RuRed · 13/12/2024 22:58

We have been in the clinic and he had an hour session without me.

i have had a consultation which was nearly 2 hours

and then finally they have observed him in school, incognito lol. Which I get, he isn't supposed to know he is being watched so they can get a true feel of his social and communication difficulties.

i think I'm just venting that his teacher happened to be off when he had the observation and then the school are just like "yeah we'll call them" after all the time and effort that it's taken to get to this point. I do think he's probably dropped some of his usual masking techniques with the shock of a different teacher, part of my over thinking brain thinks it might have been on purpose. Who knows! Anyway it's now the wait for diagnosis, or not! I'm really not bothered for a label, it would just be nice to know why he acts, reacts like he does which is not typical and also causes so much anxiety.

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I get it OP, it’s felt like such a fight to get a diagnosis and I’ve been exhausted by it at times. Even now with one i know it’s only the start really.

AutismProf · 14/12/2024 09:09

NewName24 · 14/12/2024 00:56

I have to disagree, for all the reasons above.

I mean, with the understanding that the parent were aware it is something that would happen at some time (as OP had). Far better for any observations to be just as part of the normal ins and outs of the classroom, than a big anticipated day, which therefore doesn't present a 'typical' picture.

Not relevant in this case, but I've also had a child not turn up when the EP was going to observe them, and used that time to steer them to the next person on the list, rather than have the EP leave the building. No way was I going to lose that valuable hour because the parent didn't know in advance. Parents have always been delighted their child got boosted up the list.

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Absolutely not.

The parent can obviously consent on the child's behalf for them to be observed, if they are under 16. Actually in my practice from age 13 we get young people's consent as well. That doesn't mean that the parent tells the child about it.

Assessment is meant to be a collaborative process and is not something in which we have a basic distrust of the family. Even when a parent does tell the child beforehand, which happens by misunderstanding more often than because of nefarious reasons, it doesn't make the child more or less autistic. We are professionals who observe hundreds of children who may be autistic and we can pick up on stuff. We don't need a child to be 'on their worst day' or obviously distressed to notice ND tells. We also do talk to school staff who can tell us how they cope with things on those bad days.

As an EP if I show up in school to see child A and they are absent, I cannot see child B unless I have a signed consent form. To see any child without consent opens me to the possibility of an assault charge. If I did have consent, I would ask school to make efforts to contact the parent of child B by phone or email to obtain permission for them to be "bumped up" the list.

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