Second part of CAMHS assessment- what to expect

[GoodnessKnows]

My son is, I think, high functioning autism (asperges). I've only heard bad things about CAMHS being a great disappointment. I'm excited to finally have a second meeting to follow up the initial assessment. It's with the original woman and another psychiatrist / someone.
Is this good news in terms of the likelihood of taking it seriously ... or should I prelate myself for disappointment?

Have timers of all sizes - including flashing, electric, colour-changing ones. We try
He listened for a moment tonight. DH home. It's helpful - when he's here. Hope all is ok when he visits me on hospital and leaves DS and DD here with ap. History proves not.

It's so hard, I feel for you. Mind you to give you encouragement ds at six was awful but now at 18 is a joy to be around.
I definitely think you need a proper assessment of his needs and hopefully support with strategies so that you can make a difference. Trouble is there doesn't seem to be much of a service for support once they get to school age as education supposedly take over and in my experience that is very much hit and miss even with a statement as my two don't attend the local schools.

I'm in the same position, re not being at a local (state) school. It was my health visitor who observed him in the one he was in and advised me that be be moved to one that didn't see him as a nuisance to be blasted out.

You see their statements meant that I didn't have to have the local catchment school and so opted with my feet for one that better met their needs. Ds travels 25 miles to his school now but traveled further to the unit.
Dd's school is only a couple of miles away but there are about ten schools within that distance (that I visited) and the majority closer and yet some of them I wouldn't touch with a barge pole (including a couple rated OFSTED outstanding) Purely because they had no comprehension of her needs and no intention of considering meeting them particularly as dd is academically able and has no behaviour problems and so considered the TA her statement brought to be fair game for propping up the less academically able students.
Will his school welcome a diagnosis? Are they prepared to think outside the box to come up with strategies and support? If they are willing then maybe consider a private ed psych assessment so that they know what needs he has and how to meet them.
If they wouldn't welcome a diagnosis or be prepared to support his individual needs then I would look at every state school within reasonable travelling distance even the ones that you couldn't imagine wanting him to be in purely so that he gets support from SALT, OT, ed psych and autism outreach. Dd's school is in an area of high deprivation, some of the parents are scary, lots of the children have additional needs (there are on average three TA's per class in junior side more on infants) it was satisfactory on its first inspection and yet it is the perfect school for dd.

I've no idea how his school would respond but as it's private, I'd need to fund any EP involvement, etc. myself. I'm sure toy facing maaaaaaajor surgery (Tuesday). Second CAMHS appointment/ assessment is on Monday. So I'll literally be taking things step by step, day by day.

Time then to concentrate on getting well first and when you are feeling stronger/recovered time to sort out getting a diagnosis (if not given on Tuesday) and getting your ds and you as a family some support. If he's reasonably happy in school for now and liveable with at home then there's nothing wrong with shelving fights for a later day says insanity who lived with ds peeing in a bucket for weeks as she considered it an improvement on him peeing on every bed but his own daily the toilet fight came later

lol to buckets n beds. Understandably and predictably, DS' behaviour has worsened since we found out about my tumour and impending op (6 weeks ago). The assessment date had been set and long awaited - so no shelving for us! Bring it on!

Oh no don't shelve that appointment but if you don't get answers (although from what you write ds sounds suitably stereotypical AS for them not to miss it ) you could get your strength back first before chasing second opinions.

That's what I think. I'm relieved that the appointment is before my op (just!). I won't be driving for aaaaaages afterwards.

Been thinking of you today and hope you get the answers you need. Try to remember that a diagnosis doesn't change your lovely boy it's just a signpost to the best ways to support him and no matter how much you're expecting it and wanting it and needing it it's totally normal to be shocked and to burst into tears too.

I really think that they fit a good picture of him. It was a questionnaire that needs to be scored. Unless he categorically scores a certain number if points in the scale, they'll not give anything in the way of support. But I did feel heard, nevertheless.
They saw him in action. Was funny when they asked me whether he lined things up in a certain way and I said no. Moments later, they posted out the fact that he'd... lined blocks up to create something.
Part of me is cynical as if he doesn't fit a stereotypical and clearly / easily defined profile, he'll not be helped. And I was truthful. When things dudnt apply, I absolutely said so. They said I'll hear I'm about two weeks. I'll give it longer as I'm sure that's an optimistic timescale. All done now. Me next. Op tomorrow.

It sounds like they did the ADOS then which is a recognised assessment for ASD and you're right diagnosis is given only when he meets the cut off points in all three areas. For me it's quite subjective because it's open to the interpretation of the examiners and of course there's the matter of experience and knowledge.
Every person I know who had a second opinion at the Elizabeth Newson got a diagnosis. They don't give out diagnoses unless they fit so it's down to knowledge and experience and how thorough some assessments are and also of course how the child presents on that day too I suppose. Catch ds on a good day and you'd think AS or get him at the moment (no sleep) and he's moderate to severe autism.
Ds and dd had assessments over three months, weekly observations as well as individual appointments with SALT, OT, Child Psych, Paediatrician. Far less chance of missing something and not dependent on the thoughts or experience of a couple of people.
Anyway it's done now, time to concentrate on you, hope everything goes well later today and you make a quick recovery.

Thank you. Yes. All done. Will wait to hear and ... focus on 'other things' for now.