SALT thinks DD1 doesn't have AS and her report for dx review is not helpful.

[Al1son]

Clearly the SALT thinks she doesn't have AS and has written her report ramming this point home.

She has written that her speech and language are well above average which is fine. That apparently explains why her speech is "adult-like and pedantic".

Apparently she was "keen to talk about her friend who she meets outside school at the riding stables" and became "confident, animated and cheerful" when talking about her. Well that might be because this "friend" is in her thirties, is also horse obsessed, has quite severe social communication issues herself and shares DD1's view that the less interaction one has have with humans the better!

She said that DD1 "shows awareness that there were some pupils she needed to stay away from but that there were some girls she could spend time with at school". That's very interesting considering she's never spent a single minute of social time with any non-autism-base pupils in the time she's been at the school, none has made any effort to contact her and she tries hard to sit at tables on her own in the classroom.

She "labelled a variety of emotions and showed awareness of different feelings and opinions people in pictures may have." Sadly that ability to hypothesise doesn't mean she is able to read subtle body language, tone of voice and facial expression in complex social situations.

Apparently she "confirmed that she "loved horses" and that "mum says I'm obsessed"." Grrrr!!

Her recommendations are that she has access to social skills group work to promote her self esteem and reduce anxiety about specific school issues.

Has this lady just shot down in flames DD1's chance to get her working diagnosis of AS confirmed at the review next month? I feel sick now.

Ive no experience of SALT really except that 2 years ago one said to me quite bluntly "oh he definitely doesnt have autism, hes very egocentric though", i came home and googled egoncentric and it pointed to ASD . Can SALT diagnose it? i presumed it was the ADOS or ADi (sp) test and a paediatrician? xx

I'm in Worcs and all cases go to a multi-disciplinary diagnostic panel. This a one report which goes but the school were forced to take her in the autism base by the LEA and they won't be backing up the dx.

She keeps it all under wraps when she's not at home so I'm not very hopeful now. I'm terrified she'll lose her place in the autism base of the dx isn't confirmed.

I wouldn't say this has shot your chances.. Tbh I assume your having a whole team looking into AS .. In which case this report is just one small part of a whole thing..

SALT are part of the SCAT (Social Communication Assessment Team) comprising teachers, educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and paediatricians. That team makes the diagnosis of autism.

I'm just worried because she doesn't express herself outside home very much so most professionals reports won't say very much. This is so strongly biased away from a dx I think it might be quite damaging.

I'll have to be very careful about my contribution.

The SALT sounds like a bloody idiot, to put it mildly. To begin with, a diagnosis of Aspergers means there has been no language delay and it is the application of language and the communication that is the issue. For example, with myself I spoke in a gramatically correct way from an early age. However, I did not say "mummy" until I was 4, pretty much only spoke to my mum until I was 5, rarely initiated talking and still rarely initiate talking, have great difficulty expressing my wants and needs and unless I am talking about my interests and obsessions find it very hard to talk to anybody other than my DH. And even with him I still have difficulties in communication. I can't easily judge when to enter into a conversation, but have a tendency I think to get carried away when I do talk. I often say what's in my head midsentence, forgetting that DH, for example, will know what I mean.
"She said that DD1 "shows awareness that there were some pupils she needed to stay away from but that there were some girls she could spend time with at school"."
Right. So was that completely off your dd's own bat, or did the SALT lead her with this question? Did she, for example, say, "well, I'm sure there must be some girls you could be friends with, don't you think?" Or "well, are there any girls you like?" And then your dd, if she is like me, would then have thought she had to say something so would have replied with "yes". However, the SALT would have spectacularly missed the point. Which is that yes, your dd may well think that Esmerelda and Ethelburga are very nice, but she (your dd) is still going to have significant difficulties in being able to initiate talking to them, in being aware and interested of what they want to talk about, of being as emotionally and socially mature as them and of being able to maintain the friendships.
Regarding the pictures. If I see a picture of a sad face, I can tell it is a sad face. That is because I am focused on a two dimensional picture with no distractions. Place me with a real person and unless they are crying or laughing my stock belief into how they are feeling is "fine" or possibly "a little angry".
Also bear in mind that the SALT would have spoken to your dd in a quiet setting, on a one to one basis. I do much better talking to someone in that environment.

You're spot on bullet234. I sometimes wonder if I'm pushing for a dx which she shouldn't have but you've set my mind at rest. She knows that adults want her to socialise with her peers and will usually agree that it's good idea. then when the time comes she finds an excuse not to. She knows she could talk to some of the kinder children in her class but she chooses to sit alone in class whenever possible.

She will work really hard to maintain a conversation one to one with an adult in a quiet environment and has used her skills of logic and deduction to learn how to behave in a socially acceptable way. That's very different from coping in a gang of 13 year olds in the school playground.

She can work out peoples emotions from pictures but like you can't pick up subtle cues in busy social environments.

I feel like this lady was looking for full blown low-functioning autism and has jumped to some pretty big conclusions when she didn't see it.

My DS, who has AS would come across a bit like your DD. He has always spoken like an adult and he comes across as confident and cheerful when talking to adults. It is when he is trying to socialise with his own age group that it becomes obvious that things are not quite right as he consistently fails to pick up the social cues they give when he is annoying them or being just plain boring. This was where the school's opinion carried a lot of weight.
He did not have any SALT involvement and he still got a diagnosis.

Do you think I should show DD1 the report so she can give some context to the comments the SALT is referring to? She will be cross that the SALT is implying she doesn't have AS if she picks up on that and I don't want to damage their relationship if they work together again but she could fill in some gaps for me about what she was asked by this lady.

My ds has been seen by the a multi - disciplinary team too-I am sorry to say the SALT said words to the effect 'I see no signs of autism in ...' she came out with loads of stuff about how he put the rider on the horse(he's been riding since he was 3-that's where the person would go)apparently he told her lots of things(she is the same salt who said he had a two word level of comprehension) despite all of this,she was listened to- My ds is now 7,has a dx of 'autistic traits' (he is now being looked at again for a full dx) I'm really sorry to say that the SALT report did have a negative effect -That said it is a multi- disc team,so I hope you will have support .good luck and I'm sorry that this seems a negative post

so SALT doesnt agree, is she the SALT who does the assessments for dx? What does Autisim base say?
We have the oppersite problem that both SALT and her special autisim school all agree on dx but "normal" preschool dont. I hate to say it, it has stopped us getting dx and delayed further full assessment (ADOS too) a further 6 months :(
The pead should know thats girls hide it well and learn quickly how to hold it together at school but fall apart at home (like DD1).
Just keep going, make sure you write down your concerns and examples of her behaviour.
HTH

Isn't it frustrating that one professional can make some sweeping judgements based on very little thought or obs and everyone jumps on it as an excuse not to dx. I will fight this tooth and nail.

I wouldn't trust the base leader as far as I could throw her so I really can't count on their support. She uses language which leads me to believe she supports the dx but it's anyone guess really.

TBH I think our poor pead was stuck between rock and hard place, she couldnt just dismiss what preschool were saying but funny enough the preschool now have "proffessionals" going in to show them what they should be looking for!!
Im sure base will be supportive, ask if they are submitting report

I wish I shared your faith in the base, Lisa.

Oh well time will tell I suppose. I'd better get better acquainted with my Tony Attwood book over Christmas. Perhaps a quote or two in my contribution wouldn't come amiss.