Why would they ask this?

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DS2 is under the CAMHS team for investigation for ASD. He already has an informal dx of sensory processing disorder and dyspraxia.

One of the questions CAMHS asked was whether i have ever suffered from depression. I keep reading (online ) that i won't have caused any of his issues so why would they ask this?

(Have also posted in MH for diff perspective)

Blinking CAHMS. Mental health issues obsessed. Dyspraxia DX has got nothing to do with anything you have done. Though it's a very hard time for parents to go through. Really feel for you. It's been years since my DS2s DX of ASD but I can still remember how painful it was. It's almost like a bereavement. You grieve for the child they should have been. But they are still your lovely child and a DX doesn't change them.

Perhaps CAHMS are just concerned that you have to cope with the possible DX of ASD. Keep posting. Lots of help and advice here.

I'm not coping with a non diagnosis so why they think a label will make it worse I don't know!!

I would tread quite carefully here Paperview.

CAMHS were convinced that my son's issues were caused by my depression and insisted that he showed no signs of ASD. It's true that there is evidence that maternal depression can cause problems with social skills and anxiety and other symptoms that are present with ASD.

However, after asking advice and doing a BIBIC assessment I realised that there were too many additional factors to be explained in that way - sensory issues, rigidity etc.

I had to insist on a second opinion and really push for a full assessment (their first one wasn't a proper multi-disciplinary assessment, just with one psych who had no specific training in ASD). They were sceptical about my report of his symptoms and kept trying to explain everything in terms of parenting/life experience.

Eventually, I managed to get DS into an ASD special school and I get told regularly by the staff (who have years of experience with ASD) there that he's a fairly classic case of HFA .

The problem is that IME, CAMHS do tend to approach things from the point of view that any problems will be caused by home/family issues, before looking at the possibility of developmental disorders.

I started my involvement with CAMHS wanting to be open and to 'let them decide' on the basis of all the evidence I could offer. With hindsight, I would discourage anyone else from doing so. Many parents here have a pretty good idea already what dx would be appropriate so if you think ASD is what you're looking at, I would set out everything I tell them to be consistent with that.

I wouldn't muddy the waters with irrelevant information because I just don't trust them to treat each case on its individual merits. If I could go back I wouldn't have mentioned anything about my depression at all - they wouldn't have found out about it if I hadn't raised it first.

Yes, I agree with Patricia, keep the focus on ds.

It sounds like you are very in tune with your sons needs and it is not unusual to feel totally overwhelmed by the whole dx process; many of us on thsi board have felt the same way.

why do some areas make you get yr dx through CAMHS my son got his dx saw everyone BUT CAMHS we tried when he was 4 but they sent us that time to CAMHS and they did that to me tried to make out his social issues were my fault and i gave up after 2 years of it and then tried again now hes older and i got the dx very fast after seeing all the different profeshionals but didnt have to see CAMHS at all, i did it via gp then child development paed at the hosp

We got asked if dd had been abused by a family member as she had a phobia of females (refussed to speak to them or be near them, other than me), this really upset us. We were also asked about family history of depression (there is a huge history on dh's side). I found the dx rocess very stressful with dd1, with dd2 it was completely different.

omg thats awful so sorry for you my DS doesnt like men he doesnt know they do jusp to conclusions dont they

At first we started to panic, thinking 'has anyone hurt dd1' but she had hardly been out of my sight snse she was born appart from with my Aunt who would not have layed a finger on her. We were then that they would think our dd was being abused. Of course it turned out dd1 had Aspergers and it was just one of her many odd phobias.

So it could have been caused by me then. I told them there was no history. There is actually a v long history.

We have seen everybody else before we got to camhs. Paed consultant wants to wait and see if he grows out of his issues. We aren't coping so took up the GPs offer of camhs referral.

I think it's the ADOS they are doing. Gathering info from all manner of ppl anyway.

No, its not caused by you! please don't think that. ASD is something you are born with (nothing anyone could do).

no its no ones fault certainly not yours , your being a great mummy, ive no history of depression in my family my DS is ASD its like Marne say's its how they are when born, if your DS is having the ADOS (autism diagnostic obsevation schedule) they will find out and then they gather other info together, reports, obsevations, tests , they will let you know and you can then hopefully really get started helping your DS good luck , it will be ok you know

Paper, the one thing guaranteed to set off a depressive relapse is blaming yourself for a child's disability following superhuman efforts adapting your parenting to suit a sensory and distressed child who has neurological problems interacting with their mother. Trust me, I heard it from an adult psychiatrist .

ADOS should help you see it's not your fault. If that's inconclusive you can ask about other diagnostic tools (3Di, ADI-R, DISCO etc). I found this book very helpful book

What really pisses me off is that they see "mother depressed, child's behaviour deteriorating" whereas it should be "child's behaviour deteriorating, mother depressed". A simple difference that utterly changes the meaning. I actually saw the first statement at a conference at The Tavistock which was about their ability to cure or massively improve ASD in very young children with psychotherapy that amounted to a student going to the family's home and sitting there observing for an hour a week. There were a lot of angry parents and professionals at that event!

wow that is insulting they just want to BLAME parents AGAIN, i agree Davros it should be other way round , who wouldnt get depressed the way we and our DC's are treated and added to that actually coping on a day to day basis is hard enough nion impossible.

Exactly! Why the surprise and interest in whether we're depressed, who wouldn't be? Now we have to be scared of owning up to it ffs.

I didn't know what attachment disorder was so had a look at the wiki page

I haven;t neglected or abused him to my knowledge Starlight. I have done nothing different with him in his upbringing than i did with DS1 and now DS3. I have done nothing but try and do the right thing for our family. To the extent that DS1 is being held back from the things that he should be doing at nearly 8. Ok so i probably did things completely wrong but with no support from anyone including my own husband until 2 years ago it's really f*ing hard to know whether you are doing the right thing at all!

And i have been a SAHM since he was born an apart from nursery/school and the odd overnight (with no siblings) at my mums i have never been away from him so clearly not abandoned him either.

It shouldn't be necessary to point out that autism affects a child's ability to demonstrate typical attachment behaviour. But if anyone needs to prove this obvious point to a professional, here's a link

scary we have to KEEP pointing out the bloomin obvious to them 24/7 they need life exp not just degree's