saw paed yesterday - thinks not so much ASD but rather SLD and sensory processing problems

[chocjunkie]

that's it basically.

I went there with DD and was sure we would have to go down the asd route. the paed asked a lot of questions and played most of the times with DD while talking to me. though he won't completely rule out asd at this stage, he thinks it is not very likely. said also that DD s&l delay sounds rather like a disorder. and he thinks DD has problems with sensory processing (esp auditory processing; she had loads of ear infections as a baby; currently on 2nd set of grommets).

DD just started a block of s&l therapy and also just started MS nursery. nursery is both in touch with the CDU (they know DD's consultant) and DD's salt also works with her nursery. the paed will also contact Salt regarding DD. I also met the nursery's SENCO yesterday so it seems in a way things come together...

we will see paed again an about 3 month. he wants and see how we get on with the speech therapy and how she does at nursery to get a fuller picture of her and then decide how to proceed.

I am a bit, well , don't really know what to think or feel. don't really feel any wiser after seeing the paed (well, a little bit maybe) but on the other hand glad that he thinks that asd is unlikely but then what to expect with SLD? I don't really know a lot about sensory processing problems either. can anybody suggest a good read about it?

TIA

Hi Choc.

That's left you a bit up in the air? There are others on here who will be able to advise you better on SPD and SLD. Just wanted to give you a bit of a (((hug))).

Glad that you are keeping on with the SENCo. Whatever DX you end up with your DD needs that support. Time for now, Lent is over.

thanks ellen - yeah, I left the chocolate in the cupboard tonight and having a glass of instead - but one a v small glass (still BF DD2)

Hi Choc

My DS has just finished being assessed at GOSH in London. They will not assess a child properly till they are at least 7yrs for Auditory processing disorder which often goes along with sensory processing disorder. This is because of the tests (it took us 3 visits, about 10hrs in all) Occupational therapists will do preliminary testing for sensory processing i believe. Hope you manage to get some answers soon. Look on APDUK website for more info.

thanks hethbell for the website. 7 - wow. DD is just 3... I am pushing at the moment for a OT referral as well. all really stressful. also the s&l disorder. suppose this is rather different from a delay??? anybody any experience what this means in the long run? we currently only have a block of 5 sessions small group therapy. doesn't strike me as a lot or AIBU?

"chocjunkie" and "Hethbell"

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a listening disability, or about not being able to process what you hear. When we created the APDUK Web site back in 2002 we tried to explain what APD means for those who have had it from birth and a bit later for children and adults who acquire APD as a result of severe ear infections such as Otitis Media with Effusion (glue Ear) when the UK Medical Research Council told us about this in 2004.

So the issue here is how do we learn to speak, and waht can cause a delay in learning to speak. We learn to speak by imitating the speech of others, or by processing the speech we hear from parents, siblings and family, and the then by reprocessing this to produce our own version of speech. If a child has APD then they will have problems processing what they hear, and probably have problems processing the small gaps between sounds, especially the sound which can make up words, and will only be able to speak when they can reproduce the whole sound of a word. This takes longer than the process other children who do not have APD who are able to blend the different sounds which can make up a word to speak. So even as adualt those of us who have APD can only learn many new words by learning the whole sound of that word, phonics is not an option.

Hethbell

The age of 7 years old is the youngest age of the AGE OF MATURATION, which is when children stop growing out of these types of problems as part of their own natural development, and issues such as APD can be consider as a cognitive disability.
However if there is a family history, the genetic link, of issues such as APD then an earlier assessment may be possible. We are a family of 5 all of us have various degrees of APD, and all now clinically diagnosed children and adults.

zzzzz

I have a Specific Language Impairment research paper collection on my Invisible Disability Research paper web page and of the 59 research paper listed at the PubMed site includes Language and Reading Abilities of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Specific Language Impairment and Their First-Degree Relatives

thanks dolfrog and zzzzz

@zzzzz - would be really grateful if you could share a bit of your experience :)

Those that have a dx of Sensory Processing Disorder, who was it dx'd by? My son 7 has been assessed by OT and he showed a definate differance in Visual, Auditory, Tactile, Proprioceptive and Gustary/Oral.

I was told that this isn't a dx of SPD though, Is it the Paed who dx from the reports that the OT compiles? We saw the Paed just before the OT so are due again in June.

mum0fthree

you might like to have a look at this 2009 research paper.
Perspectives on Sensory Processing Disorder: A Call for Translational Research
which is included in my online PubMed "Sensory Processing Disorder" research paper collection, which is listed on my Invisible Disability research paper web page.
There is also a Yahoo sensoryintegrationgroup · Sensory Integration Group which has been active since 2003