Am I being naive?

[Outsideperspective]

My ds has been seen by an Ed Psych, and now after a long wait got the appointment with the communtiy paeditrician.

At the end of this appointment, am I likely to get any answers? Which is what I am currently clinging to, and feel like if that is not the case I need to brace myself, as my worry levels are at max, and I like labels, if I have a label I can deal with whatever it is.

But reading posts on here, about 2 years until dx, multiple appointments before dx, am I most likely to walk away from this initial meeting with more questions than answers, and either more in the dark, or certainly not less in the dark than I currently am?

DS saw a community paed last week, after a referral in the spring from his general paed (he has other health problems unrelated).

I got a bit of a shock as I went in there thinking it would be an appointment like we're used to but it soon became apparent DS was being formally assessed and we did come out afterwards with some direction as to his probable diagnoses and many referrals (SaLT, Physio, OT and CAMHS).

It was all quite a shock if I'm honest (even though I've known for years that something wasn't quite as it should be). However we seem to be fast-tracking to official diagnosis and relevant therapy much faster than I thought we would be and the community paed seems to have been the key here.

Good luck with it all x

So this may (fingers crossed) be the appointment that I don't leave feeling like I've revealed all and learnt nothing, I may get answers back?

Thanks for the luck.

End of our first Paed appointment she said what the diagnosis was for now . Also be a bit prepared for possible appointments otherwise it can be like a whirlwind . Fingers crossed x

I've taken 30 hours unpaid leave from work, to be used between now and March for all appointments, I'm ready and waiting.

2 posts saying that they had answers, I'm so hoping it's the same for us.

It can depend on where you live. Our pead who I was referred to refused to see DS saying it is not in her field and I was automatically referred onto camhs. In some areas its the pead that is the know all of these things.

Depending on how old your child is, some say lets see how he goes and review again in 6 months because childrens development can alter the older they get or suspected issues can become more aparent.

If your ds has already been seen by an EP it sounds like your area do what is called the asd pathway which is being rolled out, slowly, throughout the country as best practice. If this is the case you may well get diagnosis at the end of the appointment. Good Luck, I hope it all goes well.

First community lead we saw (around 2 IIRC) said there was nothing wrong with him. Second one (3.6) said def something but very close to call and referred to hospital specialist. Appt at clinic (6 months later) was long SALT specialist then shorter assessment with pead (DS V tired and unco-operative). That lead to referrals and support and 1 yr wait list for ADOS, which then lead to 'working dx' we have now.

So it isn't always an immediate dx and that can depend both on symptoms and area of expertise of the person you see, as well I guess on your local health board - in our city the hospital clinc is seen as the centre of excellence so that's why we were referred.

However it goes, nothing will happen without this one IYSWIM. Good luck with it x

Lead = pead, durr! And we're in Scotland, I always forget to mention that but I should because the way the HA are set up is very different.

ds saw a community paed in july, he wants to wait and see because he thinks ds's problems are more communication and language issues and i had to do a behaviour course to see if it helped. ds was only 2.7months when he saw them though x

What do you think he might have? ASD or something else?

My paed wanted to see DS twice, 6 months apart. So that she could confirm what she saw the first time was constant and consistant.

If they don't give you a dx, but want to see him n 6 months, it's reasonable to ask 'do you think it might be X'

and if the give a wishy washy answer it can still be because they think it is, but want to see him twice before saying do.

Aspergers or HFA, or just may be severe anxiety on its own.

Ed psych has already stated very high IQ 98.9% on their test but 100% dyslexic - ed psych said they had never classed anyone as 100% before and I understand this is rare in general.

DS is 7 in couple of weeks.

Ok, well 2 things you can do now to reduce his anxiety, if you want to are:

• Epsom bath salts
• retained reflex therapy - retaining the Moro reflex causes anxiety.

Off to google reflex therapy - thanks for the suggestion.

Already do herbal calming drops, don't appear to make a difference.

Will try epsom salts.

Hemispheres
INPP
David Mulhall
Sound Learning Centre

All do retained reflex therapy (and many other places. Especially OTs)

Retaining the Moro Reflex causes anxiety. And is very common.