paed app tomorrow and i need some advice plz

[Chundle]

Hi all dd2 ( 2.4) has paed tomorrow he's lovely. Last time we went he was unhappy the CDC had discharged and particularly unhappy that the clinical pysch discharged her without ever seeing her in a group setting (had home visits).

Anyway had letter from last app discussing plan for dd and he said he would either like her to A) return to CDC to attend assessment group for 4 weeks. Or B) have Ados test done.
Now the way I see it there are pitfalls with both options. The cdc seems to see lots of physically disabled children/children with complex and profound needs. Dd has some autistic traits and anxiety and sensory issues so I feel they don't see many kids at her end of the scale so an assessment group may not throw up much, although am leaning toward this more.
Option B) the ados will most likely be with clinical pysch we have had issues with and who tends to see children at the much lower functioning end of the spectrum.

So not really sure what to ask for here. Ultimatley what I want is to avoid pysch at all costs so I thought to ask if pead could do ados? And I've also got a quote from the priory as a backup plan!!!

How did other people manage going to cdcs when their kids are much higher functioning? I just feel that problems won't be seen as they don't seem used to dealing with things like aspergers, ADHD, anxiety etc instead they deal more with cp, downs, genetic issues etc

Sorry this Ihas got rather long winded!

My DS2 went to a child development and assessment centre, which was run as a SN school by the LA. He has HFA but was non verbal at 3. I felt, initially, that it wasn't the right place for him, but found that he did have a peer group there. Some of the DC with CP or Down Syndrome were actually really good role models for social skills and communication even if they didn't have the cognitive abilities of my DS. The other DC with ASD and classic autism were actually less helpful as peers.

From an experience point of view, remember the children that are currently at the CDC are merely a snapshot of the DC they have worked with through the years and I'm sure they will have worked with DC like your DD previously.

Thanks Ellen .I personally have no issues with her being around any other SN child, its more as to whether the staff have experience in milder issues as in the year we attended I never saw another child like dd. Some kids with cp could talk much better than her and other coped much better in groups than her but I just felt that as she could run jump and do puzzles it was thpugt right no issue there then!

Think I will prob ask for assessment group as I think it gives better idea as done over longer period than the ados, and also I know there's no way she will manage in a group of 6 children which ideally is what I need them to see.

I became a parent governor at the CDC that my DS went to which meant that I had a much longer association with it than the 2 years my DS was there. (I also worked there as a supply TA for a couple of years.) It gave me the chance to see how much the cohort of DC varied from year to year. The staff were pretty stable with little turnover, so within 3 or 4 years they had worked with children over a very wide spectrum of need. I don't know how your CDC works, it may be that staff turnover is quicker, but I'd be happier with an assessment over a long period of time rather than an ADOS with the evil C psych! It will give them the chance to properly get to know your DD and her issues and see her on good days and bad days. It's true that they behave differently at school than at home but this sounds like the best of the 2 options to me.

Great thanks Ellen . The CDC do specialise in cp so that may be why they have more children in with physcial needs

we were seen for a while at the CDC. however, the paed always tought DD's problems were not related to asd (rather s&l disorder). when we were given the option of the ados, we went for it. DD got a very clear score for autism (which we felt was the correct dx).
are you after a dx?

I think so choc! But I worry that she may be too young and her problems not clear cut enough for a dx just yet, she meets some things for a dx but not others, which is why pead and pysch totally disagree on their opinions on her. Which is why I don't really want to see pysch but would rather see someone with no previous history of my child to make an unbiased decision ifyswim

i see. I (and a lot of others incl paed) felt the same about DD (not being clear cut enough). paed kep saying it is not asd. however, the ados really brought out her asd traits and she did actually score too severe for asd and got an autism dx instead (i know, there is a lot of debate whether there is any difference). for us, the ados worked really well. we would not have got a dx without. oh, and the ados was done by the previously so dismisse paed! she told me afterwards, that she had not expected this result (though I did). but then, that is just my experience.

Thanks choc that's really useful to hear! Ours will prob be done by the dismissive pysch! Dd has the sensory issues, anxiety, sleep issues, clothing problems, social problems, very particular, etc etc lots of the little odditites. However her speech has really come on in last month and her eye contact is good with people she likes and she will point. But get her on a bad day and she will be destructive, unresponsive and a right pita!!!

DD also has anxiety issues and sleep problems but neither showed up in the ados (well, obviously, having a nap isn't part of any of the modules). but DD's s&l is very much behind, she does not do pretent play at all and rather engages in repetetive activities... she also had is rather shy and not knowing well the two "testers" during the ados, she was more withdrawn than usual. but she does point and her eye contact is great (paed described her eye contact as "mesmerising").

Thanks choc that's really interesting to know! Sounds bit like my dd!

Well pead wants her to have ados done. I did terrorise him as to who would do it and he said a team of people?? Although not all present during it. Do they watch dvd of it after or something?? Anyway he said not necessarily to give her a dx but more to get a profile of her

"Anyway he said not necessarily to give her a dx but more to get a profile of her"

ours was done by paed and salt. the paed made the notes while the salt "played" with DD. nothing was recorded iirc. and we did the ADI-R questionnaire afterwards.

Fab thanks choc. I know i was slightly curious about the profiling bit! Will keep you posted as to what occurs!! I'm guessing one of the other peads will do it along with a pysch. He did say it would hopefully gain a better understanding of her before she enters preschool next summer so that can only be a good thing. He said she's a 'curious little thing'. I ca her many names curious has never been one of them :)

well, DD has been called "interesting" by various professionals. I think this roughly translates into, something is not quite right but we have no clue what it is

That's my take on it too choc :)

most cdc centres have 2 way mirrors for other proffessionals to watch. My girls ADOS were done by the specialist speech therapist.

Thanks Lisa that's interesting maybe that's what they will do, sounds like it will be done in a large room as he said I will be placed in the furtherest corner possible from them. Just wondering is it done in a totally empty room so no other toys/items present so no distractions?