DS with possible ASD - but we are able to very his routines - does that mean he can't be on the spectrum

[BumptiousandBustly]

Our DS who is nearly four has been showing various signs that he may have ASD - including a very fixed bedtime routine - needing to know when things would happen - getting upset at very loud noises, show high levels of anxiety about leaving the house, being very hyper at transition times such as bedtime or before going to pre-school etc.

I spoke to a friend who is a teacher and he suggested that we try and vary his routines and see how he coped with that. Well last night I managed to leave out part of his bedtime routine - as I said mummy was in a rush adn there wasn't time. and this morning, I managed to drop him off at pre-school and not go in with him to find his name - just left him with the teacher - now he was a bit forlorn but not in meltdown.

So now I am really confused. Does this mean that he CAN'T have ASD, or that he probably doesn't, or could he still? And if not that, then how do we account for all the stuff he is doing?

Oh dear.

IPSEA complained to the Secretary of State about this LEA some years ago due to the misleading leaflet on SEN they were giving out to parents!.

IPSEA has a longstanding complaint/battle with my LEA as well (although for a different reason - failing to be speficic and quantify and making this a blanket policy) and typically the Secretary told the LEA to conduct and internal investigation. The result of said investigation was of course that they have done nothing wrong and could continue as before. IPSEA strongly disagree and are still asking for people from our LA to come forward if they need help fighting.

Its not great, as it means, regardless of whether or not we get a statement, I already know I will have to keep on fighting.

'We've been told at this stage he will not get a statement, but SENCO has opened a file'

The SENCO Opened a file?

What was that supposed to achieve?

Am wondering the same starlight. Is it an empty file? I am pretty new to all this and am not a particularly bolshy person but I really think you have to keep pushing and pushing for anything to happen.

It's not easy, I admit.

alice I'm afraid you do have to push. You also have to challenge, as politely as possible of course.

You will come across many of these terms:

Open a file
Place on caseload
Hold a multi-disciplinary meeting
Refer to panel
Put in 'support'
Observe

For each of these you need to always ask, in writing preferably, after thanking them 'What will the outcome be for my child as a result of 'openining a file, being placed on caseload etc' and how will you measure it's impact to ensure that it is the appropriate action?'

You are all right to ask what opening a file means. I myself am not sure, and am also very new to this (and as a result reading this thread with great interest). So far all that is in the file is copies of reports from his paed, SALT etc...

We are now paying for private SALT to go into the preschool nursery to work with them. DS has been there since early November and is making great progress with his language but not social skills. It's hard to know what approaches are going well and what aren't when you're not in the nursery. I am hoping our private SALT will also act as a bit of a spy and report back on what she thinks we might need to improve or change. Then I want to arrange a meeting withe the SENCO to talk about Early Years Action, setting up an IEP with measurable outcomes, and how we intend to achieve them.

Luckily DS is a Sept baby so we still have a year and a half till reception. However, if a statement takes a year that doesn't give us long till we might need to start that battle - so time to start swotting up.

Drives me nuts how confusing and complicated it all is. Also the fact you feel like you can't really trust anyone is going to do the right thing unless you push it (or are paying through the nose for it). I feel like I've spent the last year acting as an NHS advocate (which has taken weeks - literally) and now it's time to start with the education system.