what is/are CAHMS?

[CinnamonPretzel]

We've just got back from Paed appointment - no obvious sign of ASD based on our notes and comments but for school and home helping strategies for behaviour (which isn't present in school) and further OT review for coordination issues.

What is CAHMS, what do they do and have you had experience with them ?

Thanks

Sorry, CAMHS... Just did a search :)

Hiya, children adults mental health service. They are supposed to help with behavioural, emotional and mental problems with your dc. I think in some cases they can give dx. IME they are helpful at moment having various problems with ds and camhs psychologist is the only one who sees what i do and is trying to help. However from reading other posts here a lot of mums think they are a waste of time (and i dont blame them after reading there posts).

Thanks for the input shaz.
I'll wait for the appointment and see what happens then. I'm up for any help they can give - I have a DS with ASD so aware of the various things to try for behaviour but we are only managing to control it most of the time as opposed to fixing the problem. We'll see what they can offer.

Children and adolescent mental health service.

They're a mixed bag, variable between regions. Some people have a lot of support from them, others have had CAMHS make matters worse and there's been no relevant or helpful intervention. Strictly speaking they're not experts in autism but mental health (as the title suggests) so often they are less aware than parents.

yes, they are part of the diagnostic process but often that's all you get as they frequently can't offer any follow-up services as it's not their remit. Some families are given a dx then sent out into the world of autism to find out the rest for themselves.

It's often their first (perhaps only) course of action to offer parenting strategies, but they tend to be general and not ASD specific. From what you say your dc doesn't have a dx so that may be the route they're going, in absence of anything else on offer.

Steaky summed CAMHS nicely. My own experience of CAMHS has been great. I was fortunate enough to get a contact that had both personal and professional dealings with autistic children so was able to provide moral support and strategies I could use as well as starting the referral process, but I know this isn't always the case.

The idea was to find what worked with my child to ease the issues while I waited for the various tests.

Hopefully you'll get a good contact.

So no DX suggested, Cinnamon? How are you feeling? Hopefully CAMHS will be able to help with some strategies, etc.

Thanks Streaky and Dem.

I've just reread my last post and it sounds a bit confusing.
My DD is being referred to CAMHS following todays appointment for anxiety, self-esteem issues, outburts/tantrums etc. None of this is present in school - she prefers to remain quiet so as not to attract attention and added sensitivity issue, bursts once she gets home.
Paed today said no obvious signs of ASD based on what we've said and needs further input from school just to be sure and rule it out. I'm not holding out even if there was anything obvious in school - they didn't even notice she has various coordination issues and always say she's fine when I tell them she's being verbally taunted for not fitting in.

I haven't said or pushed for an ASD DX though, just took my concerns to the GP who referred us I think based on those and that DS has ASD.

Re CAMHS, I'm ready for any help they can offer, but have tried tons of things with DD who is worse in outburst and wanting own way than DS. We've managed to work out how not to make the outbursts worse and to calm her but that comes from experience of trial and error.

Its whether CAMHS can offer anything new that I don't know - fingers crossed all will be good.

We go back to the Paed in about 6 months following implementation of strategies that CAMHS should help put in place and another OT review.

My Dd 3 was diagnosed with ASD by our local CAMHS they were a great team and very knowledgable. However as soon a she was dx'ed they discharged her as ASD is not a mental health issue.

Hope that helps.

X post Ellen - sorry.
No, no DX which I wasn't really expecting as this was her initial appointment but even so - I've had no dealings with CAMHS, even with DS and I'm falling back into the unknown. For the first time this morning I wasn't stressed (which I have been for a few weeks now) but now I'm starting to feel the pressure in the head again. I don't know what it all is thats causing the issues - I ahve ideas its just pinning it to one diagnosis and a lot swings to ASD (to me) but they a lot of ASD is a mixture of other diagnosis so maybe not. Back to the drawing board of reading, taking notes and waiting.

Thanks Ineed - our ASD team are brilliant and who DX DS but at the moment they don't feel DD has it. Maybe its a mixture of sensory and coordination issues causing the anxiety which over the years has built up and causing all the issues. I don't want to give them ammunition to say its nothing but I also don't want to force a DX onto DD when it isn't that. I just want to know what it is, so we can move on and help her and understand her.

I think part of the problem could be that they are just not used to seeing girls with ASD traits.

They are very different, Dd3 is a master at copying what others are doing and being invisible at school so that she doesn't have to tell any one that she doesn't know what to do.

Dd3 Is borderline for many things eg. sensory, coordination, anxiety and we had to push quite hard and shout quite loud to eventually get a Dx after 3.5 years.

Try keeping a diary of her issues/behaviours and how you dealt with them, it helps the proffs to build up a picture of what she is like to live with day to day.

In our first meeting at CMHS Dd3 sat on her dads lap with her hat on and her back to the MH nurse, she answered all her questions without turning around once.

The MH nurse was on the ball and realised that she need to be seen again, thank goodness because we were at breaking point by then.

Good luck.

That should have said CAMHS

I think ASD but then I think about it more because they say no and I think maybe it isn't because of this... but then I remember something else and think, actually?!? Argh its just so frustrating.

At least with DS I pretty much knew what it was and just followed their lead until enough evidence was available but with DD I have conflicting views from different areas in her life which is making it very confusing.

One set of questions the Paed asked was if DD has friends over? - no. Does she go to her friends? - yes, once each to two kids DSs age and once to her age simply because she isn't invited and doesn't get on with her peers.
Do we have any friends, parent friends in the village? - no
Now DH is saying we should go to the pub more and socialise.. making me feel and question its our fault?!? :(