Ed Psych. assessment can u help.

[supermum98]

My second son has just been assessed and he seems to have below average short term auditory memory and working memory. Can u tell me the difference between the two and what strategies can we use to help him. The report doesn't make that clear. This was a hour visit at school. Is it worth me going privately to get a full diagnostic Ed Psych. assessment with more detail? The tests seemed quite crude and not that comprehensive.

"I guess some people are very gullible."

was there really a need for that, Wet?

as I said earlier, i haven't used TH. but a lot of what I have (minimally, as I don't need the service right now) read makes sense.

a private EP report is only any good if:

it can identify actual strategies (I haven't found that EPs are very good at supporting auditory memory issues)
the school will read and take notice
failing that, the parents are able to implement (via school or at home) what the EP recommends.

in the early days, I found a BIBIC visit far more use than an EP report. a lot more 'woo' for those who refuse to open their minds, but absolutely essential for dd1, and more helpful in terms of getting suport written into her statement than either the LA EP report (which was actually quite good, as far as LA EPs go) or the private one we also had done at that time.

I am very interested in new ideas and methods but I like to see them developed with an evidence based approach and one which welcomes open and penetrating debate about substance and results - particularly if someone is charging for them, suggesting special expertise and a potential 'cure'.

I was a bit sharp in my last post as it is up to people what they spend their money on, and I have spent my fair share on DS, but for me there is a line and professional misconduct for false representations about yourself and treatments is far over the other side of it.

Anyway, I've said my bit and will jump off before I hijack the thread.

OP = if you want to put your mind at rest, my personal view is that a good EP report is money well-spent. I think SOS-SEN have lists of experts they recommend if you give them a call on 020 8538 3731

Silverfrog, it's interesting but I found that absolutely everyone ignored BIBIC's report and were quite dismissive about it as the assessments were not carried out by 'trained' professionals, e.g. EP, S&LT (you had to pay extra for that).

On a personal level, I found BIBIC very helpful and supportive.

"I guess some people are very gullible."

was there really a need for that, Wet?

Yes, there is.

I know we all try to be nicey nicey and imitate NetHuns down here but there are times when people really need to be told - when they are recommending things like this to others.

Claims such as:

I will cure my child
This chiropractor knows exactly which areas of the brain control everything
etc

That sort of nonsense needs to be challenged.

Sorry if it offends but I too am offended.

So basically Wet, you are offended that I am curing my children.

How bizarre.

Guys, I really think this isn't fair on the OP who came here for advice and support.

If you really want to thrash this out - can I suggest, in the nicest possible way, that you take it elsewhere?

Wet:

Have you met my children before they did Auditory Integration Training? - No

Have you met my children before they went to Tinsley House? - No

Have you met my children recently? - No

Have you ever met my children? - No.

So what makes you think I'm delusional?

How do you know enough about the brain to know beyond doubt these treatments can't possibly work? Are you a neurologist?

Do you also think their teachers are delusional?

And their SENCO?

And their HT?

Because they all are very excited about the changes in both DS1 and DD.

(DS2 has not had nearly as much therapy, and consequently has not had any of the dramatic improvements the other 2 have - but also his problems were far more mild to start with)

Did her EP report state she had auditory and memory problems? - Yes.

Did her EP report make any recommendations at all about what to do for her auditory and memory problems? - No.

I waited 2 years for that EP report. 2 wasted years. DD was assessed by the borough dyslexia specialist. And he made not one single recommendation.

Has DDs auditory and working memory improved with Auditory Integration Training and Tinsley House? - absolutely, undeniably.

You really have no right to accuse me of all the things you've accused me of. I hope we never talk again.

"I guess some people are very gullible"

Yep.

Some people think hcps and EPs have the answers to everything for every child. Amazing isnt it????

Sigh.

You know that the GP said about my son? "His head is too big" (he was 6 weeks old at the time)

You know what the HV said about my son? "He's fine!!" (the day before he was rushed to hospital with a strep infection in his blood at 6 weeks old and we nearly lost him)

You know what the paed said about my son? "A dx of asd wont help you"

You know what the HT at his school said about my son? "yes ds1 is very behind his peers and needs to go on school action + but he isnt bad enough for a statement"

You know what?

I'm done listening to these idiots.

The ONLY things that have helped my son are the therapies like AIT, RRT and TH that I have had to pay for (and all recommended by indigo and others on this board) and you seem to think that makes me "gullible"?

I am glad the EP report you paid for helped your son. You are very much in the minority however, if experiences on this board are anything to go by.

If you are happy with the treatment your child is recieving then great, but what about those of us (many of us, frankly) on this board who have been failed by the nhs/traditional medicine????

Everyone is, of course entitled to their own opinion.

There is never (imo) any need for the type and amount of aggression Wet has shown.

Bloody hell, if this isn't the place to share information (of the kind that you are not going to get from your GP/LA/any other professional) then it's not the place for me.

I stand by what I said earlier - this is not the place to attack anyone for the interventions they have used (with considerable success!). That kind of advice and support is easy to come by - just listen to your LA and school senco.

OP, I hope some of this thread at least has been helpful. I am sorry it all kicked off, and I wish you the best with getting the help and support you need for your dc.

The SN are not always this aggressive (at least, they never used to be). Do stick around, I am sure that posters will be able to help you with just about any issue you may need advice on.

tbh, whenI first came here, years ago, andposted about my concerns, the replies I got were a mix of:

don't take the GP/LA/senco's word for it - they won't tell you the whole truth
have you thought about private assessment (this was dx rather than EP)?
is there anythign else we can help you with? other issues, like sensory, or dietary?
if so, you might like to think about these:

not a lot ahs changed about that - new people post, and they get offered a range of advice (isn't that what posting on a public forum is about?!). what HAS changed is the vitriol, and the attacks against things that some posters have not even tried (nor needed to - lucky them!), and I see no reason why that should be necessary at all.

Oh my I'm sorry to cause such controversy, just logged on, dashing off to RDA now, so will read all posts when get back. Just to say, grateful to 'ALL' !! who have contributed as I know all advice on here is well-meaning, and we can take it or leave it and form our own opinions. As a scientist myself i prefer to try approaches first that are well researched and have been peer reviewed and published in good journals. That doesn't mean to say that there is not anecdotal evidence in favour of other approaches, which I am open to as it may just be that the evidence isn't substantial enough yet to interest a grant funding body, but will be mindful of the fact the evidence is only anecdotal, before I spend money I haven't got.

How can I tell if he needs a statement, with the sub-test scores he has? or infact what should be put in place? The recommendations by the ed. psych. are for within the class-room but don't indicate whether he should be in the SEN register.

Also does anyone know of an ED Psych. in SOuth East who specialises in processing /auditory and visual memory/working memory issues?

What is a Clinical Educational Psychologist? Have been advised to go to one.
I have heard of Ed Psyc and Clinical Psych. but not both.

Thanx

clearly you are now over 'not wantng to be involved in bunfights'

I have cured dd1's memory issues too. get over it.

some things are curable (mostly becuase they are not - or more accurately do not have to be - life long complications)

I have also (through the very quackery you dismiss) 'cured' dd1's bowel issues. yes, cured. I was not happy ot leave her to deal with the kind of bowel issues she had, while there was somethign I could do about it. she now has a properly functioning digestive system, all thanks to the 'quacks' (are you including Wakefield in that, btw? since his whole work was centred on gf/cf/biomed?) and helpful hints form people here.