Is this a good idea or not?

[UnChartered]

DD is having an assessment with a Paed Psych later this week, is it really 'cruel' of me to take away all the things that we've been using (PECS, lots of counting down, daily schedule board and give her some new clothes to wear ) to make sure she's 'nicely prickly' and over-awed for the next few days?

DH is going away with work for the next 2 days and won't be back until the night before the appt..

with these things in place she's been really great, hardly a twitch, never mind a meltdown, i'm really in 2 minds whether to do this or not...

i feel sick writing this thread, am in need of help too

I can say that for pead app I've sent dd2 in in her most hated prickly clothes! Whilst the pead sat there and watched her claw them off! I felt terrible BUT he realised that it wasn't just me saying all this rubbish to him and it was actually true. So I suppose it depends whether you need evidence to back your case up as it were

I didn't need to do anything when we had ours! DS4 had the worst night's sleep and was in a world of his own, totally oblivious to everyone around him. He just sat in the corner playing with a train by pushing it under the table. That pretty much clinched it!

My DS (who has already been diagnosed ASD by private paed) is seeing the NHS paed at the end of the month. I happen to know there is a sliding door on the room they will probably use, so I should not have to prepare him in the way you guys describe, because he will spend the whole time, however long the appointment takes, sliding the door open and closed, guaranteed!

We didn't do much but did remove all pecs and didn't tell them where we were going.

When ds was seen in primary regarding a unit placement for secondary his class teacher who was also the SENCo transposed the day and the PPA teacher had the class. Ds was at his absolute worst he threw, he spat, he growled, (PPA teacher was useless anyway but she didn't stand a chance) he disrupted the whole morning. SENCo said LEA were almost sympathetic as they left Class teacher spent the afternoon rewarding him on any pretext because she was so pleased. I'd say if even schools know to play the game then we shouldn't be scared to do so as well

Make sure you provide her with something that she obssess about to take with her to the apppointment too.

I encouraged Dd3 to wear her wooly hat when we first went to CAMHS and OT. Once the hat is on, it stays on.

Funily enough, both the MH nurse and the OT commented on it in their reports.

The MH nurse said "Dd3, wore a wollen hat and sat on her Dad's knee facing away from us throughout the appointment, she was able to answer questions appropriately though".

I had such a laugh when I read that. .

I asked for an OT assessment to be done at home as DS1 has angel/devil syndrome for school/home. It worked a treat. He was polite, friendly, obviously comfortable - but also kneeled up on a coffee table and put his head on the floor when it all got too much - can't seen him having done that at school .
The report also commented on how co-operative and charming he was - so it made his behaviour seem even more extreme as he wasn't stressed.

all, i don't feel quite so bad now

DD is having an assessment for ADHD, even though i think her sensory issues are more of an issue for her/us.

While i agree she does have attention issues (she gets either too involved in a task and finds transition extremely difficult or has very short attention span), I don't want the sensory traits to be overlooked.

New school shirt and i've hidden the PECS cards

might leave them hidden until after the SALT assessment too.