Other people seem to assume DD1 has autism ...

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All the strategies school find useful and that I have been advised to use by professionals are those that are helpful with children with autism.

Other parents (as in other parents of children with SN) assume she has autusm.

I am wondering if she has autism!

Problem is we recently had our paed appointment for the year. Who shoukd I go to and is there a test(is it DISCO?)

She has learning difficulties/severe speech and lang impairment/GDD as well as other medical stuff and is classed as having complex needs. She is statemented and in mainstream with 30 hours one to one but it can't be forever, I watchedher today with a three year old, she spoke to her as if she(the three yr old)was an adult and she has no idead how to play, I know it sounds stupid but I have only just realised how limited her play is. Can I ask school to refer me to PECAHMS? Or ask paed to assess her? not sure if they would?

Different areas have different routes to an ASD Dx. as you are in contact with a Paed that's the best person to raise your concerns with.

Thanks, still waiting for the neuro disability paed to call back about the last report-its been weeks now despite me calling to check she got the message. Anyway I will try again(have never met her, only the very bored looking registrar.)

Meant to add, she also has sensory integration therapy for sensory processing issues. And challenging behaviour hence my panic about getting some support in plcae specific to her needs. But I know I am desperate for a diagnosis of something and there are lots of reasons she may not have autism too.

re sensory integration therapy does any one fancy suggesting any good resources or what worked for them please? I started the massages a while back after seeing the OT but have possibly not done them frequently enough-how often do others manage it?

I have got a blue stretchy lycra thing for wrapping her in and am noticing the change in her, so far we just do it at bedtime though. I wondered about brushing but would prob need to contact the OT before starting it.

Today we braved the fair. DD1 became transfixed by everything that goes round(quite a lot at the fair! and when she is like this I cannot move her, she really gets stuck in it and is almost relieved when I eventually do get her away(often this is physically). My early years experience means I know a little about schemas but nothing about how this works for older children/with SN, anyone know? She obsesses over anything that goes round-Thomas tank was the first one and also fans, clocks, wheels.

Oh and today I tried squeezing her hand when she started hitting me and trying to run off towards the fair (why is she so desperate to get to things that overwhelm her?!)

When she did it again I used a strategy from a thread on here (think it was Leonedelt)and got down and did the stop sign and said no hitting. She actually seemed to take this in becasue she said do lije that (squeezed my hand) again. So I did and doing it repeatedly really calmed her.

I feel I have been missing things that would really help her.

Has she had a full sensory assessment by a specialist OT? Its difficult for anyone ot advise without knowing what areas she ahs difficulty in, is she overstimulated or under stimulated, etc etc.

Over, yes sorry should have made that clear, the OT said she has poor body awareness and over sensitivity to light, noise etc as well as mouth issues, she was very gaggy and this has improved a lot with the exercises we were given. The massage etc I was never sure was helping so havent done it enough but am thinking I should start back upits just been a while since we saw the OT.

She did come to school too. wE STILL havent got a gym ball for DD but have got her trampolining and I do massage and wrapping her (just prob not often enough)

OT very good on SIT but just very busy. Also got the out of sync child on her recommendation but find it hard to know where DD fits, maybe a mix (OT thought I woould recognise which chapter fitted DD most.)

I just had a long chat with the paeds secretary who said she would ask the paed to call me but also ask if we could have another appointment. Got off the phone feeling bit better then remembered because we have moved they have changed the clinic we are under-she was suggesting we saw the dr we saw a couple of years back who is great too, I really really hope they still let us. Where we live now is borderline for clinic catchments so I hope they do.

Have emailed about the innacuracies in the report and luckily that registrar who wrote the report has now left, I have been very polite I hope they don't see it as me bein stroppy. The innacuracies were pretty bad though-saying dd displays good imaginative play was one of them and I have no idea where it came from as I am very concerned I have never seen true imaginative play from her.