attachment difficulties??????!!!

[moleskin]

Aarrghh sorry my last thread was deleted will start again. Sorry to star who replied! Dd2 is 3.3 been under pead for a while. We requested camhs referral at last app as pead useless and didn't deliver said assessments as promised. Anyway got peads referral letter to camhs copied to us and it says

"X exhibits a number of attachment difficulties and high levels of anxiety which need to be understood in the context of both her behaviour and her parents responses to them, and that her pro social behaviour awareness of others and capacity for imagination don't suggest a simple (?) Autistic spectrum disorder"

So are they implying attachment disorder??? She isn't adopted nor neglected was breastfed and co sleeps. Yes she has difficult and controlling behaviour but not on AD scale I don't think.

Am cocerned as this is referral letter to camhs so now think they think I'm a bad mum!! Help plzzz

Handy - no, it's one of the big problems with PDA as a concept that diagnosers have had - as it's not in DSM 4 it cannot be officially given by psychiatrists as a diagnosis; I'm not sure how the Elisabeth Newson centre and those other few diagnosers get around that. Unfortunately I don't think that is very clearly explained to parents and they come away feeling not listened to and fobbed off or that professionals aren't aware of the concept (and some aren't, but even those who are can't make it as a diagnosis!)

I think most people agree that it is definitely a legitimate presentation of autism but whether it is a separate condition is a hot potato in the autism world.

My son is 4 also has a diagnosis of PDA. It sounds like its worth looking at for you're daughter too, as hothead said, its difficult to diagnose, however it's often mistaken for attachment disorder as it presents differently to other asd disorders. The PDA contact group is great for help and advice and you will probably read a lot of parents problems similar to what you've described.

Great thanks ill take a look

Nothing to do with baby child sleeping in bed with mum for years and all that .think about it half the world would have anxiety separation issues considering the fact that ..lots of Ethnic groups sleep with their children on the same bed.
Secondly what about the economic needs lots of children sleep with parents on same bed due to economic needs.

Sorry no what I meant was I was struggling to understand how they think she could have attachment issues with us when we are very close family, nurture her, share same bed etc etc.

Hothead you've got it bang on there when you say its his needs that cause you to parent that way. This describes my situation perfectly!! I may write that sentence down to take to camhs with me!!! We had letter today asking me to ring them and make app! They've only had referral letter three days, must be quickest app in history!!!

Her older sister has ADHD, and both girls were born premature not sure if that counts. I have no idea what's going on I just know she's not the average 3 yr old!!

Great thank you hot that's really useful.