Private assessment

[AWhaleOfATime]

I have been thinking abut having ds2 assessed. There are some issues but no one is really able to put their finger on exactly it is. Could be a language issue or Asperger.

If you were to have some assessment done privatly, where would you go? I've heard about one centre in Caimbridge and one in London but I am unsure if they could do an assessment in both of these areas at the same time.

We have started the assessment with CAMHS but feels atm that we are stuck with a door keeper and not going anywhere.

What I would really know is what is going well and what isn't going so well so we can support ds2 the best. (ie if it's language have SALT support, if it's AS, give him the right support/coping strategies or both if it's a mixture).

Any experience on that?

How old is he?

He is 7yo and in Y3

Have you had any assessments carried out so far - SALT, OT, EP?

SALT went to school in Y1 and decided 'all was fine' as he was progressing with the extremely good support of the school.
Teacher in Y3 says there are still some issue with his language (the way he constructs his sentences etc...).
Also had an assessment from SALT privately this year who found that ds2 was OK for sounds/pronunciation (which was the big problem in Y1). She said it was fine. Teacher says she still has times when she can't understand him.

EP hasn't been involved (yet). I have a meeting planned with SENCO and will ask for that.

CAMHS doesn't want to do anything yet 'as he seems to be coping anyway'.

What is the OT?

Did private SaLT assess his full language skills? Or just speech sounds? There must be wider issues if he's been referred to CAMHS?

HW x

Sorry - OT is occupational therapy.

Have SALT carried out any assessments - used ACE or CELF-4? How was progress measured?

Just speech sounds with the SALT as this is where the issue was but yes I feel there is a need of a full assessment (just didn't it was necessary at the time. I am struggling to see what IS necessary iyswim).

Referral to CAMHS came though my GP. I asked for it but this still very early days. Teacher this year is finding very similar patterns (eye contact issues, being inflexible, looking blank....) which I will feed to CAMHS at the next meeting.

No idea! She never said. Just said 'oh he is fine'.

The one he saw at school... no idea either. I was never told.

I really need to have a better idea of what to ask don't I?

With a child with these difficulties and referrals I would expect a private SaLT to recommend a full assessment of language skills including non verbal, non literal and conversational. Find another? Can anyone recommend?

I found 3 SALT doing private work here. I contacted them all (twice) and only one of them got back to me.... That's the one we saw.

Agree about another assessment re SALT.

That's why I would be happy to get a general assessment that would take into account the social issues, the language problems etc... atm I have no idea where to put the emphasis as I have no idea what I am dealing with iyswim. I am getting the feeling that it's a complex mix of issues.
Having an idea would help both at home and at school (the teacher already has put more resources to support him but feels that it's probably not the best ones - ie ds doesn't respond well to it)

Would scool do an Ed Psych assessment? If the teacher identifies her strategies are not effective presumably they are amenable to getting outside help from an EP (said in a completely unsarcastic tone of voice)?

Shame you have exhausted private SaLT options, NHS SaLT particularly rubbish at neurodevelopmental issues.

HW x

I don't really understand why you have gone down the CAMHS route. DS2 (6)also started with pronounciation problems but has since been seen and assessed by SALT (not following instructions, avoiding eye contact, not responding to name, making noises etc) and OT - similar overlapping problems plus assessment for problems with handwriting, fidgeting etc. And of course the community paediatrician.

Even DS(1) was seen and assessed (albeit inadequately) by NHS, SALT, OT and 2 EPs before we shelled out for private assessments (when the free ones had dried up/were sparse in detail). I'd have loved for there to be one authoritive 'general assessment' that everyone would accept but it just doesn't exist. This is and is not a journey of discovery. You have to know where you are going and what you want before you set off. You will have to play a complex game with unknown rules against opponents who wrote the rules and play every day and have no emotional attachment. The 'game' is much easier to play with support from teaching staff/SALT/OT.

Ds had a language issue , turned out caused by dyspraxia and sensory processing issues - only picked up by very specialized team.
We used child and family practice in London under prof Ricky Richardson, but key people to DS were Dimitrios from hopscotch (SILT test), and Lesley Prout speech therapist and .... Oh can't remember physio's name - but can look it up for you. If you want. His speech therapist had never seen a speech test like it - or was it the results ... Anyway she said it was very unusual anyway!

Ps - the whole shabang cost a fortune ( we did multi-disciplinary - so more that just 3) knowing what I know now - would be tempted to just do those 3, and then go to more later if need be

Yes playing a game with unknown rules is exactely how it feels at the moment.

I didn't really chose the route of CAMHS. I went to see my GP and ask for an assessment (I thought it would lead to a referral to a paed). The procedure here seems to go to CAMHS directly for possible AS/ASD. At the time, his teacher wasn't reporting any issue, despite probing questions.
This year, his teacher has more awareness/knowledge of AS/ASD so she has picked up on things. eg his inflexibility and the lack of eye contact. And tried to put some things in place.
So now I feel like I can go and see the SENCO, ask for an assessment from ed psychologist etc... (SENCO is his last year teacher who didn't see any problems with ds2) and will certainly be doing that.

All that might also have something to do with the fact I don't know how the system works!

Perhaps the answer is to wait a bit more and see if I can get the ed psychologist.
I just feel that ds2 would benefit from an integrated approach/assessment incl SALT which I don't see happening within the NHS structure.