Off to docs at school's request (re AS) - now what?!

[mrsbaffled]

I went to SENCO with my worries about DS (8.5) and suspected AS (it's in the family and family members strongly suggested to me he might have it too) in Sept. Since then they have been observing him in class. I honestly thought they would say that they couldn't see anything, however, on Fridat at the followup meeting his class teacher admitted he could see traits too and that I should go to the docs this week to ask for a referral.

I am going this morning.....I feel sick!

Assuming I get the referral, what can I expect to happen? Who will we see? (We went through similar 18 months ago with suspected dyspraxia, but only saw a community paed, physio and a referral to cognition and learning team...who will we see different this time?!).

I hope you will see a Speech and Language therapist mrs but it might be the paed that refers you not the GP.

Speech and Language have a whole battery of tests that they can do to weed out any difficulties with understanding.

My Dd3 never stops talking and we never would have thought that she had issues with her lang but actually she does, she has problems in most areas of higher language skills.

Start keeping a diary of his issues/difficulties, what causes them [if you know] and how you deal with them.

Dd3 was eventually diagnosed by CAMHs for various reasons and it took a long time.

Try not to worry too much and try to see a diagnosis as a signpost to point people in the right direction to support your son.

Good luck

Thanks. DS has VERY pedantic speech. He corrected a new lady at church yesterday for example when she said "electric" rather than "electricity" - mortified!

Just been reading on here that Aspergers is being dropped as a dx. Would that mean new "aspies" aren't dx'd, or they come under HF ASD instead?

Anyone diagnosed will be given Autism Spectrum Disorder from this year, however I suspect it will take a while for all the paeds and psychiatrists to change over.

Some have already stopped using the Aspergers dx and some are still using it.

Dd3 has a diagnosis of ASD but we say she has Aspergers because she fits that profile better.

Dd3 regularly embarrasses me, a couple of weeks ago she saw a toddler wander into the road! As we walked past the mortified mother Dd3 said "Stupid lady, you dont let babies go in the road!!"

How I wished for a hole in the ground, we see the lady everyday on the school run

I sympathise x

Well, we got our referral. My doctor is just so lovely x

He also remembered I had been to see him in the summer about DS2 (4)'s tics - and he is referring him too!

I think Asperger's is a much nicer dx than HF autism - it has it's own overtones. I think the label "ASD" is misunderstood :(

I am glad it went well

I kind of get what you are saying but TBH if you get the diagnosis it probably wont bother you as much.

I thought Dd3 would be bothered by the name of her label but she really isnt, she uses all the terms at different times.

I use ASD when I am talking to proffs because that is her actual Dx but mainly I use aspergers.

Hope your wait isnt too long