What questions to ask?

[twinkle2947]

Hello - I hope you don't mind me posting, I have lurked for a while and see how much you all know and feel like I'm floundering in the dark a little. My three year old has been undergoing the two week assessment with the community paed and other agencies (he has very few words and is not yet potty trained), he also had a period of one year with unresolved glue ear due to a useless health visitor, but that has now been sorted.

Basically, we have his case meeting on Wednesday when they will give us the diagnosis (which I am expecting to be ASD, with possible mention of the hearing loss impacting on his development too) and I know my head will be spinning, so thought it would be wise to go in armed with some questions - the obvious basics I suppose are what intervention/assistance can they offer in terms of his speech? Should I be asking about school at this stage? (he will be a September 2014 intake) or are there any other obvious things I should ask to avoid him missing out on the help that is out there - we've had to fight to get him assessed and any assistance seems to require some sort of spy qualification to uncover and access, so I would be really grateful for a few pointers to help him along.

Thanks for reading.

Hi Twinkle my step-son has global developmental delay which effects his speech and movement, he came to live with myself and my partner a year ago after being removed from his mum's care (seprate issue).

I went to our doctors but that couldnt do any thing till they got his notes so we had to go on with out them we had social services involvement and i must say they were a great help you can contact them for support.

I asked about speech therapy, about schools, (he now attends local special needs school) makaton children signing course's for myself and my step son, and ocupational therapist.

I knew I would forget half the thing I wanted to ask so I wrote them down they let me ask as many questions as I wanted , we also have a support worker from social services she isnt overly involved as we manage alot of the time but if I feel a little bit lost I can ring and she will call round and see what help I can get.

Look for local play groups that have sensory play my step son loved going to that when he was younger.

hope this helps even is it is a wordy

Thanks Tinkerbelle :) I am going to write them down, the sensory play sounds good - I think the library may have a sensory room so I will look into that. He currently attends a playgroup for 3 x 2 hour sessions, with one to one help and they are going to increase the hours after half term.

It just seems that if you don't know the system he could miss out on something that could be really useful to him if I don't know to ask, iykwim? Thanks very much for answering - I do appreciate it!

Hi twinkle,

Who is going to give you the diagnosis, and how do you know that it is likely to be ASD? (not doubting just trying to build a picture as the questions to ask will really depend on who you are facing).