CHAT Test

7 replies

cdeh · 27/04/2006 20:03

Hi, I'm new here, and, whilst not actually panicking, am concerned about my dd.

Basically, my question is -has anyone's child completely failed the CHAT test and NOT gone on to develop autism?

My dd is 20 months old and fails miserably on all 5 key items. I have been mildly concerned about her for ages (a year?) but it is only since we moved in December that my new HV has taken me seriously. We have had an appointment with a paediatrician, and am now awaiting the results of that, but was wondering what I could be doing in the meantime.

She is a lovely, sociable, affectionate little girl, and most people (ie at mother and toddler groups) tell me she is just doing things at her own pace, and she'll do it all when she's ready etc, but I am not so sure.

I obviously do not want to push her to do things before she is ready, but on the other hand would hate to sit back and relax if she is struggling and there is something I could do to help her.

Any advice?

OP posts:

Socci · 27/04/2006 20:07

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Original poster

cdeh · 27/04/2006 23:07

Thanks for replying. I know that the CHAT test is a screening test - I guess we're moving into the diagnostic phase now, as we're in the system re: paediatrician check-ups etc. THe frustrating thing is the waiting (I know, that's not something that is going to get any easier!) as at the end of our appt the paed basically said that there was nothing she could do until dd turned 2, and that we had to sit and wait for the next few months... And so I just got to wondering, and as I said earlier, I wondered whether the CHAT was totally infallible. It just seems mad to me that I have a couple of doctors agreeing with me that all is not necessarily as it should be with dd and yet they are imposing a 4 month wait on us "just because". I know it's not a lot of time in the scheme of her life, but it's still frustrating!

OP posts:

Jimjamskeepingoffvaxthreads · 27/04/2006 23:13

The waiting would make me cross to be honest. If you have access to cash (:)) I'd recommend perhaps starting with pyramid \link{http://www.pecs.org.uk/}here They won't diagnose (and you don't need one to use PECS) but they could get you started on PECS rather than be waiting around. It's something very practical and useful as well. You could either get them in on a one to one, or go to a 2 day workshop- very professionally rin. We're hawk watching ds3 (eldest brother is severely autistic). He's 15 months now and is a bit ropy with the old CHAT test if you ask me. If he doesn't pass it at 18 monnths I'm taking him to pyramid. We wasted years waiting around with ds1 and I'm not making that mistake again.

Jimjamskeepingoffvaxthreads · 27/04/2006 23:13

\link{http://www.pecs.org.uk/here}

Jimjamskeepingoffvaxthreads · 27/04/2006 23:14

\link{http://www.pecs.org.uk\oh FGS here}

Socci · 27/04/2006 23:38

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Original poster

cdeh · 28/04/2006 18:44

Thanks for the link - will read up and discuss with dh. Cash is not necessarily readily available, but wouldn't be that hard to find either... Do you know what a private assesment would cost? And how to go about finding an experienced paediatrician (experienced in ASD that is!)? Should I go throught the National Autistic Society? I feel I should know this stuff as my step daughter (now 16) was finally diagnosed a couple of years ago with Aspergers, but her mother is basically sticking her head in the sand and refusing to help her fully... We had to go to court to even get her assessed re: getting proper help with schooling etc...

Thanks again for your help, I'll start looking into private help.

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