Conflicting opinions of Proffs....... :(

[LilTreacle]

Dev Paed stating ASD, getting ADOS and also looking at ADHD and sensory processing issues. Prof from behaviour support thinks just 'young' and suffering attachment issues due to change in primary carer at 1 year old

At the end of the day, what we have is a set of behaviours and issues, .... does it really matter if its a genetic or environmental /experiential impact on development?

Any experience of child being managed differently if one or the other, or are strategies basically the same? More or less support if attachment issues?

In my experience having the correct label is important because it can affect how you respond to a given behaviour. What does your gut tell you? Who do you think is right? When ASD was suggested to me about my daughter, I read about and knew that this was the answer. The diagnosis was merely to confirm it.

tbh methods can differ greatly between the two. some may work for all and some can have detrimental effects.

Out of the two I would read up both suggestions ask both to advise on strategies and try them out with the added diary log of situation, issue, how it was handled using which method and did it have the desired effect. If not what was the outcome.

if dev pead is putting thi he in motion for ADOS and further assessment for poss asd etc why not get on those waiting lists in the meantime whilst experimenting. It is not easy to get a DX and takes time plus it would perhaps put your mind at rest if one or the other was ruled out? :)

My experience is that attachment issues are often preferred by the profs because it puts the onus and funding on the parents.

The two can look very alike. However ASD strategies work well for attachment issues, but attachment strategies not so much for ASD.

who is the prof from behaviour support? How are they qualified to have an opinion?

So a for instance might be a child who doesn't like being touched...

If the diagnosis is autism, the advice might be (depending on circumstances of course), to respect that he/she doesn't like touch, and find other ways to show affection etc.

If the diagnosis is attachment disorder, the advice might be to persevere with showing affection through touch, even though the child might show distress.

It can make a really big difference, and I think that correct diagnosis is totally key. Autism is also a lifetime diagnosis (needing ongoing lifetime support), whereas there would be an aim to "cure" an attachment disorder. There's a massive difference between the two.

I think that a professional doing their job well will take their time and make sure you get to the right conclusion, and obviously support you along the way. Don't accept that a question mark over diagnosis means you don't get help...

Well, I have asked the Ed Psych if the strategies would be different and she said no.
Having read up on Attachment disorder I have to admint there are a lot of behaviours that match my DS, but then so do ASD, ADHD, SPD, Dyspraxia etc etc...
We have to just go through the assessments and see what comes out the other side....it just makes doing something 'now' more tricky to determine what that something should be.

I'm wondering how the behaviour support person is qualified to dx attachment or throw doubt on an ASD dx.
I disagree with ed psych. My ds is in an ASD ss and the strategies that the staff there use can differ from child to child depending on their needs.

I must say it doesn't surprise me at all that someone whose speciality is behaviour support can't diagnose ASD, and unless they have any other qualifications I really wouldn't put much weight on that opinion at all.

Thanks..............its hard to just disregard the opinions of people who have been brought in to help, but I would take the medical diagnosis through a team of professionals over the opinion of an individual.

I shall just wait and see what happens. At the end of the4 day the support is for the child , not the diagnosis, so it's almost irrelevent as far as the EP and BS (ironic!!) person are conserned.

the BS person called in to observe ds caused mayhem for ds and the whole school by implementing strategies for attachment issues. it wasnt until after a few explosions and ds hiding in cupboards whilst trying to block the door with books that he figured he had " got it wrong" and spent more time with him and said he isn't exp in it but felt he was more complex ( you don't say!) by then he was labelled non compliant, confrontational and naughty and rude.

I would seriously take everything on board and follow your own instincts x