Sorry just really need to rant! She has come to the conclusion after we saw a private paed who dx ASD that she thinks dd does have ASD and not just language disorder and is at the higher end (more severe I think she meant not high functioning) because of lack of progress with her language. Great. (not great about the ASD obviously but I have come to terms with that a while ago now and as we are in middle of SA just thought NHS dx as well might help and she finally stopped sitting on the fence) But the panel meeting to make the official dx has been delayed again due to somebody being sick or something.
Anyway, after telling me this she later goes on to say she thinks LEA will probably decide dd is best placed where she is (an observation and assessment unit which was supposed to be a temporary place for 2 terms) while they see if her language improves by the time she is about 5 or 6!! She is just 4 now. She wants her to stay there another year or two!
I want a place in a local ASD unit and mentioned this place and she said, you don't want her to go there are they only send really severe cases there and you don't want to lump her in with them as it might do more harm than good, or something like that! And it all depends what resources they have as they dont have places etc etc. She should only go there if she doesn't improve by the time she is 5 or 6.
I'm so angry as in one breath she says dd is severe and she is not making much progress in language and 'if she doesn't gain language skills by the time she is 6 she will have problems for the rest of her life' (last appointment) but then says let's just wait and @:&**## see in two years and send her there then!
She also said something about as the curriculum is all language based, without gaining these skills dd won't progress. She hasn't got a clue about the importance of early intervention, lets just wait until she fails and then do something! And when I suggested that actually dd is very capable of learning but needed to be taught in a different way she just didn't comment.
She is also still suggesting the 'language unit' would be good otherwise, (I have seen this unit, it is one tiny classroom in a school i didnt like very much with 3 boys aged about 8 yrs old) I keep telling her I don't think this is the right option for dd!
Sorry that is so long, just feeling so let down that she is not going to be any help in getting dd the support she needs. So glad I have the private paediatricians report and her recommendations.
She agrees she wouldn't cope in mainstream so you would think the local ASD unit would be the obvious choice as she does actually admit dd has ASD now!