What to expect s&l assessment

[Discobabe]

Hi everyone,

My ds(9) is currently waiting for an appointment with the community paeds team and a s&l assessment. We suspect he might on the autsim spectrum, the questionnaires they sent out were for aspergers I think. Will.the pads appt just be general one? And what can we expect from a s&l assessment? Will it just be playing games etc? Thanks

Hi OP, I don't have any experience of this at that age but noticed you were without a reply. My ds at 3 rising 4 had a series of simple questions to answer, instructions to follow. It was noted that although he understood all the questions etc, he answered in the shortest form possible that he had a fairly flat intonation etc. My friends DS just dx with aspergers at 11 was also noted to have a flat intonation (although you would have to be pretty expert to hear it as I can't at all). He was asked stories etc to explain what he saw (I might be getting slightly mixed up with the ADOS as he isn't my son so not been paying as much attention to her process). It was noted that he has a spiky language profile: his language was excellent, very sophisticated for his age but it was clear on asking the questions that he didn't always understand fully and some of his flowery/sophisticated phrases are learned and mimicked rather than completely understood.
I guess however that you are trying to reassure yourself that it is a simple play-based test at his age. That I don't know I am afraid although I would imagine it might be. If your DS is oppositional like mine it might be possible for you to administer the test yourself so he performs more realistically. I asked the questions to my DS and used the right amount of reinforcers/bribery to make him answer so that we got a result that reflected his true ability with S&L rather than marking him down just because he does not want to comply with the test.

Thank you for your reply. I think he'd comply with the test ok. I'm just curious really as to how they assess things.

My DD's SALT assessment involved a series of picture cards. She had to describe what was happening in the picture, put the pictures in the correct order to create a story, or answer questions about the pictures on the cards. She also chatted to DD and asked her questions.

In her report she noted DD's body language, eye contact, tone of voice, content of speech and how she performed on the picture tests.

The community paed assessment was developmental history from me which took about an hour. She also asked DD to draw a picture and spoke to her about the picture and asked her some questions. They did a physical examination and asked her to perform some exercises e.g. walking heel to toe on a straight line.

Thank you that's really helpful. Did they come to a diagnosis from that or did your dd have to do further tests?

She had an occupational therapy assessment and another appointment with the community paediatrian. Then reports from OT, SALT, Comm Paed and school were discussed at a panel meeting and she was diagnosed then. The whole process took about 18 months.

That's the process in my area though, it might be different elsewhere.

My ds salt assessment at that age consisted of being shown cards. Eg cause and effect cards and having to explain what was happening.

They noted things he observed, how he spoke and for example, in my DS case, he could relate pictures only to his previous experience. The lady laying down on lounge floor with Hoover next to her and wire by her feet was 'asleep'. They logged it took many promotes and clues for him to realise she had tripped up.

They also showed him pictures and he had to describe what was happening. Then there were cards where he had to predict what would happen next, or what happened before.

They look at any stammers, use of grammar in speech, speech sounds, intonation, speed volume etc.

If Asd is suspected Salt will test theory of mind, body laungage, reading peoples expressions,showing pics about feelings and seeing if the child can identify them,my son could identify happy and sad but the others he could not.

Ok I have my sons here now.

Understanding emotions
higher level laungage abilities
speech sounds
behaviour
Socail skills

And they will also observe in class

That will be if they do all these,my son has been under Salt since he was 2 and a half and this last report has been the most helpful.

I would just like to say it could take a while for a diagnoses,we have waited around 6 years, but you could be lucky and get one a heck ofalot sooner.