Developmental assesment

[shiny1]

Ive got 5 kids 4 dds and 1 ds.Dd 2 has severe disabilities due to a chromosomal abnormalitie.My ds is 2.3 and has no speech,hes just started to copy the odd word.He had a hearing test today which was ok but now they are refering him for a developmental assesment,i was half expecting this but i feel so down about it and i cant stop worrying.Has anyone had experience of one of these assesments with their dc,id be grateful for any input,thanks xx

I did go through an assessment: lots of questions for me and DH about my son's birth, early development, did he walk on time, did he crawl etc. Then they watche him playing and tried to engage him, then they tried to do some non-verbal IQ tests on him (complete waste of time, he wouldn't co-operate and therefore they should have told me the test wasn't valid, but didn't). If you DS is starting to copy words, that is a good sign, as it means he has skills of imitation (which, for instance, my ASD DS did not have, though he has now been taught them). Does he point at things or use other gestures such as wave bye bye? I know what a terribly worrying time it is and my heart goes out to you. The good thing though is that if they do find anything at all, you have caught it so early that you can really work on it. I was told by a very eminent ASD and speech expert that the child's brain, and particularly the speech centres of the brain, are still "plastic" up until age 5, meaning that you can mould and change them and develop speech. We started with very basic imitation - eg do this and clap hands. Once he's mastered a few like this, we moved onto do this "up" (eg copying us saying a word). I did not start all this until DS was 3 and a half so you are ahead of the game. I know it's probably not much consolation and you have probably had many people saying "boys talk late" "einstein didn't talk till he was 3 " etc, but it may still be true. Big hugs!

Thanks aquariusmum,yes sometimes he points and occaisionally will wave but then the next day he seems to have forgot how to do it.

any pointing is good shiny1 - I do feel for you, and 5 kids!! you must be exhausted and worried.

I've been through developmental assessments with my two boys (both autistic).

Usually you will see a Paediatrician first. They will ask you about your pregnancy, the birth itself, your child's developmental milestones, any concerns you've had etc. While they are talking to you they will also be observing your child to see what they are doing,how they interact with you, whether they play with the toys appropriately etc. They may also do a basic physical examination.

If the Paed decides that your child needs further investigation then they will probably refer him for a full multi-disciplinary assessment. This is where he will be assessed by people like: Occupational therapist, Speech therapist, physiotherapist, child psychologist etc.

Good luck.

Ithink i tend to focus on the negative rather than the positive,i definately have Asd on my mind maybe because my dd has such complex disabilities.

Thanks for the info coppertop xx

Well ,ds was only referred yestrday and this morning i got an appointment for next week,this is so quick and has done nothing to calm my nerves.

Shiny, quick appointment just means that your health trust is meeting their targets well, it has nothing to do with how serious or otherwise they think his condition is.

So pleas be reassured. And at least you will be in the system, and have a chance to get some of your questions answered.

Hopefully you are right Fusby,id not thought of it like that.xx