fingers all crossed for tomorrow please...

[bonkerz]

we go to panel tomorrow to determine where and how my son will be educated.

Best case scenario would be panel decide DS meets criteria for special autistic unit attached to mainstream school.

Worst Case scenario would be DSs needs can be adequately met in mainstream.

Other decisions that COULD be made include

DS to attend E/B unit but that would mean travlling to next county and over 3 hours travelling a day
DS needs a special school BUT its not available so they dump him back in MS to fail!

Am feeling really anxious. Dont know what will happen if the panel dont have a plan for DS after tomorrow as PRU have already said he cannot stay after friday! The PRU are hoping a school will be allocated tomorrow and that DS will be starting reintergration ASAP but i cant see that happening!

Maybe tomorrow too we should hear back from CAMHS about formal DX.

If there is any doubt about ASD, I would push for an ADOS. I know some people on here have bad experiences with it, but I know that it picked up very subtle ASD traits in my son that I had never noticed before. Because it's a standardised test and people have to be trained in it, they know what subtle clues they're looking for.

Sometimes ASD isn't obvious and this is supposed to be the gold standard in dxing ASD.

It measures the communicative/ interactive elements of a child - and because those trained in it have to be trained in how an NT child would react to the tests contained within the ADOS, they should be able to tell when a child's responses deviate from that.

Push for an ADOS if there is any doubt - and by someone who's not seen the child before. Our initial ADOS ws due to be done by the psych whod' dx'd ADHD and I was worried that she might go into it without an open mind because she'd missed what the new psych was positive was autism.

In the end, it was done by someone else, and I think that was very helpful.

I am convinced that CAMHS already know my DS has ASD, i believe the reason they are not formalising it is that they do not like to label children and that it all comes down to money in the end. I cant explain whats happened in any other way....How can they say 4 weeks ago that DS is normal, NO ASD, NO ADHD then a week later declare he has ODD then a week after that declare he should be treated as if on the autistic spectrum and all this with no further assessments or without even talking to me or DS?????????
When i first put in the complaint i did demand that the connors scale and ADOS test be used and i think that the reason they are now agreeing DS is ASD is that they know im a mum who knows what to ask for! I reckon they have all the evidence they need but still have this issue with labelling!!!

I just don't get what it costs them? I'm all for conspiracy theories, especially when it comes to the LEA, as they're usually TRUE! But with CAMHS...what does it cost them to dx your ds? It's bizarre though. I usually think it comes down to money too, but what does it cost CAMHS or ANYONE in the health authority to dx your son?

I think someone's just a tad incompetent at your CAMHS!

agree totally with the incompetence thing too and now i think its more about swallowing pride than anything else. I must sound mad going on about conspiracy theories etc but i think it does come into it somewhere. A freind of mine started going through the smae CAMHS a few months ago under the same psych as DS. Her DS has been given ritalin and DX with ADHD and things have got far worse for her as the drugs are not working and she cannot do anything about further assessment for atleast a year so CAMHS keep telling her. Im sure if id have accepted ADHD i would be in the same position now as my friend.
I just keep getting told that labelling a child is not good but without the label the support is not there. Its the same with exclusion...i keep getting told i should accept informal exclusions as formal ones look bad on DSs records BUT unless the formal exclusions ar eon DSs records how is anyone supposed to know how bad DS is and how he is not coping?

So agree with the label thing.

And with the not accepting informal exclusions thing!

You don't sound mad...they sound bad!

hmm re the conspiracry thing with camhs and the lea.

last year when all the crap was going on with ds i was snooping looking on the council website and i found a document linking our camhs to the lea, one of the bosess of the lea is also the head of camhs and the boss of camhs (who refused to dx ds until we kicked up a massive stink) reports to him.

makes you wonder doesnt it?

thanks, I sgree they are bad and im reaching the end of my tether with them now. I suppose i need to wait till morning and then demand answers!

bonkerz i totally understand how you are feeling the exact same thing happened to my son 2 yrs ago.

he too was out of school and camhs wouldnt dx him, they said he was highly anxious and pointed the finger at us.

we got a private 2nd opinion and fought the lea with the private psych, we then sent the private report to the camhs psych and asked her to explain why she hadnt dx,d him when all the evidence we were telling her meant that he WAS ASD.

we got the dx in the end only after a lot of pushing for it.

you are doing the right thing, that is not giving up on your son.

thanks Jenk, its amazing how many people have been through exactly what we are going through right now. I suppose im lucky im not the sort of person to take it lying down and have the strengh and skills to fight BUT im getting tired of all this and more resentful the longer it goes on. It shouldnt have to be this way.

The conspiracy theory things tarted really becasue the letter i got from CAMHS had written at the bottom in small print that CAMHS works in partnership with the local LEA, CAHMS dont like to label and LEA wont give support unless child has label........really does make you wonder doesnt it!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/1373/522327