Can anyone help....?

[Amber85]

My DS1 is being tested for an ASD and the only diagnosis we have so far is 'he has some Dorsal Stream Dysfunction' I have looked on a lot of search engines now and cannot find anything relevant, does anyone know how this affects him and if/how we can help?

Well, I know that the Dorsal Stream is the bit in the brain that takes in info from the eyes and works out how far away things are and what you have to do to reach them/deal with them. So if it's not working well, you'd expect a child to be pretty bad at sports, ball-catching, avoiding objects, working out distances, etc.
Not sure about what can be done to help. I suspect the doctors need to give you a few clues with this.

I found this which might be useful Amber (though you might have seen it before?) Had never heard of it before but it seems like it is to do with sensory integration, and that there is stuff you can do to help (like put things you want him to focus on on a white background). Does he have other ASD symptoms? I am just a bit wary as I know they are trying to fudge ASD diagnoses nowadays, so as to get out of giving out statements! This might not be the case here, but how do you think your DS does on an ASD checklist?

Dorsal stream dysfunction can lead to a number of different problems in any combination of degree. We all have difficulty finding something against a very cluttered background, but those with dorsal stream dysfunction have greater problems handling complex scenes with a lot of visual information. They can become disturbed in busy supermarkets. They may be unable to find an item of clothing placed on a patterned bedspread. Clothing in drawers, and toys in toy boxes can be difficult to find, resulting in drawers and toy boxes being tipped out and the items being spread around in order to find what is being looked for. An approach which reduces visual clutter and limits the number of items of clothing or toys to choose from can reap dividends. A systematic system in which toys are kept in separate boxes and small numbers of items of clothing are kept in separate drawers can provide a necessary step towards gaining independence.

Problems with attention are also common in those with dorsal stream dysfunction. Bad posture and discomfort, background noise, or too much visual information can all overwhelm the limited parietal lobe function of giving attention to a new stimulus and this can be misinterpreted as poor vision. Careful attention to posture and comfort, combined with reduction in background noise, and tidying the place up to remove clutter can lead to remarkable improvements in attention in children and adults with cerebral palsy, both when we carry out our assessments and later, at home or at school.

Thanks for your reply amber32002

ancientmiddleagedmum

My DS1 is currently suspected of having Aspergers syndrome but we are still working on getting a diagnosis although this seems to be getting closer and closer but not entirely there, hopefully we will get there soon, it's been a long few years so far but the Educational Psychologist seems to think we arent far off hopefully. I know what you mean about statements although they are done differently here but my DS1 is lucky the LEA has put 1 on 1 support in place without the equivelant in place.

I found the information quite useful, thanks and I hadn't seen it before, was looking for about 3 hours on Friday and litterally pulling my hair out but at least I have a focus point now, thanks Amber x