Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

SN children

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Hi ho! Hi ho! It's off to assessment we go!

68 replies

coppertop · 06/02/2005 13:09

Tomorrow is the start of ds2's assessment week at the CDC. I've spent the last week or so writing down everything I can think of and following ds2 around with a camcorder trying to gather evidence that he isn't the little cherub that he appears to be. I've also laminated some of his artwork to take along.

Tomorrow we see the OT. On Tuesday we see the Physio, and on Wednesday (I think!) we see the SALT and Psych. The case conference is on Friday where we'll hopefully find out one way or the other - although I've heard that they may possibly want us to wait another 6 months before giving an official dx.

It's weird to think that it's almost exactly a year since ds1 was dx'ed and we were sure back then that ds2 was NT. It makes me wonder where we'll be in another year's time.

OP posts:

Socci · 10/02/2005 23:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

beccaboo · 11/02/2005 09:35

Good luck coppertop,thinking of you today.

JaysMum · 11/02/2005 09:50

Good luck.....let us know how it goes....thinking of you.

JakB · 11/02/2005 10:03

Good luck, CT

meea · 11/02/2005 12:05

Good luck ct thinking of you.

Original poster

coppertop · 11/02/2005 12:28

Thanks, everyone.

The meeting went really well. Everyone presented their assessment reports and we all discussed ds2's strengths and weaknesses. The SALT confirmed my suspicions that ds2 can say more than he actually understands and that his language development is disordered. The OT talked about his senory problems and was able to give us a great insight into some of his meltdowns/shutdowns. She believes that he craves sensory stimulation and tries to absorb as much as he possibly can. The problem is that he doesn't recognise when he's overloading and that's when some of the explosions and meltdowns happen. This reminded me a lot of Charlotte Moore's theories in "George and Sam" and really seems to fit ds2. The Psych said that in non-verbal areas ds2 is similar to a 3.5yr-old and that he's "exceptional."

They said that the early intervention tactics we'd been using at home had helped him a great deal and that he was already clearly starting to learn the stuff that was 'missing'. The general consensus was that he's still very young for a dx of AS but that this would be reviewed in approx. 12 months. In the meantime he is going to be treated as though he is on the spectrum. We have multi-disciplinary appointments set up to discuss methods and tactics to use, He will be seeing the SALT next month. Funding will be set up for him ready for when he starts at playgroup later this year. He is also going to be added to the group that uses the sensory facilities at the CDC.

It was disappointing not to get an official dx but tbh I'm just over-the-moon that he is getting all this extra help. I don't mind the lack of the label/signpost as long as he's getting the same services that he would get with the label IYSWIM.

It'll take a while to sink in but for now I' very pleased with the way it went.

OP posts:

JaysMum · 11/02/2005 18:23

So glad you are getting the early intervention and support......well done.

Saker · 11/02/2005 19:51

I'm glad it went so well and you and ds2 are going to get the help and support that you need. It sounds like you deserve a lot of credit for recognising the signs early and starting some intervention.

ImuststopdrinkingBlossomhill · 11/02/2005 20:01

That's really good news coppertop
As long as ds is getting all of the help he needs then that's all that matters!

InternationalGirl · 12/02/2005 12:24

Great news - glad it went so well!

chonky · 12/02/2005 13:37

Really pleased it went well & that you're getting the support .

MrsFROSTgetful · 12/02/2005 14:25

WOW!

What a week!

Know what you mean about dissapointing not haveing a official dx....however 'at least' you can now tell people that he IS autistic Is ASD....AND DUE TO HIS AGE IS BEING REVIEWED IN 12 MONTHS to see if a SPECIFIC label can be applied.

Going back to my uphill struggle with L...in OCT he was assessed by a SALT who is based at the local Autistic Centre....and though she couldn't diagnose him she confirmed that he was 'somehere in the spectrum'

I was walking on air for weeks.... luckily for me he then got assessed by the paed in november who basically didn't even bother doing the full assessment as she addmited that due to the fact that in previous months she had seen L twice when i took T for his rouitine appts....that she had seen 'enough' to be satisfied that he was AS. (she just sought the SALT to rule out other possibilities)

So...CT- you are 'in the system' ..... and if you get any major problems it will be easier for you to get listened too now!

JakB · 12/02/2005 18:48

CT, great news! Glad it's all going well

beccaboo · 13/02/2005 12:29

Coppertop, that's good news, and great to hear you're going to get loads of help while he's so young. And nice to be told that he's exceptional - but you knew that already .

We are in a similar-ish position to you. Ds is a bit older than your ds I think, he turned 3 at Christmas. In January we were told by the paed that he is definitely on the spectrum. We've been given the choice of whether we want an official dx - ie. in writing and on his records - at this stage. We've said no for now, because we wanted time to think about the implications. I really don't know if we're doing the right thing for him - but as you say, he wouldn't get any extra help at the moment with a dx anyway. I guess we might get DLA though, which would be a help.

He continues to get SALT and he has someone from Early Years who goes into nursery once a week. He has an IEP that the nursery follow.

What will the extra funding at your ds' playgroup be for? Will he get a 1-to-1 helper?

Original poster

coppertop · 13/02/2005 13:52

The staff have told me that they would like extra funding so that ds2 can have some 1:1 help. I don't know if they would like him to have a full-time 1:1 or just someone who can give him 1:1 at various times during the session. A lot will depend on the progress he makes in the next 6 months or so. He is too young for an IEP but will be given an IDP (Individual Development Plan)instead so the staff will be already have some idea of what targets he is working towards. Ds1 had been there for a whole year before he was formally assessed so it was a case of the staff (and me) trying to work out where the problems were as we went along.

The DLA would be very handy for ds2 at the moment as we've had to buy a fair amount of stuff for him to help with his language and imaginative play etc. OTOH although he can be very difficult to cope with at times and is different to other 2yr-olds I don't think that at the moment we would qualify for much help - if any at all. Anyone reading a DLA application for him would say that he's not hugely different from other 2yr-olds. After all, the majority of 2yr-olds are still in nappies, have feeding issues, have big tantrums and have very little sense of danger. However, if he's still doing all of these things at 3+ then we will have a much better chance of qualifying for help.

OP posts:

beccaboo · 14/02/2005 10:34

Coppertop that's spooky, that's EXACTLY what I said to the paed about DLA - don't feel he's massively different from other kids his age. The paed seemed to think that a dx would give us automatic entitlement to DLA, but from other threads on here I gather it's a lot more complicated than that.

Eulalia · 14/02/2005 10:35

Hi coppertop - glad to hear the week went well and you have a dx of sorts and help is all set up for your ds. I am sure the early intervention will make a big difference.

maddiemo · 14/02/2005 13:55

It sounds as if you have been given a good idea of where he is at. I still can't believe how through your cdc is. Hope everthing goes well for him.

Re DLA, a freind of mine has just been turned down, her son is two and has a diagnosed condition. She has been told to apply again when he is three as any care needs will be more sognificant.

Flip

1 2 3