At Last.... Autism Assessment....3Di....

[ClutterJunkie]

How about this.... recieved SALT report 10 days ago confirming my belief that DS3 has 'something' within the Autistic Spectrum. (And to my delight reported how there is a strong family history of ASD.....which I will PROUDLY shoved in the faces of all those family members who say theres nothing wrong with my boys...that they are just like they were or their kids were...so....perhaps they may finally get it.... maybe there are a few more in the family who would benefit from a visit to the ASD 'Drop-in '!!!!!

4 days ago PAED called to make 'Diagnostic Interview' arrangements

And TODAY i've been called offering me an appointment in TWO DAYS TIME...THURSDAY!!!!

(Apparently someone cancelled!!!!!)

For once i feel everythings on my side...

Thing is..... for DS1 & 2 the diagnostic tool used was DISCO....and this 3Di i am NOT familiar with!!!!

So has anyone done the 3Di???

I've been quoted 2 hours to complete- is that realistic? The DISCO one took longer....

I've never heard of 3Di but had to post to say how brilliant it is to hear that it's all finally happening.

Have you laminated the SALT report yet?

PS Am I the only one who always gets [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxcbFFRYKS8&feature=related this song] stuck in their head whenever I read about the DISCO test?

That should of course be this song

3Di... 3 Day Interogation ...???

The hills are alive with the sound of DISCO's!!!!!

Hi CT !!!

Yes...3 day interogation sounds good to me!!!!!

Really pleased that you have got the appointment so soon after the SALT report. I've no experience of 3Di but found this on the NAS website:

The 3Di, the Developmental, Dimensional and Diagnostic Interview, is another diagnostic instrument which uses computerised analysis of answers to interview questions (Skuse et al 2004).

Hi Clutterjunkie, we completed the 3di for ds2.

Ds2 had been through the normal multi disciplinary assessment route & although scored very highly for sensory, anxiety, & routine type behaviours, because he was so compliant they were not sure about a dx.

The 3di was basically a questionnaire that his psych completed with me.
I didn't even have to take ds2 with me.
She would ask the questions with multiple choice answers. If i recall some of the questions also asked me to expand on the multiple choice answers.
The idea is because the results are based on points system from the multiple choice answers it is supposed to give an impartial result.
There was also a questionnaire for teh school to complete.

DS 2 scored very Autistic in some areas but borderline in others but the overall result, in conjunction with other reports gave an ASD dx.

I hope it helps

thanks for that....

The person who is doing this 3di has never even met ds3.... is that right? My other 2 sons were diagnosed by the same paed who had carried out all the preliminary consultations too.

I have just done the ADI-R test and it involved a total of 5 hours + of questions and interrogation of me, my life, Pregnancy, birth and DS from age 2-5. It was very hard going and involved talking about everything and trying to remember things from when DS was 2 to when he was in reception year at school specifically. I was asked to take his development book and anything that would trigger memories from that period of DSs life.
I would think the 3di is very similar.

I have just done the ADI-R test and it involved a total of 5 hours + of questions and interrogation of me, my life, Pregnancy, birth and DS from age 2-5. It was very hard going and involved talking about everything and trying to remember things from when DS was 2 to when he was in reception year at school specifically. I was asked to take his development book and anything that would trigger memories from that period of DSs life.
I would think the 3di is very similar.

Not sure Clutterjunkie, in our case it was done by the Psych who had spent many hours with DS2 over the weeks. She really used it to support all the other reports & her own observations.

In my very non expert opinion, I guess they can ask the questions without seeing you ds as the questions & your answers are meant to be objective, its a very Black or White tool.

I suppose if your ds has very classic asd type behaviours it will give a dx.

Or the SALT may be very good & well respected & the Paed may be happy to accept the SALTS opinion without the need for further evaluation.

thanks...so todays the day!

have been gathering up my 'evidence' to take!

reading through his developmental book.... to see if i'd noted anything when he was a baby...nothing really of significance ...except for at 2yrs- vocabulary of 10 words- always singular-which i've looked into and see that even then THAT was delayed....at the time thoght normal as it was the same for my elder 2 boys!!!

good luck! re:baby stuff- try and cast your mind back to whether he was unusually passive or clingy/demanding. and whether there were any feeding problems.

Good luck, CJ.

i'm going to sit down now with a large sheet of paper and just randomly write down all the 'memories' i have of DS3 that stick in my mind as 'clues'

he's 9 now- but i can see him clearly as if just yesterday , at a year old,standing close to tv and just staring, oblivious to us calling him- photoes from then show no smiles. him wheeling himself in baby walker repeatedly under dining table and coming out so the table cloth rubbed his hair...over and over and over again.

i feel quite sad really...as lots of the memories are 'lovely' - and i feel i'm nit-picking them- like i was (at the time) happy with the fact that he'd reach out to be picked up at 8 months.... however now realising that was only if i stood there gibbering at him like an idiot...holding out my arms to him for at least a minute or so!!!

Because all 3 of my boys have been similar- i have not really looked for any retrospective stuff from their babyhood...untill in the past 18 months- 3 babies have been born in our family.... and i have heard them babbling (and realised that what i thought was babbling when mine were young...wasn't) and i've seen them crying to get attention and reaching up to be picked up....(no sign of a gibbering mum desparately trying to persuade her baby to reach out!!!)

For me to hear a 7 month old appear to shout to make someone turn round to look at them....then do it again when they turn away....well mine just didn't do that.

Good luck

how did it go?