Got our Paeds appointment - now I need some advice (again!)

[Frasersmum123]

So we have managed to get an appointment next monday (2nd), which i actually DS's 2nd Birthday.

I just really want to know how to approach it, should I go in with a list of all my concerns, or be more relaxed and see how she wants to take it?

Im so nervous, I know there is something 'different' about DS, but I dont want her to feel I have wasted her time!

TIA

I think listing your own concerns is a good idea. Having it in writing will help as you will feel nervous at the start of the appointment. But hopefully the Paed will be experienced enough to know how to talk through the issues with worried parents. Other than that, don't go with any expectations - and it will not be as bad as you are fearing. I always found the worrying beforehand much worse than the actual assessment. I don't know how things are done in your area but in my experience, a 1st appointment was a long way from getting even close to a diagnosis.

Yes I'd take a list of your concerns. May also be worth bringing a list of when your DS hit his "milestones" e.g. smiling, sitting up, waving, crawling, walking, climbing the stairs etc. I was asked at one appt how DS1 walked up the stairs as in whether he crawled, 1 step then both feet on the step or like an adult. I must confess I did not know off the top of my head!

we had first paed appt recently, and she couldn't have been nicer.

we were 20 minutes late being taken (because the girl at reception forgot to phone and let her know we'd arrived...) so ds is running up and down the corrider with a saga magazine he'd found and dh chasing him, while i'm trying to keep wriggly ds on my knee... you get the picture)

however, it says something about how good the paed was that within minutes i was relaxed. i did take copious notes with me that i gave to her. just a bit about his history, and what he is like currently (all his idiosyncracies!)

at the end we did push her and directly asked her if she thought it was autism (if she had said no we'd have fainted with shock!) she said he had a lot of autistic traits and although she obviously couldn't give a diagnosis based on 1 meeting, she wouldn't be referring him for a pre 3 sn nursery placement and ed. psychologist assess. if she didnt think he had autism.

i hope your paed is as nice as ours was.

good luck, and dont take any bullshit. one of my friends who is a social worker advised us to start the way we mean to continue.

Thanks everyone.

Im going to make sure I write down all the things that worry me, any questions I want to ask and write deon when he reached all his 'milestones'.

expect to be asked questions about pg and birth with him as well as the milestones! hope the appointment goes OK. useful to have a list, so you don't worry about forgetting to mention anything.