come an talk to me about CALMS , give me your wisdom!

[drlove8]

quick update on dd4. she is awaiting assesment from the autism specialist team , with a view to getting a dx. today i recieved the permission forms for calms to contact her school(nursery). theyve been signed and sent off. But what are calms for?...i dont really know anything about them , so please tell me what they do, and how they help your dc!

Maybe it is local name thing, but locally, I think what you mean is called CAMHS? - acronym - Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service. The name says it all, really. Mental Health workers and specialist social workers that work with the family and the child to try and find a solution to whatever is ailing your child. In my experience, totally excellent people, very supportive, positive and on the side of the child and family. What you do have to do is keep all the appointments they offer. Does this help to understand what you have signed?

Meanwhile, Dr Love, Have a look at www.treatingautism.co.uk Unfortunately after a diagnosis of autism, there is very little help out there from doctors and the education system but there is loads of other help out there and lots of supportive mums to help you wade through it all.

lol nightcrawler , its not a local thing, its a spelling thing(as in i cant). but you are right it is CAMHS....

We see CAMHS with DS (nearly 10 with AS) and have done for about 2 years. We see a psychologist there to help DS with his self esteem and anger management, but they can also offer family therapy in some areas, art therapy and other kinds of support to help with psychological issues. This has benn fab for DS who is bale to talk about his feelings there in a secure environment and our psychologist has been really supportive with getting a statement for DS and when his old school were being vile to us and him.

A friends child sees the social worker there for her child (who doesn't have an ASD but a long term medical condition) but I'm not entirely sure how helpful they have been to her.