No autism assessment slots until March. What to do?

[flybynight]

Hi there

89. has been referred for multi-disciplinary assessment for autism/aspergers syndrome with our local CAMHS (Leeds). He has had social and comminication problems since age 2 and he has awful concentration and attention problems (personally, I think he is more troubled by ADHD than aspergers, but I'm just his mother). His initial diagnosis was global development delay and the school recived funding based on that, but now his funding has been downgraded as he isn't disruptive. He's not learning though, he's just floating off into a world of his own (sorry, I'm quite upset).

We have ben constantly asking for help since he started school, and he has been kept under review. When he became depressed last school year, he was referred to the autism assessment team. In June, I was told he would probably be seen in Sept/Oct. I've just phoned, and they told me it was more likely to be March next year. That is another whole school year down the tubes.

We can afford to pay for private assessment, but I haven't found any private ed psychs who even return phone calls. What would you do? How would you escalate this? If any one has any Yorkshire recommendations, I'd love to hear them. As much as anything else I'm having our 4th child in April. It is hardly likely to be a settled time in our household for any assessment.

Sorry for the slightly hysterical message, but I'm getting to the end of my tether with this and I don't know who to speak to next.

89 should actually read my DS (8)

am bumping for you, sorry I can't be of more help, x

hi fly i live in barnsley not far from you i was told last year we wouldnt get app as the waiting list is long, i phoned these

www.nas.org.uk/

they gave me an address for doncaster i think was going to be £600 private but we got app befor we went.

anyway please phone then they help even just to chat about your ds.

you can apply for a statement of special needs - if they don't know fully what his needs are you could argue the LEA would have to do an assessment to find out - this has a statutory timescale so can help move things along - you could also argue he is not making adequate progress (see IPSEA website). You could also contact Autism Partnership in Leeds who do ABA I think they they have a list of private ed psychs etc. Can you contact Autism Outreach team and ask if they can have input notwithstanding your DS does not have a diagnosis yet? There is a special school in Boston Spa - West Oaks?? the headteacher used to run an autism school and is supposed to have a good reputation for autism provision. You could also post on Yahoo ABA UK group for an ed psych - they would be biased towards ABA but thats no bad thing as they would be pro intensive intervention. Are you in touch with Leeds ABC autism support group? Also I think there is a wharefdale group (AWARE??) - other parents made be able to give you some help. We're elsewhere in Yorks so these are things I have come across but not accessed.

we are not in Leeds but here we were told that the ed psyc assessed needs and the GP PCT dx-ed. Can you try arranging another appointment with the ed psyc and the school and say (in writing ) that he is depresed as well as fallin gbehind in his work. You may then get extra funing by gettign them to recognise a need.

Thank you so much. I really was having a moment of despair yesterday. I'm back in coping mode now! And I'll make a start with these pioints of contact this morning.

You need to sort the dx from the needs.

A dx can indicate needs, but so can a needs assessment. You can do very little with a dx, you can do much more with an understanding of needs. Do you see where I am going?

You'll need to keep the assessment appointment because often LA's imply that anyone will say anything a parent wants if they are paid to.

And, I managed to get a 14month waiting list down to 6 months by constantly phoning and getting the Pead to squeeze in extra clinics.