Yet another brick wall

[Cosmo74]

Well finally someone got back to me - the HV left a message on my answer phone - I had asked if she could get anyone to see DS while we wait the 18 months for assessment - well she spoke to the behaviour management team and guess what they came up with....they are going to leave me out some ABC progress charts!!!!!! Oh how I wish I had thought of that.... I think DS is stick of charts - he has charts in school, charts at home and a money jar at home - we have tried even taking all his toys off him and he earns them back....but he gets bored of this and once he gets a few toys backs doesn't care about the rest ( just shows he has too much) but while this works in the meantime (sometimes) it is not a long term solution we need someone to see him to advise us what we are dealing with. The main problem is that DS is not that bad at home, his problems start when we have visitors or when he is in groups like at school.

So yet another brick wall...I am going to phone her back today and tell her that he has charts etc...and really what we are looking for is a professional to physically see him in an unfamiliar environment. Is this too much to ask for - it is now 6 months since we requested an assessment and we have got no help since then....

Hi Cosmo. Wonder if this might be of interest. I had a meeting with J's psychiatrist on Wednesday because of our ever-worsening problems with managing his behaviour at home, and she's referring us to a C&FP nurse who will come out to the house as many times as is necessary to observe the offending behaviour and our strategies for coping with it, with a view to suggesting alternatives and perhaps setting up a parental behaviour management programme. It's recognised that J will take a few weeks to feel comfortable enough in her presence to act the way he usually does but they'll keep coming till he does. It's sort of like Supernanny for autistics, if you like. I just wonder if there's anything similar on offer where you are. something to suggest, anyway.

KT - Thanks for that - I do not know if there is anything like that in our area - probably not as they are still without a community paed. my main problem is that no-one seems to be taking this seriously enough - we get reports home daily from the school about his behaviour yet they have not rushed on his assessment through the school even yet... as I said at home when it is just me him and his dad he is not usually that bad or maybe I can just manage it more but as soon as we get visitors or his cousins come to play he get hyper. loud etc...I sometimes think that maybe he is just spoilt but then again the school would not have him on an IEP and keep telling us he need 1:1 support if there wasn't something else there. I think the only thing I can do is keep phoning people and hassling the GP, HV until they agree for some sort of professional to see him - I did ask my GP could he be referred to a psychologist instead of the community paed. but he said that the community paed. need to see everyone first and then they will refer them on further, But as I said the community paed. retired and is still not replaced - the waiting list is now 14-16 months, and then we will probably be referred onto the psychologist which will mean joining another list, but hey-ho don't you just love the NHS in our country!!!

Hi Cosmo74 sorry you are having a hard time, is there any chance your could get a CAMHS referral in the interim to help with the home behaviours, the referral can be made by the school, and in our area it does not come under the NHS?

Monica2 - Sorry to be ignorant - what exactly is camhs? The school has requested an assessment too, when I last spoke to the SENCO in May she said that the team have
definitely got the assessment form and should pass it onto the behavioural management team but we are still waiting to hear word.

I am now just waiting out until he finishes this year at school - I am sure he could do with a break without having to think about being good, bold, smiley faces etc...- also I will be at home all summer with him (albeit with a new baby too) but it will be consistent and I will be able to put into practice all the tips I have learnt from here and stay consistent with him too. I am also going to keep a diary of how he gets on over the summer and then see what happens when he goes back to school.

As you can see I am feeling very positive today but it is only Monday so we will see how the week progresses.

Thanks for the advice.