Sick of constant ASD testing

[debs40]

Had meeting with consultant clinical psychologist today at CAMHS.

I've had a difficult history with her as her service is rubbish - massive waiting lists, poor communication etc. She is also dotty and presents as uncertain and not particularly expert.

Anyway, after complaints about getting no help with anything whilst on the waiting list, and asking to be transferred out of the area, we got an appointment in January. She sees DS and confirms 'it (ASD)is very clear'.

I was a bit taken aback by this as DS does not present clearly at all and I felt that as she is a bit dotty, he acted in a particularly aspie way with her. I even wrote to her afterwards to put forward his unaspie points!!

Anyway, she agreed to do school obs. Those of you who know my posts will know that I have spent the last year trying to get school to take on board his problems and have had to badger them to do something. They have even failed to attend meetings with professionals before etc.

Things have improved since the Early Bird Plus course and my conatcting the head.

Psych tells me today how un ASD like he was but how she could see he had clear sensory problems. She prattled on about how well she got on with the teachers and how they were happy that he asked for help etc and how they didn't see any problems - despite the fact that they have now asked Autism outreach to come in and the Ed Psych??? She didn't even know this.

She also prattled on about good eye contact with his friends and not hitting out when he was jostled etc. Cos all aspies do that all the time

So, she says it's not straightforward - just as we said to start with. Bleeding hell what a waste of time.

The woman is horrible and I left in tears, sick of the intervention in DS's life by people who don't seem to be expert at this at all .

In the meantime, we remain on an endless waiitng list for ADOS etc.

Don't get me wrong. I don't want a diagnosis if there is none to give. I do want to feel confident that the decision will be reasoned and definitive.

I have asked not to go through dx here but to go to a referral centre in view of the fact that it is acknowledged his needs are complex. I've asked this before and been refused but what is the point at undergoing tests conducted by people you have no faith in when you know, whatever the decison, you won't have confidence in what they say and so will ask for a second opinion.

It's just constant, unnecessary intervention.

Dont stop it! They have suggested some role play to help ds learn to handle situations better. I wont be able to keep a straight face now!

Must hop off and clean the hutch, i mean house! Nice chatting, you have cheered me up Debs

Likewise claw!

Hi, seen your other thread about eye contact,..., but will reply here as i'm new to all this and can only reply from experiences with my DS.
Your post rang a bell with me, as we have seen different experts who have given us different opinions.

Comm. paed, and consultant paed who made the referal to Cahms both agree DS 'presents with ASD traits' but that his case is not clear-cut or he could be borderline for dx.
Bibic have indirectly said more of less the same, in that DS is more than likely on the spectrum but...we may struggle to get a precise dx for him.
SALT and EP talk of severe language delay/disorder and asd traits, but... not enough to have ASD.

In fact no one had said directly in a clear way to us that DS had autism, until we saw autism team at Cahms last months.
This was our first visit, we saw a paed, and a psychologist (who didn't say much but observed and took notes). At the end of the session, paed said 'it was clear DS has autism'. Both DH and i were quite as before that day we were always told he coud be borderline...
On that day at Cahms, DS was quite withdrawn, played in a repetitive manner with the train set that was there for over an hour with no interaction with anyone, he was reluctant to look at paed when she tried playing with him, and when she tried to change the cubes on the tower he built he kept putting them back in the same way.

So the asd traits are more or less obvious depending on the situation and the environment. Because when DS is feeling relaxed with people he knows, and when he understands what's going on, he can give fairly good interaction and good eye contact.
Also like your DS mine is quite passive, he doesn't hit other children as a rule, he rarely has explosive full on meltdowns, hard to explain but he appears more internally anxious and high anxiety levels triggers poor interaction, stimming, repetitive behaviours,...

As for the day we take him to have his ADOS and ADI, should he not get a dx , DH and i want a good explanation behind their reasons, same as if he gets a dx, we want them to explain why, and above all we want to be able to agree with them on the 'yes or no' dx issue.
That will be hard ! As we have become quite mistrustful of so called experts lately.

LOL! at the puppet malarky !! That was utterly ridiculous

"Would also add that i think the label autism, is the systems 'cop out'. Rather than addressing the individual disorders, syndromes etc which make up autism, slap a autism label on a child and send you on your way. "
I feel a bit that way.