We have been referred for an assessment for GDD

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Hi all, not been on here much recently. DD has hearing problems due to glue ear but both ENT and audiology are saying that this isnt enough to cause the s and l delay she has and commented about her not managing the tests they do for older children.

Personally (and her SALT and both playgroups agree)I think she hears less than they think and that if they would help her with that she would be ale to concentrate more and pick up speech more easily but I have asked the GP to refer her for an asessment with community paediatrics now as was advised to do by audiology six months ago.

What will they do? Will they watch me with her? I am running out of steam with it all despite her being at playgroup now, I just feel I have thrown myself into learning about her genetic condition, got on top of that and now this. And the arguing about the caus/feeling by turn neglectful or pushy.

was wondering how you and DD were getting on just last week! I have no experience of the hearing loss so can't really advise on that, but certainly any sort of receptive language problem (whether language or hearing) would impact on her ability to carry out tests.

I imagine that the assessment for GDD would be similar to the one DS had for ASD - DS was in a room with senior salt, ed psych and paed. The paed took a detailed developmental history, the ed psych did a couple of non-verbal intelligence tests - e.g. copying patterns of blocks, and all 3 watched DS play with bogstandard toys - dolls/toy horses/brush/plate etc, and asked him to carry out some basic commands. They weren't focussing on my interaction with him (i.e. although they would presumably have noticed if I was doing anything glaringly wrong, I didn't feel they were "testing" me at all)

oh and paed also asked DS to do a few things like copy a circle and cross and draw a stick man. they focussed on all areas of development - so asked bout motor skills, self-care, feeding as well as language/social, and touched on behaviour - sleep etc

Hi TC thank you. I had meant to email the group but didn't know where to start as I haven't for so long. Was the assessment at the place we go to?

Ihave a bit of an irrational paranoia about being observed interacting with her, I used to be a nursery nurse and always feel should know what I am doing with DD more than I do because of that. Plus I feel worried that I don't give her as much attention as I should- I am a SAHM (single) and do the SALT work we are given but am definately better at being out and about with her, taking her to see her friends that sort of thing than I am at doing crafty stuff at home. And its hard going without her talking much.

Feeling a bit down about it all as you can probably tell! The GP said the referral is for GDD but she didn't seem to thnk that that is what DD has. Dd is actually physically very cofident and meeting other milestones as far as I can tell so I thought it coudnt be GDD?

My ds was in a similar position a few years back, it sort of started with the hearing, he has glue ear and had to have gromits, not made much difference at mo, one has come out, so he wil need them done again. He has since been diagnosed with gdd. They do basically what totalchaos said they will ask questions, but mostly they are doing activities with the child, so the can get what think was called a percentile score, this will tell them how far behind she is and in what areas. Hth

Hi i have had two of my children be tested for gdd..it was a relaxed assessment with paed and a student and she basically asked ds's simple questions age related to see how they responded (my boys were tested at diff ages), they were also observed doing age related puzzles-wooden board ones, Also the paed drew a circle and a straight line etc..

THE pead also asked them to name different items she produced and asked what you do with a spoon, hairbrush etc.

Our assessment each time lasted roughly about 30-40minutes and she reckoned up the scores for each bit of the assessment there and then and told me the results both boys came out a year and half behind each and they are still roughly that behind couple years late ie they are 6 in two months but both act like 3year olds x

Do you get any help jan? Sorry hope you dont mind me asking.

Hi thankyou tiredmum and janmum its good to hear others experiences and it would be great to get more of an idea of where she is with everything. I spoke to someone at the ndcs who said that since hearing is the easiest thing to start with they should be dealing with that and then looking at other issues which was interesting.

I feel that this is needed eaither way though because the gap between her and her peers is getting more and more noticeable.

tiredmumno1 i dont get help no we have been awarded respite for the twins 2hrs once a week--thats 2 hrs for both of them not individually.. this was awarded initially as 2 x 2.5hrs a week then dropped due to lack of funding ..as yet we are actually still waiting for the respite to start been waiting 4mths now all visits have been done carers been here,been to school and we have been to their house..

Other than that no help,both boys are fully statemented and in a special needs unit within a mainstream school x

I wonder where they hide these schools i have never come across one?

With Lewis the mainstream nursery my other children went to and Daniel and lewis were going to basically said they couldnt meet Lewis's needs and i was to ask for a sn school for him i was gobsmacked,upset,shocked you name it i was it but tbh it was the best thing they ever did it got him into a specialist unit who did intense speech and language therapy with him and he become verbal and now doesnt shut up lol..

Daniel went mainstream for 18mths and was mute the whole time we moved and our new district put him into sn school automatically on advice from ed phychologist from old district he was still mute but just after christmas he started talking :D

Ring up your local education authority and they will send you list of units etc x

Thanks jan i think i will give it a go, i really dont want him to fall any further behind, they dont give him s and l anymore even though they reckon its implemented in his school work but i dont believe they are even use his ta just for him. I think they kind of use her as another ca even though she is funded for him

Ds was presumed to have Gdd spent 4 days in CDC nursery where he was asssed then paed did some things with colours etc

then looked at fine gross motor skills speech as non verbal and dx Gdd that was at 3. She then saw him again At 4.2 said same

But I doubted it and have just had it removed from his statement as that restricts access to speech unit

have been able to proove in ds case his problems stem from sli he has verbal and oral dyspraxia as well as query auditory processing disorder

as well as having as yet undiagnosed condtion that affects his gross and fine skills neuros convinced to

when ican tested his nonverbal skills his cognitave devlopmrntal is within normal bounds all problems caused by speech and pd not Gdd

so pressures now on lea provide suitable placement for for ds as shown his capicity to learn is now same as nt dc as long as teachings adapted to his needs