Can anyone help with asd type issues, no dx but asd approaches to behaviour have been what traditionally work,

[DidEinsteinsMum]

this has been bounched about a bit. it started off in chat, then went to sn educational and was recommend to put this here. The original threads main point was to come and seek advice from the wise ones.

Ds is 5, very bright, shown aspects of autism(aspergers) been assessed at 3 3/4 came out 7 when 8 was diagnosis on asd scale (not sure which have paperwork in a safe place ) had 14 specialists at one point trying to figure him out. Under a CAF as nothing was working, specialist padded themselves on the back for ticking some boxes but not enough to recieve help, in a wide number of departments. TBH gave up and went alone with tactics for sorting ds out. Mostly aspergers based approached (social stories, role plays, encouraging of breadth of obsessions, limited access for obsession, routine, routine cards (for bedtime). He mostly settled. Started school without too much trouble but it kinda went dow hill from there. This term has seen a horrific amount of non-school average days and ds has gone through the wall. Incidents at school and all sorts. I was trying to a pgce course, but as of last week have had to remove myself(8weeks from the end) as both ds and course suffering too much. Have had some advice, but was wondering if you lovely ladies had any other advice about how to settle ds down. And if possible help him with social skills as this is a particular weak area. There seems to be no link between i know what i should be doing and i should be doing x right now. Anything i can do to encourage implementation of social role play work? Is it soemthing that i doing wrong?

Link to the sn education thread which holds the main problem

TIA
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

sorry that is shocking in its spelling and grammar. i cannot think straight enough to correct so appologies.

bumping for you.

The Hanen "Talkability" book could perhaps be good for you? Apparently they do run "Talkability" courses where they would video behaviour and make observations. My SALT kept Hanen courses well and truly secret from me so you might have to do some aggressive searching to find one.

I can totally identify with not wanting another round of investigations. I'm still recovering from disastrous hearing test and paed. appointments 18-20 months ago! And when I went back to the SALT's drop-in centre the other day, I started shaking.

Hi DidEinsteinsMum,

I really feel for you because a lack of a dx is a long way from a lack of problems. I've just had to give up in the near the end of a foundation degree in early years in order to fight the battles I will need to fight for DD1 over the coming months. I am desperately disappointed because I was enjoying it but the relief I feel at not being constantly guilty about what I should be doing makes it worth it really.

This whole thing is fairly new to me so I can't claim to be one of the knowledgeable and experienced but I certainly can empathise.

You are already doing so much for your son already I'm not sure you should be feeling that there is more that you should be doing.

What are the school doing to help? Even without a dx of ASD he is entitled to support. I've just been trying to finding out about ways to support my DD2 who is 7. She doesn't have a dx as yet but they have begun to allow her to spend playtimes in the library and use a screen to give her a little personal space in the classroom. These small measures have made a big difference to how she feels about being in school.

Lingle, I wonder sometimes whether professionals have any idea of the effect their behaviour can have on parents. Nobody should feel like that about seeing any professional who is meant to be there to offer support. Why so we let them reduce us to nervous wrecks like this?

my 2 suggestions in general for any ASD ish thing (sorry have not read through all the history)

look at the treating autism website - gluten free, casein free diet and various biomed supplements does help many peole who try it (although it is not easy to do)
[www.treatingautism.co.uk]

google 'retained reflexes' - if this ticks any boxes, find a sensory trained OT who will assess and if apt will give exercises to help. (if you can afford to pay, just find one privately)

friends son on spectrum has done work on retained reflexes, therapeutic listening, and also just started special diet and various biomed supplements. all have been helpful

Its interesting as he ticks maybe one or two boxes in most of the different areas of retained reflexes, with the expection of
Spinal Galant Reflex:

Fidgeting.
Bedwetting.
Poor concentration.
Poor short-term memory.
Hip rotation to one side when walking.

When he ticks all but one, and cant tick as i can say that i have noticed, or paid any attention to his gait.

Ds is on a very very strict diet. Anaphalatic, and hyperactive. Even his jam is homemade to remove the natural foods (grapes, oranges, tomatoe etc) that send him do lally. We had some success with omega 3 bit stopped because of thebattle to get him to take it outweighed the results. Best results that have been seen has been the sleep meds. (thankyou wise mnetter who provided that advice!). I will go back through and have another look at the diet and see if it can be tweaked.

Thank you for the advice. He has already settled a little bit. today was a much better day. Will have to see what tomo brings(he's back at school).

would really suggest that you find a biomed person to try to help you (llok at the treating autism website for practicioners), because cutting out foods is not necessarily enough (interesting you mention grapes which frineds son also had to stop, as well as apples) because ASC children often cant get nutrients out of the food they eat, so need things to help.

friends son also has something to help with adrenal fatigue (ie overexcited and then exhausted).

and do look for sensory trained OT...

so it is the biochemical processing that needs optimising and thus the activator or co-activator molecules that are absent. interesting.

Ds has to avoid any thing that is high in fructose or contains anthocyanins. The colour is really bad for him - psycho child is result, fructose - happy maniac child. Ds seems fine with apples. He is intollerant to high levels of normal sugar too. Tis very interesting, but am a little reluctant as ds is majorly sensitive and even something as normal as calpol or medised is a mine field here. And as for asthma meds...

Sometimes i wish that we could do something the easy way but that i suppose would make life boring. I mean why would i want ds to be able to have normal antibiotics that he could have the same day as the prescription and not the next evening after order has been rushed through

Will continue reading though. its all very interesting.
thank you.