interesting morning

[misdee]

as some know, we are going through the whole 'to dx or not dx' with dd2 regarding possible AS?ASD.

Had another meeting with SENCo today to discuss how thigs have been going since Jan and they have seen a vast improvement in dd2 happiness since starting social skills group etc, which has improved her standard of work again (around xmas dd2 seemed very down, and anxious and her work was slipping).

They have also noticed how sensitrive she is to change and how it affects her anxiety levels.

So we are now going to see how the transistion into Yr 3 goes, and starting that soon as soon as teacher details a\re finialised, so they can prepare dd2.

also SENCo is chatting to Ed Physch next week about dd2, and if things remain the same after xmas (i think they will tbh) then will most likely start the dx process.

ATM she doesnt need a dx as the school are supporting her, and she is happy again. but i think as she gets older we need the dx in place.

misdee,

I always see such things as a signpost to getting more help so would go for a dx every time particularly as they get older. A dx as well won't change who she is.

Y3 and the Juniors as a whole can be a very different kettle of fish to infants. Schools can be supportive but equally some are not.

I have seen many children on the autistic spectrum suffer badly because they cannot cope with the unwritten social rules of such places. This scenario particularly occurs when their needs do not get met by school. If a statement is in place her needs will be properly documented otherwise it can all go by the wayside.

Her current school need to have a definate transition plan in place and now with just under 4 weeks to go time is of the essence. At the very least she needs to see her new classroom, her teacher, the TA who is in that class, the toilets, the playground and the lunch hall.

Has anyone mentioned Statementing to you?. This is now a good time to apply for such a document and I would seriously consider her having such a document in place for her years in Jr school. IPSEA are good and there are model letters you can use:-

www.ipsea.org.uk

Hi Misdee,

re your comment:-

"also SENCo is chatting to Ed Physch next week about dd2, and if things remain the same after xmas (i think they will tbh) then will most likely start the dx process".

Its likely quicker to start such a process yourself via the GP. Schools can sit on such things for ages even if they bother. Has your DD seen a developmental paed to date, if not start the process yourself via the GP.

www.move627.org

transition help website including kid's area: she may like it.

Hope all goies well adn fwiw I think you are righjt, a dx may well matter as she ages (it's peachy btw)

we wil be starting through the GP. the junior section is the same school just different end of the corridor and different entrance, toilets.

they cant start transisition this week (i think it gets finialised next week) as current yr 3 teacher is on maternity leave, and they cant announce who is yr 3 teacher yet as nothing been signed so not concrete iyswim.

they will start her transistion, meet her teacher, see the classroom. senco is dealing with it personally.

its been inmteresting this morning as when i originally went with concerns around xmas they couldnt see what i could. but now they are looking they are seeing iyswim.

dd2 got into a tiz last week as there was a school market on. she knew i was coming to it. but the class was split into their buddy groups to go round initially. she got all panicy and worked up as she thought i wouldnt find her. i can imagine exactly how she was (hopping, twirling, hand wringing, and in tears). they did have a bit of a hard time calming her down and reassuring her. and i gave her a big hug when i saw her as she was still agitated from it. when she gets worked up, even i struggle to calm her.

teh chat with ed physc, i think is just a general 'we have another child here, who we would like to see you in the future'

the problem is that every year the ed physc has changed, so they are hoping that this years one stays on for next year iyswim. and ideally if she does, we can get a report done in time for Gp referral-CDC which is a 6-9month wait.

but as dd2 has been seen by CDc a fw years ago, I am hoping (maybe just wishing really) that we can fasttrack a bit, as all her own differculties are still there. even her speech, which is now pretty much where it should be, isnt 100% with tone, emotion etc. but she can now talk clearly. which is great.

misdee, really glad things are moving in a positive direction for you and your DD.

One word of advice, though (hope you don't mind) - I would say to any parent, having been through the long, arduous (OK, torturous!) DX process with our son, is don't necessarily get caught in the trap of taking the lead from the school and thinking they know best.

The DX process can take a very long time. Getting the ball rolling sooner rather than later is probably a good plan, and you don't have to wait for the school to agree with you or do it for you. The Ed Psych cannot DX your child. Only a Paed or multi-disciplinary team led by a Paed team can do that. The Ed Psych is important, however, as one of the professionals who will give advice to the LEA should you decide to go down the route of getting a statutory assessment/statement (which you may or may not decide to do).

I totally empathise with you wanting to take a 'wait and see' approach and it';s great that things are moving in a more positive direction with the school, but just keep in mind that you know your child best and are ultimately the person who should decide if your child needs a DX or not.

it is me who is deciding when to start dx process. the school would support me now if i wanted to start it now.

but i know dd2 very well, and i really think its best to wait a bit longer. mainly, and i hate to say this, but as she gets older (she hits 8 in sept) her differences become more apparent, and i feel, that by next term, it will be even more obvious iyswim.

If i started this process last year, i dont think things would've been so obvious. the same way at age 3 when concerns wehere first raised, they were put down to her age.

by age 8, especially for girls, they start to mature more, and start being more social, school starts being more about the social aspects than just learning. For dd2 (who missed out on yr 3 this year by 8hours as 1st sept baby), school is purely learning and routine.

i dont know if that makes sense to anyone, but it does to me.

dd2 has social skills group today which she really enjoyed, plus had extra indoor activities with SENco and Social Skills teacher as dd2 hayfever is really bad atm.

so one happy girl came home from school