CAMHS QUESTIONING SON'S DIAGNOSIS

[cmuir]

Hi

 

We've just moved house. Pre-move, we found that my son's behaviour took a rather worrying turn and I contacted my son's consultant. She immediately got in touch with CAMHS and we were given an emergency appointment. The CAMHS people involved were extremely unprofessional and asked why we were there - they also went onto to say that my son's consultant was telling their leader how to do her job. At which point, I could contain myself no longer and told her I wasn't interested in their politics and that we were there to get help from them after having waited 1.5 years! They've refused melatonin which I'm livid about. Sleep has always been a massive issue for my son (lack of it, for me!). CAMHS person said that it seemed to her that my son had never been in a proper routine, again, at which point I flew at her saying that this is a common problem in ASD kids and that we'd worked for months with our HV and still couldn't establish a sleep routine. I also told her that I'd been in touch with Sleep Scotland but was now past the stage of talking and that a lot of their advice was common sense ie winding down time, no drinks just before bedtime, etc. Anyhow, she's arranged 5 x 45 minute sessions with my son. We had first sessions on Tuesday and she concluded that she'd expected my son not to want to go into the room with her alone and that he didn't appear apprenhensive about going with a stranger and that he didn't look around much. Again, I wasn't happy - she wasn't strange to him because he'd seen her for 1.5 hours week before, he didn't look around much because he clamped eyes on the sand pit and doll's house and was engrossed with those. Stupid woman! Robert was in a lovely mood and she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I pointed out to her that that's why we-re there - because the little fella is SO UNPREDICTABLE! Just because he's fine this week, doesn't mean he will be next week. I also pointed out to her that several specialists have witnessed Robert in meltdown mode and have had him growling and snarling at them, throwing things, abusive, etc. Call me cynical, but I can see this going nowhere. I felt like she questioned his diagnosis and I can see that coming!!! We're having a joint appointment with her and Robert's consultant, so I'm looking forward to madam questioning the diagnosis in front of her!!! Can't help wonder if this could be very damaging. People like her see a child for minutes and make assumptions that are way off the mark. Problem is that some of them have clout! Not sure where to go from here, but I guess we need to go through the sessions and joint appointment and see what happens.

 

NB: Moved from mid-terraced house with dreadful neighbours to lovely old detached bungalow (big renovation project!) with huge fully enclosed back garden - Robert's loving it and seems really settled. Hope it lasts!

 

Am I right to be worried? Any advice gratefully received!

 

Caroline.

Edited June 8, 2007 by cmuir

[carrieq]

Don't have any advice but to say Robert's Consultant is great and she will not let CAHMS away with anything so you should be fine as I am sure she will say what needs to be said.

We have a male CAMHS Consultant and there has been no politics so far but ds does have dual diagnosis. I don't know about the Melatonin. I asked the Community Paed when we were at her for a check up and it wasn't a problem and neither Communication Clinic or CAHMS have questioned it.

I hope this gets sorted but I have complete faith in Robert's Consultant!!

Your new house sounds great by the way!!

Carrie

[lisa]

Sorry, call me naive but surely the fact that your son was quite happy to go with a complete stranger (as she calls herself) and wasn't curious as to his surroundings, not looking around shows that everything isn't normal. Maybe it's just my kids but my NT daughter would be nervous of being on her own with a stranger, whether a doctor or psych and she'd be looking around the room or looking to me for reassurance. My two AS kids wouldn't bat an eye and have no qualms whatsoever about talking to strangers!! If there was a sandpit in the room, my AS daughter would head straight for it and there could be a purple hippopotamus dancing on the table and she wouldn't notice.

 

Does this woman have any idea what on earth she's talking about??

[cmuir]

Sorry, call me naive but surely the fact that your son was quite happy to go with a complete stranger (as she calls herself) and wasn't curious as to his surroundings, not looking around shows that everything isn't normal. Maybe it's just my kids but my NT daughter would be nervous of being on her own with a stranger, whether a doctor or psych and she'd be looking around the room or looking to me for reassurance. My two AS kids wouldn't bat an eye and have no qualms whatsoever about talking to strangers!! If there was a sandpit in the room, my AS daughter would head straight for it and there could be a purple hippopotamus dancing on the table and she wouldn't notice.

 

Does this woman have any idea what on earth she's talking about??

 

 

Exactly! I wonder what kind of clout these people have. So far my dealings with them haven't been good ones and I have no faith in them whatsoever (they have to earn it!). I'm extremely concerned that dealing with them could be far more damaging than good from all angles (for my 5 year old son - whom they ask questions asking him to express himself (are they altogether stupid!?).

 

Caroline.