1st Camhs appointment for over a year!

[JsMum]

J was discharged nearly a year ago from this service and after seeing a psychologist and numerous referrals from peadatritions from the Hospital we finally have another appointment and with a different psychiatrist so I am hoping he is more experienced in ASD and AS, I have loaded my file with reports from various professionals and I am going to express my concerns over Js development in all areas, so I really hope we can get somewhere with some support for J and for me to support him.

 

I really dont want to agree to any forms of medication today so today is just more a consultation and to see what practical support they can be for J as I am thinking councilling, anger management and assessment in ASD to get this properly labled as its clear he has an Autistic Disorder but the ADHD and ODD has made the signs less obvous, now he is older and his peers develop more matury he is staying a young child emotionally and socially so I hope we can get this achknowledged.

 

I am nervous again as I really dont want to be given statements with oh ADHD kids have those difficulties too and oh yes its probable he has ASD, with no actual diagnosis, he is ten years old now and I really want this sorting out so he gets the understanding that he has a disability.

 

Wish me luck, off to get ready and J dressed which in itself is a task more difficult than arranging a troop to battle.

 

JsMum

[Clare63]

JSmum,

 

Wishing you lots of luck today and I hope you are not too dissappointed with your appointment, I have found that returning to CAMHS often result is going back over old ground and almost starting from scratch, though in your case as you don't have a dx for ASD this may be a benefit. Like you say as your child gets older it seems more important to get a dx, especially in the next year or so he'll be entering secondary education.

 

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Clare x x x

[JsMum]

Hi thanks clare and we did go over old ground and we did go into different types of medication after which we now know that none of them are going to really help because J didnt tolerate Ritalin he cant be tried on concerta, he suggested stratera of which I flattly refused because of concerns over children becoming depressed and even suicidal and its effeicency isnt as positive and we have to be very careful as J has palpatations already without medication which the cardiolist has put down to Anxieties that are related to ASD and also J is severly underweight due to sensory issues with foods again the dietition has put that has been related to ASD, last month he saw another peadatrition due to falls and tripping over who said he has ASD but couldnt diagnose as he will need an assessment so we have gone full circle.

 

Today the psychiatrist said he could go back on ritalin and have a secondary medication for the symptoms of ASD and said he isnt specialised in ASD but he is going to write to Js Gp and request a referral for an ASD Assessment.

 

I felt like the Psychirtrist did listen but we are really no further on only that he agrees there is an ASD but it needs more specialist people who can diagnose that because its no good peadatritions suggesting it then cant diagnose it because its not their field of speciality because there specialists in other areas of development like epelepsy, cardiology and neourodevelopment, but all agree on that J does show significant signs of an ASD.

So the psychiatrist is going to try and see where J can be assessed but he wasnt aware who and where and if there is in fact a place for him to go?

 

He has invited us for an other consultation in three months but other than prescribe medication there wasnt any more he could do, not even referr him for councilling or anger/behaviour management, he even shared with me that its all good theoretically but resources are just not available and so therefor the only source of management is medication and I am not giving my child just medication, and especailly medication that causes other symptoms to become worse.

 

I feel like there is no other option than medication here with CAHMS but there is loads of thearapies that could help him, but its just not available, ( unless I pay privately or do myself which I do and will continue to do) I know i cant just stick him on medications without no further investigations of any other underlying difficulties he has, do you think I am in any way right to be concerned that the system just wants our kids on medication and not offer anything more practical and more long term basis to help them.

 

Is there any paretns out there whos kids have ADHD and ASD? and dont take medication, or that just the way it is?

 

Today I walked out with no more answers than before walking into the centre.

 

The only thing we have is a referral for an ASD but with who and where I dont know?

 

JsMum