CALL ME SUSPICIOUS ...

[cmuir]

Hi

 

Last Friday kiddo had a tough day. When I picked him up I could see he was agitated and alarm bells started ringing, however, I resisted the temptation to R how his day had been. Of his own accord, he suddenly came out with 'Mrs X (his teacher) pushed me twice and I bumped my head'. Eyeballs like saucers, biting my lip and trying to keep calm, I waited until after we'd had lunch, then once R was engrossed in something, I phoned the school asking for a run-down of the days events. Long story, but HT FINALLY admitted that R is 'extremely challenging' and 'unusually unpredictable'. Have to say, in a lot of ways it was a relief to hear this since I have 3 years worth of reports all saying R is unpredictable, but because school didn't report the same types of behaviours/difficulties as I encounter at home, CAMHS wouldn't/won't entertain the notion that R has a mood disorder - Rs consultant has said on a number of occasions that she wonders if he has a mood disorder. She also spoke aobut the fact that there are 6 AS kids in the school and R is by far the most volatile. She also asked if I'd thought about medication. In honesty, I was a little taken aback, but said that before we consider that, we firstly need to get an acknlowedgement (which she's finally done!) that R is unpredictable and then look at the reasons for this. Must say I was pleased that she was being forthcoming which is timely as we have a review meeting on Monday. Then yesterday, I had a LA asking for 'a word, parent to parent' (she has an autistic son). She came out with exactly the same stuff as the head about medication. Call me suspicious and cynical, but I'm unsure as to whether their motive is to help R and I or make life easier for themselves. I just find the constant battling with everyone is making me suspicious ? don't know whether that's a good thing or not. Anyone else find the same?

[Zosmum]

Hi cmuir

 

Z's behaviour has always been unpredictable. She just goes off for no apparent reason.

When she was about 7 or 8 she was referred by CAMHS to specialist hospital, 50+ miles away for an EEG to check for epilepsy.

We were told that it could be due to some form of epilepsy that she erupted without anything to trigger it. Everything was normal(the only thing that ever has been) with the EEG

 

Hope you get the answers you need to move on

 

Zosmum

 

 

 

Edit due to bad spelling(Sorry)

Edited October 9, 2008 by Zosmum

[connieruff]

Please don't go down the medication route: they are trying to make life easier for themselves.

[Sooze2]

We were offered meds by his consultant but we decided not to go down that road at the moment because I feel he is too young to really tell us how they make him feel. I dissucussed it with the school and they said they have a couple of kids on meds and for one if works but it has made him a bit zombie like and for the other they have seen no difference. I know it does work well for a lot of people though. My son started taking Menatonin to help him sleep about 2 months ago and that really has made a difference all round, he gets enough sleep so is better behaved than before during the day, he's still a handful at school but but nicer at home than before.

 

Does your son have support at school, personally I would wait untill he has proper support at school and see how he goes after that. If the teacher pushed him and bumped his head she is obviousely not dealing with him very well at all, could you ask for Autism Outreach to go to the school and teach them how to deal with certain behaviour, surely if they already have 6 AS kids in the school they should be able to understand how they tick and pushing them around really isn't the answer!

 

((((hugs)))

[Kazzen161]

I don't know if they are trying to make life easier for them (they probably are), BUT it is not up to a school to recommend/discuss meds - they are not qualified to do so. There are pros and cons to meds, and I would not want to be considering using them until I was sure the school was doing everything possible (which did happen with my oldest son). Meds are not a "cure" - even if he took them he would need the right support/behaviour management.

[Clare63]

Its deffinately not up to the school to suggest meds, our SENCO mentioned the same once at a meeting with our psychologist and was quickly shot down in flames.

 

With the right support and understanding some child do not need meds.

 

Clare x x x