Our first CAMHS appointment next week

[peaches]

After a 6 month wait and lots of angry phone calls/letters I have got a "general" appointment at CAMHS next week to see a consultant clinical Psychologist. I was angry as we were initially told 4 months, then told each week it would be next week when he was allocated, then finally told it would be December or February! Appointments have been reserved for us in the ASD/ADHD clinic too between December and February, as it is thought he is likely to have Asperger's.

 

The letter suggests we take along as many family members as possible to get a complete picture. I was planning on going with our son, but DH might come. Should we take his two little sisters (15 months and almost 3)??? This would seem crazy to me as they will all be a nightmare. Do they just mean adults or do they mean siblings too?

 

Any other suggestions?

 

School have also referred him to the Ed Psych and she wants to see me in school with his teacher and the SENCO next week. Im not sure how the two appointments relate to each other, if at all.

 

Is there still such a thing as a statement? Should I be pushing for one?

[jb1964]

Hi Peaches,

 

During our daughters assessment they also wanted to see as many people who had regular contact - this wasn't done all in one appointment though -it was probably over about half a dozen or so appts. My mother attended a few as she looked after our daughter while we work - my father attended one and my husband and I attended separately and together on several occasions. This was to get a complete picture so to speak - my daughter didn't attend any of these meetings at all - she saw the key worker and consultant on her own one day per week for several months. We didn't have our other little one at that time.

 

Once she was diagnosed they requested that the school contact the Ed. Psych. for an assessment. This was about 3 yrs ago so things may have changed now.

 

Good luck and take care,

Jb

[chris54]

Others can probably give you better advice than me.

 

Where we were living at the time my boy was diagnosed, you saw a whole host of people first and then got to see the clinical Psychologist last of all.Who made the diagnosis after a 3 hour session with him on his own with 2 assistants, us the other side of one way mirror and videoed, using this, all the reports from everyone else that had seen him, his school and us-parents. After this session, about 3 weeks later we got a 12 page report which gave us his diagnosis. Up to this point no mention was made of ASD but by that point, it did not come as a complete surprise.

And I got to use the remote video camera controls.

This all took about 12 months or so.

But this was very different to how it works in most other places.

 

A statement is for a child who fails( or is likely to fail) to make satisfactory progress under School action plus.

You do not need to have diagnosis to get a statement.

The school appointment would be the time to talk about statement.

Edited October 15, 2008 by chris54

[tjw]

After a 6 month wait and lots of angry phone calls/letters I have got a "general" appointment at CAMHS next week to see a consultant clinical Psychologist. I was angry as we were initially told 4 months, then told each week it would be next week when he was allocated, then finally told it would be December or February! Appointments have been reserved for us in the ASD/ADHD clinic too between December and February, as it is thought he is likely to have Asperger's.

 

The letter suggests we take along as many family members as possible to get a complete picture. I was planning on going with our son, but DH might come. Should we take his two little sisters (15 months and almost 3)??? This would seem crazy to me as they will all be a nightmare. Do they just mean adults or do they mean siblings too?

 

Any other suggestions?

 

School have also referred him to the Ed Psych and she wants to see me in school with his teacher and the SENCO next week. Im not sure how the two appointments relate to each other, if at all.

 

Is there still such a thing as a statement? Should I be pushing for one?

hi peaches

we have just been refered to psychologist this week they are saying it will be a good 3 mths b4 we get an appointment, we had a lady come out to us on monday who does the first assesment they are from spar/steps and then they appoint you to the correct people,she did sugest ds had as, which we new anyway, but no mention of taking relatives along, but we have to wait to get it in writing from them,i do tend to agree with you about taking the little ones with you it could well turn into a nitemare, i hope all gos well for you and your family next wk,please let us know how you get on, can you phone them in the meantime and ask about who to take with you, goodluck <'>

take care

theresaxx

[peaches]

I phoned CAMHS today to ask about who to take to the appointment. They agreed it was unnecessary to bring the little ones along. The clinician said I could just come on my own for the first appointment and she would talk to me about our DS. I was quite surprised they didnt want to see him.

 

Im not sure what school will be doing about the Ed Psych but I understood I was going to see her at a meeting next week in School.

 

Today though, something good happened. Our neighbour's daughter had volunteered for babysitting a couple of weeks ago. After we got chatting it turned out she was on placement at our son's school in the next class to him, and he had noticed her. She is going to DS and DD1 for a couple of hours after school twice a week, either playing with them at home or taking them to the park. Today was the first time, and apparently he was good!!! (beginners luck or novelty value?).

[peaches]

Well we went. As it happened I took R with us as I thought he was starting with a virus and can be extremely trying when ill. My MIL sat for the two girls and I know she wouldnt have been able to cope with him too. But fortunately he just played with the castle and the pirate ship in the corner whilst I talked to the clinical psychologist. It was mostly taking family history. We have a complicated background and we need another session to complete this, which he neednt attend. We also have 3 more appointments with the more specialised psychologists at the end of the year. I felt quite positive. Fingers crossed.

[tjw]

hi peaches

glad you fell more positive after your meeting,i wil keep my fingers crossed for you and your family for the next meetings.

takecare

theresa <'>

[hev]

peaches im glad the meeting went well <'>