Finally got a Paed appt for March and am nervous!

[dinky73]

After being referred by DD's OT in October I got a letter on Sat asking to phone to make an initial appoitment. I phoned this morning and the earliest appt is 2nd March 09!

 

She said she would send me some standard questionnaires to complete and Connors questionnaire too.

 

I am slightly worried by that as her OT said that she thought maybe ADHD but I totally disagree and feel she is more mild aspergers. Obviously she has made the referral suggesting just ADHD. I have looked up the Connors questionnaire and it seems to be used for ADHD diagnosis. Is this right? Is it helpful in diagnosing anything else?

 

I knew this would happen. Her OT is lovely but doesn't know dd as well as I do and having done so much reading up since October she has so many aspergers traits.

 

The reason she was referred is because we had so many settling in problems at the start of Year 1 in Sept and that included dd being violent to other kids and never sitting down that the OT went striaght for ADHD. Actually she wasn't violent throughout reception and I think most of the problems were due to change and also an inexperienced teacher who gave her no rules, control or boundaries. Since all this came to light she has calmed down and no more episodes of violence and she is doing great. We have little issues due to her sensory processing disorder and dyspraxia and she can be controlling and obbsessive but not violent or horrid. That was out of character for her. Very rarely she would react aggressively but it is in her if she is very upset by something, didn't happen once in reception and only once at nursery (she bit a boy because she didn't want to play with him and he wouldn't go away).

 

I feel sick now as I hoped it would not be so centred on ADHD and am worried they will say she is not ADHD and not look into any other avenues. I need to send the questionnaires to school too and then the Paed will assess them before our appt in March.

 

I don't know what to do now as I have waited so long for a Paed referral and have long thought dd was different. She talked very early and now talks non stop in a very grown up manner, she is so particular and obbessive about things and does have problems with social relationships. She is very bright and in Year 1 is only a couple of levels away from completing all reading levels and going on to free reading.

 

She does fidget and finds it hard to keep still for long periods if something doesn't interest her but if she is engrossed then she will sit for ages - no problems. She is sensory seeking so she does touch, fidget and annoy. She is also very uncoordinated and hates sport, games, losing, being last etc etc.

 

Any help or advice appreicated. I don't know how to handle the whole Paed appt thing. What will they do on our first appt? She said it would be for me and dd and would last about an hour and a half. Do i get an opporutnity to talk to him without dd? Can i send information in addition to the questionnaires? I have been keeping notes for ages on bizarre behaviours and things she does. I just want to do as much as I can and let them have all the info before they meet us. I am surprised how scared and intimidated I am by this. What if they meet her and they think she is fine on the day? She may behave perfectly normally, a lot of the time she does if she feels happy and safe, particularly if she is with me.

 

What will they do for an hour and a half at the assessment? Would they do different things if they were assessing for ADHD and not an ASD? I really have got myself in a tizz over this, sorry.

 

Thanks

dinks

 

[Michele17]

When we went for our appointment, we by-passed the 'Choice Appointment' because the Ed-Psych had already suggested AS and we felt that was right. (That's how the system works here - yours may well be different). When we got there, the Doc asked us if that was what we were sure we wanted an assessment for and discussed lots of other things with us.

I was really nervous too, had no idea what to expect and was terrified they'd say there was nothing wrong with Z and we'd come away empty handed!! Write down your concerns and questions and take them with you and even if you're not asked if you have any questions, make sure you raise them. Having the piece of paper in your hand will remind you!!

As far as I know, a Connor's checklist is for ADHD and maybe, ADD. I sometimes get them as a teacher to fill in and had one for my eldest as his parent.

Good luck!!

Edited December 30, 2008 by Michele17

[cmuir]

Hi

 

My son was diagnosed with Aspergers. Last year my sson and I had to attend a special unit for 2 days per week over a 3 month period. The other 5 kids in attendance all had ADHD. ADHD is something I know very little about and I assumed the most obvious signs were hyperactivity. I was surprised to discover how similar ADHD and Aspergers are and have since discovered it's not uncommon for a child/adult to be subsequently diagnosed with more than one ASD.

 

Bearing in mind we already have an AS diagnosed for R, both myself and his teachers were asked to fill out a Connor's Scale, which surprisingly mirrored each other (surprising because at that time, school said R's behaviour was good - though things have turned around dramatically!). I suspect that a Connor's Scale is useful for all ASDs as it gives an indication of in/ability to concentrate, activity levels, oppositional behaviour, etc. If kiddo scores highly then this may indicate ADHD, but doesn't necessarily rule out a dual diagnosis. Rs results showed that he has difficulty concentrating, exhibits a lot of oppositional behaviour and his activity levels are outwith the normal range, but not elevated enough for a diagnosis of ADHD as well.

 

When it comes to your appointment, if possible, I'd take someone else with you. It would give you moral support as well as someone to remind you later of what was said (it's very easy to forget). Don't be shy of writing things down and it might also be a good idea to get a character profile from the nursery/school detailing how kiddo presents there. I found it's worth keeping a diary detailing all kiddo's idiosyncrasies eg ritualistic behaviour, social situations - basically anything that isn't the 'norm'.

 

Best wishes.

 

Caroline.