CAMHS WANT TO GIVE MY SON EMOTIONAL ASSESSMENT

[cmuir]

Hi

 

Let's just say I'm not a big fan of CAMHS. Things have reached crisis point with my son (he's 7 and has AS) - he his verbally and physically aggressive/abusive towards hubby and I on pretty much a daily basis. He self harms, tries to harm us, etc. School are finding him very challenging and I have the full support of the HT in that she's provided character statements and has spoken to CAMHS. Yet, they still chosen to ignore the number of professionals that have said R is very unpredictable and may have a mood disorder (BP). After having offered family therapy and a befriender (and been told that neither helps R long term or goes any way to getting to the root of diagnosing and attempting to improve things), CAMHS have said they want to give my son an emotional assessment. I asked who'd carry this out and was told that the Occupational Therapist would.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe an OT is qualified. Also, can anyone shed any light on what to expect ie what kind of questions are likely to be asked, etc?

 

Thanks.

 

Caroline.

[JsMum]

Hi

 

Let's just say I'm not a big fan of CAMHS. Things have reached crisis point with my son (he's 7 and has AS) - he his verbally and physically aggressive/abusive towards hubby and I on pretty much a daily basis. He self harms, tries to harm us, etc. School are finding him very challenging and I have the full support of the HT in that she's provided character statements and has spoken to CAMHS. Yet, they still chosen to ignore the number of professionals that have said R is very unpredictable and may have a mood disorder (BP). After having offered family therapy and a befriender (and been told that neither helps R long term or goes any way to getting to the root of diagnosing and attempting to improve things), CAMHS have said they want to give my son an emotional assessment. I asked who'd carry this out and was told that the Occupational Therapist would.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe an OT is qualified. Also, can anyone shed any light on what to expect ie what kind of questions are likely to be asked, etc?

 

Thanks.

 

Caroline.

 

OK when is this Emotional Assessment, theyd better hurry or they might need it times three, one for your son, and one each for the poor parents who are having to deal with this situation.

 

It sounds like they dont have the right resources for what it is your son requires, in that case I would reguest an assessment in an out of area to the nearest resource that could assess your son for BP.

 

I would in the mean time contact the Occupational Therapist Office and share with them what the CAMHS pose to do and that you really need urgent assessment or someone is going to get hurt and that leaving this situation for weeks will lead to potential danger.

 

I would write a letter of complaint also to the CAMHS and state what it is you do want, and when and what support you hope to recieve in the possible near future.

 

If in the mean time your son is a danger to himself or others including at school, then take him to the local A+E and request an urgent phsychological assessment from a psychiatrtist and dont leave until he gets seen.

 

Its rediclus what the CAMHS are aposing, he is a danger to himself and others and yet he is put on a waiting list from an OT that looks at sensory and physical difficulties not mental illnesses in children.

 

GoodLUCK

 

JsMum

 

 

 

[smiley1590]

in past i've been in similiar situation to your son with behaviour and actions towards myself and others i often felt up and down like mood disorder like BP,BPD etc or maybe just AS with side effects of depressiobn anxiety etc ???

[KezT]

the OT may be the correct person to do this assessment - there are some who specialise in ASD and MH. it's not just about putting handrails in for old people you know LOL.

 

My sister is a MH OT - but she only works with adults and has said she doesn't think there is really any provision for child ASD as it doesn't fit into any current categories She has a couple of adult ASD's as clients - they have mostly been passed around from piller to post for several years before she finds them - Adult mental health says ASD is not a MH condition, Education points to thier high IQ's and shrugs their shoulders and SS say they won't attend if they staff are abused verbally or physically!

 

It is worth asking CAMHS for the OT's CV to see what kind of work they have done before. These are usually considered public knowledge docs.

[Sooze2]

the OT may be the correct person to do this assessment - there are some who specialise in ASD and MH. it's not just about putting handrails in for old people you know LOL.

 

My sister is a MH OT - but she only works with adults and has said she doesn't think there is really any provision for child ASD as it doesn't fit into any current categories She has a couple of adult ASD's as clients - they have mostly been passed around from piller to post for several years before she finds them - Adult mental health says ASD is not a MH condition, Education points to thier high IQ's and shrugs their shoulders and SS say they won't attend if they staff are abused verbally or physically!

 

It is worth asking CAMHS for the OT's CV to see what kind of work they have done before. These are usually considered public knowledge docs.

 

Hi, DS was assessed at CHAMS by their Specialist OT, she did at lot of the initial assessments which included a lot of observing him while she was talking to me, filling in various questionaires and a couple of little tests to see if he needed to be seen by the Consultant Child Psychiatrist. She gave me a lot of advice and explained why all the things I'd learnt at the parenting courses I'd been on didn't work for him etc. She tried to teach him about turn taking by playing games and also wrote to the school with information and statagies for them to use in class so he would cope better and not explode so much . She is really nice (almost like a freind now) and not at all like a stuffy proffesional type that you think of so he relaxed around her and she could see what he is really like. At one point she was showing him what it is like for someone having a conversation when they aren't looking - she and I did a little role play for him which he thought was hilarious - had no other effect on him though but it was good. Recently she went through his Proposed Statement with me and suggested more things I should have added.

 

I would say that they are worth going to because you may get a good one and they also seem to be there for the parent too, she really boosted my confidence by telling me it wasn't my fault because I felt like I was a terrible parent who made him like it by being so rubbish. Also when talking to him and asking him about certain situations at school or home where he had let rip for no reason he would still be adamant that he was right to be so angry and even thought it was funny when she asked him if it was ok that he reacted like he did - things like that made her and the consultant know that he really did see life differently.