MRI Test

[julie1]

My dd2, who we have talked about before is going for an MRI test tomorrow, and im worried sick. Im scared incase it shows ant problems. The LA had there planning meeting last week for a placement at a MLD school. They said she did not quite fit there criteria, however if the MRI shows any problems they will place dd2 in the school for MLD. This has made me cross they are saying she doesnt fit criteria last week but this can all change next week, only my dd2 has not changed. The other problem is how am i going to get her to lie still for 40 mins she finds sitting still for 4 mins impossibile. the pead thinks she has ASD and ADHD but wants to check for brain problems as she was born at 29 weeks. I hope there is nothing else as ASD and ADHD IS PLENTY enough to deal with, she also has an older brother with Autism and and older sister with severve language disorder and social communication disorder. It must be in the genes in our house.

[Karen A]

Hi.If your daughter cannot lie still long enough for the MRI to be done please do not worry there are other options.

I have a friend who has a son with ASD.When they needed to do an MRI the hospital worked through various sedatives which all made the young man drunk and uncooperative but not sleepy.In the end they needed to use a brief anaesthetic as this was the only option.If the hospital feel that the MRI is important enough there are ways to do it.It is a very common problem in younger children which I am sure they will have come across.

Karen.

[jb1964]

Hi Julie,

 

I'm not sure how old your daughter is - but assume she's quite young. My daughter had her MRI scan when she was 14 and they offered sedatives if she needed them. They said to take a cd of her favourite music which she did but unfortunately the cd player didn't work during the scan although she was scared my husband stayed in with her (they only allowed one parent in the actual room) - she was petrified but managed to get it done.

 

We too were nervous about having it done and although they normally come back clear if there are problems this is the only way to find it out. For us since the geneticist has been involved we have been referred to people I thought my daughter should have seen years ago but all her problems were treated as psychological symptoms due to her ASD rather than treating them as a medical symptom as they would a NT person.

 

Take care, hope all goes well for you tomorrow.

Jb x

 

[Daisydot]

I think its quite common to offer a sedative or anaethetic to children having MRI scans. My husband has had several MRIs recently, and has been able to take his own CDs in or choose a CD from their playlist. The MRI scan takes quite a while and apparently is quite claustrophobic and noisy inside the scanner so I think its unrealistic for any child to lay still for that amount of time, without a little help.

 

My friend's son had an MRI, he is ASD but the scan showed no problems. Sometimes I belive it can show up things like tuberous sclerosis, which can cause problems similar to autism. Its really fascinating looking at the scans on the computer when you get the results. It sort of slices the brain like a loaf of bread, and you look at it one slice at a time, going upwards from the neck to the scalp.

 

Good luck with the MRI.

[NobbyNobbs]

they will play music into headphones for her so that will help her to stay still (hopefully!), and its not that easy to move around as you've got your head in a sort of cage thing. however, it's VERY loud when the scan is happening which isn't nice. when i had mine i walked out and my mother who was in the waiting room said it was too loud for her and she was in a different room! i would call up the MRI unit and ask if there is some kind of drug support that would help keep her calm and still. not ideal but the MRI wont work if she moves as it blurs the image apparently

[julie1]

thanks for your replies, they have been helpful, and i feel calmer just being able to talk to other people about it. I have used your comments to explain a little more to my dd2. Im not to sure how she feels about it, but i promised her the whole day off school if she trys her best to stay still, that made her smile. I wasnt aware that i would get to see the results from the MRI that should be interesting, providing nothings wrong that is. I did not relise that so many other children had MRI scans was it all for ASD diagnosis, My son never was offered one.

[Mumble]

The MRI scan takes quite a while and apparently is quite claustrophobic and noisy inside the scanner so I think its unrealistic for any child to lay still for that amount of time, without a little help.

It's horrible. The noise is almost more than noise to the extent it can be felt physically reverberating inside the head. I was shaking so much the images weren't clear and I've been blamed for this. They knew I had ASD and was terrified and I refuse to accept blame for their images. They 'offered' me music but when I dithered about what I wanted (problems with making the 'right' decision under pressure) they chose for me - some type of music young people listen to apparently with a dance beat - oh goody, something else I can't tolerate. Altogether it was a horrendous experience and one I will not go through again without a specialist and proper sedation.

 

[jb1964]

I did not relise that so many other children had MRI scans was it all for ASD diagnosis, My son never was offered one.

 

Hi Julie,

 

My daughters MRI was because of seizures - I don't think that they are generally offered as part of an ASD diagnosis.

 

Take care,

Jb x

[NobbyNobbs]

They 'offered' me music but when I dithered about what I wanted (problems with making the 'right' decision under pressure) they chose for me - some type of music young people listen to apparently with a dance beat - oh goody, something else I can't tolerate.

i got no choice, just the radio, but they hadn't tuned it properly so it was just static with the odd burst of music. but it didn't kick in until i was in the tube and then i couldn't tell them because i couldn't move so i got to listen to that for however long. my MRI was done at 7pm and the hospital was completely empty except for me. all in all a very odd experience.

 

my MRI was for hearing loss not ASD, although they did say the only reason they were doing the scan was because i also had ASD (not sure why thats a reason) and i'm an adult. it was all clear anyway, they dont know why i can't hear in one ear and have put it down to an ASD sensory perception quirk

[julie1]

Well its all done, my little girl was very well behaved and was as still as possible. I promised her the day off school and she was thrilled to bits. the staff were great couldnt ask for better, they were kind and very patient. There was no waiting they were very prompt. My dd was aloud to choose music the nurse was great and gave her a choice of two which made it easyier for my dd. The nurse was very geared up on ASD and ADHD, and was not at all phased by little comments that my dd made. They talked to her all the way through keeping her calm. This was a very positive hospital experience. Anyway the results have to be sent to a specialist pead along with her EGG results so for now we just wait and keep our fingers crossed that all is well.

[Karen A]

Well its all done, my little girl was very well behaved and was as still as possible. I promised her the day off school and she was thrilled to bits. the staff were great couldnt ask for better, they were kind and very patient. There was no waiting they were very prompt. My dd was aloud to choose music the nurse was great and gave her a choice of two which made it easyier for my dd. The nurse was very geared up on ASD and ADHD, and was not at all phased by little comments that my dd made. They talked to her all the way through keeping her calm. This was a very positive hospital experience. Anyway the results have to be sent to a specialist pead along with her EGG results so for now we just wait and keep our fingers crossed that all is well.

 

Sounds like you both are in line for a reward.

Karen.

 

[Kathryn]

That's good news. I hope the results show everything is well.

 

My daughter had a full MRI scan when she was 15 and loved it so much she was asking when she could do it again. She likes small tight enclosed spaces anyway and found the constant rhythmical noise soothing, and the whole Star Wars kind of atmosphere exciting and interesting.

 

Not so for me - I stood next to the machine with my hand on the panic button, feeling desperately cold and needing the loo!

 

K x

[oxgirl]

Well its all done, my little girl was very well behaved and was as still as possible. I promised her the day off school and she was thrilled to bits. the staff were great couldnt ask for better, they were kind and very patient. There was no waiting they were very prompt. My dd was aloud to choose music the nurse was great and gave her a choice of two which made it easyier for my dd. The nurse was very geared up on ASD and ADHD, and was not at all phased by little comments that my dd made. They talked to her all the way through keeping her calm. This was a very positive hospital experience. Anyway the results have to be sent to a specialist pead along with her EGG results so for now we just wait and keep our fingers crossed that all is well.

 

Sounds like your little girl coped brilliantly, well done to her, it must be such a relief for you too now that it's all over and done with. My lad had to have one a couple of years ago, when he was 14. He was suffering lots of migraines and they just wanted to check what the cause might be. Results were normal. He'd never have coped with lying still though and he had a full anaesthetic and it was quite traumatic for him, so really glad that your DD coped so well.

 

~ Mel ~

[Daisydot]

Glad things went well with your daughter - I dont know if its routine to see the results of the MRI on the computer - but you could ask, as its facinating. When my husband had his MRI results the consultant showed us his brain on the computer, apart from the obvious jokes about "well, at least we now know you have a brain etc etc we saw inside his head and the Consultant showed us all the blobs in the white matter causing DH's MS. Saw some grey matter as well, which was comforting to know he has some of that too

 

 

[Mum of 3]

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so glad it went ok and well done to your DD!

 

[Sally44]

I just wanted to mention what maybe part of the reasoning behind the MRI scan.

If your child has an SEN then the SEN Code of Practice states that they should be in a learning environment (ie. school) suitable for their needs. Many parents with a child who has an ASD, even with accompanying learning difficulties such as Dyslexia etc are still actually 'typical' or above average academic ability. Hope I don't offend anyone with that wording, but I can't think of another way to put it.

If those children cannot access mainstream schools, they are also not suitable for a school whose criteria is for mild or moderate learning disabilities because those are for children with lower cognitive ability and their cognitive ability is above that school's criteria.

Some children with an ASD will fit that criteria. Others will not.

So some parents do end up going to tribunal to obtain an 'ASD' specific school that meets their child's needs and their child's cognitive ability.

With my own son I did look at the Mild/moderate learning disability school in our area, because my older sister went there. And I figured that she left school being able to read and write - whereas my son with an ASD still is not reading or writing independently at age 8 eventhough he is assessed as being above average intelligence.

Do you know if any of your local schools have an autism unit or a social/communication unit attached to them. Or are any of those mainstream schools called 'enhanced resource' with a specialism in ASDs?

That is why thorough assessments are needed. For example a child with executive function difficulties, ASD, dyslexia, sensory issues, auditory processing problems etc could come across as a child with significant learning difficulties. When in actual fact, if those difficulties are addressed and supports in place, that child maybe able to make significant progress, accessing mainstream classes some or all of the time.

Hope the above makes sense.

 

[Mumble]

I'm glad it went well :thumbs: The nurse sounds excellent. I hope the results, whatever they show, are helpful to you and your DD.