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reuby2

Proffessional Jargon!

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Hi everyone,

I haven't posted for a few weeks , just getting back into it but there are some things that recently have really confused me and I don't know who to listen to.

 

Back in November Camhs said that he ...."had feautures which place him on the Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Although at this point he does not meet the rigorous criteria for a diagnosis of childhood Autism, as per the International Classification of Diseases (10)....has a working Identification of an Autistic Spectrum Disorder."

 

 

When we went back to the paediatrician she said " we have a clear diagnosis of an ASD...what about getting a statement etc."

 

She said it was a clear case and that it said he was "on the spectrum" as the senco had confused me by saying it wasn't Autism.

 

So I kind of understood as it was explained that he was somewhere on the spectrum between classic autism and aspergers.

 

Anyway the Ed psych has come in to do some evaluation and as it was our first meeting she took some background etc.

 

The Ed psyc said that he hasn't got a diagnosis of ASD from the Camhs report and that this "working identification of an ASD is cropping up a lot lately just so that the resources can be accessed." I explained what the paediatrician had said and she shrugged and said that's not how she read it. She then went on to say that she has another pupil at another school that has a diagnosis of an Asd from the same CAMHS psychiatrist and she thinks he has no problem with social interaction either.

 

The Autism outreach team were coming in that day and I haven't spoken to them yet, But I feel totally confused. I thought I was getting a handle on things and reading up on Asd etc, Camhs had pointed us to the NAS website etc. Now I don't know whether he has ASd or not and if not then I should come down harder on some of the behaviour issues.

 

I don't want my son to have label but I would like to know how best to deal with things.

 

I'm sorry it's so long but these different people are frying my brain!!!!!! :huh:

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Niether the ed pysch or the senco are qualified to make, or challenge, a dx!! That is a FACT!! Your child HAS BEEN GIVEN A DX - whether or not they like that dx is beside the point, you have it, you have presented it to them and they should now act upon it.

 

The reasons for a dx being given as ASD not AS is quite simple. More than one forum member has found that an AS dx means the school believe that the problems are 'mild' and require little or no support. However a dx of an ASD is taken far more seriously and support tends to be more forthcoming - a ridiculous situation really but the adding of the 'D' really does seem to matter to some people.

 

Go back to CAHMS and ask them for a letter that simply says:

 

 

 

Child: XXXXXXXX

 

Diagnosis: Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

 

Date of Diagnosis: XX/XX/XXXX

 

dated and signed on headed paper. Photocopy it and send it to the EP and the SENCO with a covering letter informing them this IS the dx your child has and you expect them to re-act accordingly. If CAHMS ask why you need it tell them about the reaction you have had. Drop into the conversation how un-professional you find it odd that a non-medically quailified, non-autistic educational professional is challenging their dx. I doubt they will like that very much and I would expect a letter (as above) to follow swiftly.

 

HTH

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Thanks for replying,

I really have been feeling low because I have been feeling like a fake as well if that makes sense, because various family members etc know about the dx and are now making allowances which has helped tremendously. Also i have been finding support from here as well and then for it to be implied that he hasn't a problem then makes me think is it just our parenting etc causing him problems?

 

The senco wants a multi agency meeting which will probably help as they can thrash it out between them and sort it that way. My son is very passive at school and doesn't appear a problem unlike another little girl that headbutts, kicks etc......my son just does that at home!!!!!!

 

I have been feeling quite alone recently as i am fed up of all the people involved.Senco and speech therapist still think he has elements of dyspraxia , although Autism Outreach Team have said to the Senco that these things do overlap with ASD.

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Dyspraxia is most definately a co-morbid of ASDs (simply put it is often there as well). Phas jr is definately dyspraxic. So the Autism out reach team are spot on. Why the senco thinks that they know better than the dx'ing specialist and the out reach team is baffaling. What they hope to achieve by disagreeing with everyone I don't know, it's hardly the case that they have to fund the support needed personally!

 

Don't let them make you feel guilty for wanting any support your child needs in order to access their education. The right for him to do so is enshrined by much higher authorities then this ###### SENCo! Stick to your guns and contact CAHMS for that letter.

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Good, I'm pleased. One more thing, don't look at the dx as a label. Look at it more as a signpost pointing you in the direction of the help your son needs...that's a far more 'user-friendly' way to treat it.

Edited by phasmid

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