BuntyB Report post Posted March 9, 2006 I had two meetings yesterday- one with C's SENCO and one with CAMHS for T. C's SENCO seemed pretty good. She wasn't bothered that CAMHS doesn't think she has ASD- I told her the sort of things that are causing meltdown and she is going to put her in a group with other ASD children. However, it feels like a different story for T because he's so high achieving academically they won't offer him support without a diagnosis. My first meeting with the psychiatrist was quite positive. He read my answers to questions, nodded and said it's all quite familiar and I think we will be working towards 'the label', but said he'd like to hear what school think and do a few tests for T. He did say that many young people with ASDs go on to do well, but have difficulty around school leaving and maybe support in anticipation of that would be helpful. This was interesting, because it was certainly my experience. My teens and twenties were horrendous! Yesterday's meeting was for the tests. We saw someone else and kicking myself because I was given her name, but not her job title. She was really patronising and kept asking if we knew why we were there and what we thought about this and that. She told us that school gave a very positive image of T (well, they would. He sticks to the rules and gets good marks!) so she told me that perhaps it would be better to do some tests and focus on what T is good at. And what did we think about that? I did mention what the psych had said about diagnosis and help for when he is a little older (he is 13 now) and she looked quite shocked and said 'well sometimes that might help, but generally not'. I came away feeling really annoyed because I didn't know what she was implying. T was equally confused. He told me afterwards she asked him if she should see him again and he wondered how he was supposed to know Has anyone any idea what's going on here? I thought we were deciding whether or not he has AS like his sister- all this stuff about 'checking what he's good at' and thinking a diagnosis isn't helpful seems rot to me, especially when the school want a diagnosis in order to help him! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lancelot Report post Posted March 9, 2006 Hi Shona, Infuriating, isn't it? We were told initiallyby the ed psych who first assessed C that a diagnosis 'would label him unfairly'; that he would get 'no extra help, as he achieves up to the average for his age' (yes, but at 6 he was scoring at an 18-yr-old level in some areas); and that statementing would be inappropriate. At the time, having zero SEN experience, we took it all on trust. And she wrote up her report of the meeting saying 'parents do not wish further assessments to take place' -- god, i could kick myself for letting her delay things like that! Got the diagnosis; got the statement; got the 20 hours a week 1-to-1 help; getting help, finally, with his OCD, anxiety, social skills and SALT; trying for DLA. How very, very unfair to ask a child to decide if he needs further assessments! If the meeting was at school, can you get the job title that way, or phone reception if it was elsewhere and ask for details? All the best, L xx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
