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Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

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Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

SN children

Long Way From Diagnosis, but word Austistic out there...

47 replies

Tee2072 · 14/02/2013 15:12

My son is just 3.9 so not old enough to be formally diagnosed, but he has been accepted into a program in preschool that has started with an educational psychologist evaluating him.

We had our second meeting today (first one was just 'tell me about your son' sort of thing) and he is definitely behind in social skills and communication. There are also some concerns as he's not toilet trained and his 'ham fisted' in holding a writing instrument, but it's the social/communication aspect that has flagged up 'autistic traits'.

So we have a plan in place to help him over the next 6 weeks or so and then meet again and see how he is.

If he does, eventually, have an autism diagnosis, he is probably very far down on the spectrum as in most areas he's right on target or even a bit advanced.

I'm not even sure what I am asking, really, just sort of writing it down.

Thanks for reading.

OP posts:

Report

StarlightMcKenzie · 14/02/2013 15:14

My Ds was Dx at 2years 3 months.

StarlightMcKenzie · 14/02/2013 15:15

And he is very very HIgh functioning according to some.

StarlightMcKenzie · 14/02/2013 15:16

Anyway. Welcome to MNSN board. Just fire off questions trivial and serious and someone somewhere will have an idea what to do.

Tee2072 · 14/02/2013 15:39

Thanks Starlight.

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silverfrog · 14/02/2013 15:43

Hi Tee. Welcome to MNSN, but sorry you have to be here, iyswim.

There isn't really any such thing as 'too early to be dx'd'. Dd1 was dd's at 2 as well.

Observations are well and good, but do try not to let people push y

DameMargotFountain · 14/02/2013 15:44

hello Tee and welcome

sorry to see you here, but happy iygwim

DD was diagnosed age 4.10yrs, she is HF but this does not make her autism 'less'

please ask lots of questions, there are some fabulous people here who give brilliant advice, and we all try to help each other out in any way we can.

silverfrog · 14/02/2013 15:45

Grr phone.

Push you into 'wait and see'. If your son is having difficulties in any area there is,IMO, very little point to waiting and seeing if it comes good of its own accord.

Take some time to absorb this news, it can come as a shock if you have previously not had concerns.

Do ask anything - someone here will have been through vey similar/know the process in your area/etc

Tee2072 · 14/02/2013 15:54

We aren't waiting and seeing, actually, there a plan in place to help him. The only waiting and seeing we're doing is to see if that help helps, IYSWIM, and then he'll be referred for diagnosis.

We are lucky in that our Ed Psych is also the Ed Psych for the diagnosis team so if it is decided to go forward to a diagnosis all she has to do is sign the papers! No one else to talk into it.

I am happy with the direction we're going so far. But thanks for the responses and the support!

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EllenJaneisstillnotmyname · 14/02/2013 15:55

Hi there Tee. It's great that your DS seems pretty HF, it should help him to progress. My DS was DXed at 3.5 with HF ASD, but while he's managing we'll with 1:1 in MS school aged 13 now, I couldn't have told you at 3 how he would be affected. He's also pretty obviously autistic in a flappy, spinny way. Can't imagine him any different and love him to bits, as I'm sure you do your DS. His fine motor skills/organisational are poor, (apart from mouse control, obviously!) so meets quite a few dyspraxic criteria as well, lots of crossover.

I've seen you around, I hope you are finding MNSN a really useful and supportive place.

silverfrog · 14/02/2013 15:59

Sorry, I don't think I was very clear. It does sound as though your pre school are being proactive, which is fab. What I meant was that quite often (if you took a poll on SN, I think the positive answers would be very high) the end result of observations such as you are describing is wait and see and we'll review in X amount of time. It was a kind of a heads up about what might be said to you in the future, rather than now.

Tee2072 · 14/02/2013 16:01

Oh I see what you mean silver. Yes, if we get to the end of this first 6 week plan and they say 'and now we wait and see' I plan to say 'yeah, no.'

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silverfrog · 14/02/2013 16:05

Ime, initial observations end with 'we'll be back in 6 months to review'! I am still livid that I was sucked in by that, and dd1 was only about 15 months old... It was only when we lost the plot and refused to wait any longer that she got her dx. She had been in the system for 18 months by that point, with various observations and histories being taken, but no intervention/help given. It was simply a way of managing wait

silverfrog · 14/02/2013 16:07

Grr wriggly ds that time!

Waiting lists. Which reminds me, try to get your ds onto waiting lists now if you think he'll need them - eg SALT - you can always cancel if you don't need the appt, but time gone by now not on a list is just time wasted.

PolterGoose · 14/02/2013 16:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ouryve · 14/02/2013 16:48

Welcome to MNSN, Tee.

DS1 was diagnosed at 3y6m and DS2 at 2y4m. It's definitely not to early for diagnosis.

zzzzz · 14/02/2013 17:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Tee2072 · 14/02/2013 17:25

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

I'm in NI so I don't know if things are different here but I will check out what you're saying about waiting lists and times.

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StarlightMcKenzie · 14/02/2013 17:58

www.simplestepsautism.com/

Then this be what you're after!!!!!!!!!

thesecretmusicteacher · 14/02/2013 18:05

"So we have a plan in place to help him over the next 6 weeks or so and then meet again and see how he is."

that's good. we had similar from 3.3.

Is the pre-school connected to the main part of the school? It's wonderful when you can get that kind of continuity.

Tee2072 · 14/02/2013 18:14

Yes it's part of the primary he will, hopefully, go to. We hear about that the end of March.

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marchduck · 14/02/2013 19:16

Hello Tee, I'm also in NI. DD has just turned four and had dx at 3.10 - and this was after a period of "wait and see ".
DD was referred to SALT following her two year assessment by HV as she wasn't meeting language milestones. SALT saw her about 8 weeks later and referred her to child development centre. She had her first multi disciplinary assessment at 2.8; outcome was wait & see, review in 6 months. With hindsight, I was in denial (even though I thought I wasn't) - and I so wanted to believe that she would catch up.
Your wee man sounds lovely! Is he starting P1 in Sept?

Tee2072 · 14/02/2013 19:28

Yes, march he is. Hopefully, as I said, at the school where his preschool is.

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marchduck · 14/02/2013 20:52

Sorry Tee, I missed that in your last post. Apologies if you are aware of this already, but Middletown Centre provides learning/development opportunities on social communication & interaction for pre-school children.

Tee2072 · 14/02/2013 21:01

I don't even know where that is, marchduck. I live in Belfast but don't have a car so rely on buses and feet.

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MissDuke · 14/02/2013 21:07

I also in NI. Thanks for the link starlight, I haven't heard of them before, very useful.

My dd is 8 and has been referred by the gp to a child development clinic, her 1st appt is in 2 weeks after being referred in December. I have many friends who had their lo dx here before the age of 3, also I am surprised at the comments on how he holds his pencil. My 4 year old ds is at pre school and the teacher says they aren't allowed to teach them how to hold the pencil anymore due to the new play based curriculum, they start writing in P1.

Good luck x

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