[baddmammajamma]

I am re-surfacing a thread from two years ago, but now is the time to take action...before the holidays roll around.


When I am not busy on EB being a name nerd or defending "American" practices like Halloween , you will often find me discussing various issues related to autism, early intervention in general, and the importance of trusting your gut when you have concerns about your child's development (not just for autism but for any concerns). If you click on the link in my signature, you can see why I am so passionate about this subject.

Maybe you have the 2.5 year old who isn't combining any words...or the 4 year old who is overly sensitive to sounds and textures...or the 6 year old who is coming off a horrendous first year at school because he can't relate to his peers...or the 8 year old who still isn't getting the "hang" of reading....or the bright but massively underachieving 10 year old who dreams her way through school...

If you have concerns about your child -- big ones or a series of "niggling" ones -- I am encouraging you to go ahead and get the ball rolling with the appropriate professionals BEFORE your kids break for school holidays. Erring on the side of caution and getting things checked out when you have concerns could save you & your child a lot of pain and time in the long run.

A good place to start is with your GP or MCHN, especially if you think you might need to see a specialist who requires a referral. The parents on EB's Disabilities/Special Needs board are also a treasure trove of information when it comes to suggesting great speech therapists, OTs, developmental paeds, psychologists, and the like.

Waiting lists can be looooong for public services like speech and OT -- and waiting lists can even be lengthy to see professionals in private practice. For instance, developmental paediatricians -- who are almost always involved in things like ASD and ADHD assessments -- have notoriously long waiting lists.

I understand that we are entering a super busy time of year for so many families, but waiting until the new year might actually delay your access to professionals by months and months. I've learned this the hard way. Plus, for those of us with school aged kids, now is the time to get meaningful input from our kids' teachers -- while their impressions are still very fresh and while school is still in session.

Please forgive me for coming across like a lecturing mother, but this is an area that is so near & dear to my heart.

Thanks so much -- and if you think this message is important, please keep it bumped.

This post has been edited by baddmammajamma: 26/11/2012, 03:17 PM

[delli]

Bump, just for you BMJ

[GennaGal]

Bumpity bump....couldn't agree more BMJ.

[Sweet like a lem...]

Bumping again - With a warm thanks to wonderful members like BMJ who continues to raise awareness, understanding and support for families living with autism.

(OT: On the American note, I am gutted about Krispy Kreme! I love their donuts!)

[baddmammajamma]

Thanks, guys.

I remember being shell shocked when I called to arrange an appointment with a (private) developmental paed & being given a 5 month wait! And then after that, we were referred to a psychologist for another nice long wait. So many providers shut down or scale back during the holidays, adding even more wait time.

How I wish I had known to book early...to call back frequently to see if there were any cancellations. I also didn't know that you could book a specialist & THEN get the GP's referral letter (before the actual specialist appointment) -- another great time saver.

There are some fabulous resources out there to help children who have developmental needs (not just autism but so many other things), but you have to take that first step of getting your child assessed.



P.S: FT, if Krispy Kreme totally goes under here to the point where you can't find their donuts anywhere, I'll ask my mom to smuggle in a box during her next visit.

[Ruffles]

THank you OP. I have just this week had DS assessed by an OT - have the appointment for the "results" next week. I'm am a bit terrified that he is going to come back with a diagnosis on the Autism spectrum, but it is also time I came out of denial. He is falling behind with his handwriting etc, I think he has muscle-tone/physical issues, and I want to get working on it over the Christmas break.

It is hard to take that first step. But I'm sure it will be well worth it in the long run. Once I get over my mummy-guilt for waiting this long in the first place!

[baddmammajamma]

Ruffles -- Good luck with everything. Try not to be too hard on yourself. If you poll every mother of a child with "issues," I think you will see that very few of us acted immediately after first suspecting that something was amiss. I sure didn't!

It's great to catch issues as soon as possible, but kids have a remarkable ability to learn new skills & make progress against needs even when they are older.

Please feel free to join one of the ASD-related threads on the SN/Disabilities board -- we have quite a few mums whose kids are going through the assessment process/are not definitively diagnosed. Anyone who wants to ask questions, get information, or just dump buckets in an understanding environment is welcome to join.

[Ruffles]

Thanks Badmammjamma. I'm trying not to beat myself up too much. His kindy teacher has only recently raised the issue with me too - I think we were both hoping he would "grow out of it"......

Whatever it is, it is pretty mild (I hope ). He is very bright intellectually (don't we all say that ) but has a few physical things. I'll wait until I get the full report and some future plans before I do a "Woe is me" in the kids with S/N threads. But I know you lovely ladies are there when we need you - and appreciate it!

[i-candi]

Agree !

I just jumped in with an OT assessment for next week. Gave DS teacher a questionnaire to fill in and he asked me why I'm bothering . I just told him it was to get DS high school sorted now (DS starts high school 2012), I didn't (but wanted to) add that I stuffed his primary school life up I may as well do all in my power not to stuff his high school placement up.

This teacher knows all the problems we are having at the moment !

[Asterisk]

Bump.

Good luck to those waiting for/going through assessments with their children.

We're waiting to see a developmental paediatrician about DS's 'quirkiness'. Getting onto it now really will help with the wait.