Nah, Christy is the guru......but I am a good interpreter
RE - you can cut out about a year of head/wall/desk banging if you go straight to a Paed that specialises in Spectrum disorders. I't's been my experience (and well as a few others I've met) that anyone 'general' really doesn't have a clue. Tothe point we have been told our children are NOT on the spectrum when later (and proper) tests showed they bloody well ARE. Just like we thought.
Mrsmac - has Riley been fully assessed? I don't think you can write it off as just sensory until full testing has been done babe. I was nearly completely convinced Mitch was only sensory....until school started and then I KNEW those dorks were wrong.
Aspergers itself was only really recognised around 1994. It's not really a long time at all
Riley has only been assessed by 2 OTs who specialise in spectrum kids (and informally by Christy LOL) I sometimes think he definitely is then other days not. There is a great paediatric psychologist near here who has been recommended to me so I may take R to see him.
He starts speech next week, our early intervention teacher who has observed him thinks he might have verbal dyspraxia so I am interested in what the speechie says.
I know its awful to whinge but it all costs so much, we had to stop the 1st Ot cause she only did 1 hour sessions and they were $122, we got $55 back even with a healthcare plan, thank goodness the new OT works in 1/2 hours and is cheaper (and closer) She is lovely, I have known her through school and another mutual friend for a few years- she was actually on Come Dine with me Australia!! (she hated it, they portrayed her sooo badly she got hate mail LOL)
The first paed we saw was useless - and it was a very short appt - but he referred us to the other guy, who seems good, but I haven't heard back from him yet. Probably a busy man. He thought she had elements of aspergers and oppositional defiance whatsit but wanted us to do an educational assessment as he thought some of her 'problems' were to do with being gifted and wanted an IQ test etc. The midwife I have visiting said the second fellow is really good. She had a look in DD#1's room while she was there and boggled at her castle - it is this massive lego thing, and all the pieces have been meticulously sorted by shape and colour lol
Must be a bit better having one parent who is on the spectrum, even slightly, because you'd have more of a chance of seeing things their way. Self and partner are definitely not on the spectrum, but in hindsight my ex is seriously on the spectrum but has never been assessed. He's beyond weird. What little contact I have with him (and it is *very* little contact) is irritatingly frustrating, repetitive, nitpicky, verbose and generally is *exactly* like trying to talk to her, except she's a child and he's supposed to be an adult. I broke up with him in 2000 (yes, I realise she was born in 2001) and he only started getting access when she was about 3 so its nature, not nurture that gives them both the same quirks.
So Christy would have told you about all the cashola available if he did go through a formal process and was diagnosed?
Even if she has I will repeat it for the benefit of everyone because it's really important for people to know about it.
If you end up with an aspy dx, you get (for the under 6's) $12,000 to spend over the period of 2 years on ALL the therapists you will need.
I wish wish wish I had done it earlier (and $$$ was a huge problem for me), because now I can see all the things available to him, I can see what a HUGE difference it would have made. One year of the things I have only just started with him, could literally have been the difference between a slightly bumpy transition to school and where we are now. With me having to homeschool DS until we can 'catch him up' on the emotional side.
I'm pretty sure there is also a 'helping to get diagnosis' type medicare rebate available if you suspect Autism/Aspergers.
Yeah I know all about the cash, T in my classes mum told me about it. Its also annoying that ASD children get teachers aide time at school but heaps of other probs get none. (not that I begrudge them the time they need more its just that so do other needs)
Lu- did Cyclone go to preschool ? R has been going this year and at the start his teacher really suspected ASD but now she says she thinks its a language prob. What did his preschool teacher's say ?
I think I need to call and make an appt with the paed pscych just so I know for myself once and for all and also to get R all the help he needs. Thanks Lu for making me take my head out of the sand LOL
As I've said elsewhere, I'm a bit of a discipline nazi (for the important stuff anyway, I'm also a messy person so I don't give two hoots about mess as long as it doesn't smell, isn't sticky and you can still walk around the house without injury - and it does actually get cleaned up occasionally not be permanent) so DD#1 is quite well behaved, very good at school, etc etc. The little one has picked up what we try and impart better than the big one so she's politer and more helpful but she's two so it comes with tantrums It helps that DD#1 doesn't generally ask questions, so she doesn't ever nag for anything (she hints and complains instead), and this makes her look extremely well behaved. So none of her teachers have ever flagged an issue. They use words like 'intriguing' about her stories of people being murdered in horrible ways, with illustrations to match (her life-long favourite topic).
I have a feeling that if I just let DD#1 get away with everything she wants to get away with and not give her any boundaries, or make idle threats that aren't followed through (all of which happen sometimes when she is visiting other people), she'd be really horrible, as she often is when she comes back from holidays. But this applies to any child.
we have 2 set days for daycare now im so excited tuesday mornings 9am to 12.30 and thursdays 12.30 till 4.30
hes getting better with words no sentances
and the meltdowns well nothing i cant handle
hoping to get him ready for kindy next year but i dont want to send him if hes not ready its so hard to know when tho
It helps that DD#1 doesn't generally ask questions, so she doesn't ever nag for anything (she hints and complains instead), and this makes her look extremely well behaved. So none of her teachers have ever flagged an issue. They use words like 'intriguing' about her stories of people being murdered in horrible ways, with illustrations to match (her life-long favourite topic).
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