Aspergers/Autism/Sensory Integration Chatter #4

[Freya]

Argh. I made the mistake of talking to Rip's godmother (who is an OT) about the paed appt today and she's got me second guessing the delay diagnosis because she feels he wouldnt benefit from OT because physically he is average or above par with motor skills and weight/height etc; which according to her wouldnt fit with a delay diagnosis.
I just figured the paed was indicating he has a COGNITIVE delay, not a physical delay, which is why he doesnt understand consequences/trouble understanding instructions/physical aggression etc.

So now Im fugging confused.

ETA - Sally.

Yael: I would delay the swim lessons for now. Our class sizes are maximum four to a class for kids over 2 because parents dont participate. Our classes are $13.50 a lesson.

[Yael]

Sorry, wasn't clear about the swimming lessons - i meant to do them over the holidays as something to do, and then not to do lessons again until 2nd or 3rd term when he is more settled so to not overwhelm him. Somebody i know has organised a 1 week (each day) swimming thing in January.

Does anyone think sticking him straight into normal lessons is ok, or should i make sure he has something private first?

[Freya]

Id say delay any sort of lessons entirely until he is settled in school. Stopping and starting lessons in any capacity is wasting your money. Just swim with him as a family and save the lessons for later when you can have continuity.

[Lulu]

but the OT can help witht the sensory side of things, and also teach him ways to cope when he is wigging out. It's not just physical therapy - tell her to put that in her pipe and smoke it!

[Freya]

but the OT can help witht the sensory side of things, and also teach him ways to cope when he is wigging out. It's not just physical therapy - tell her to put that in her pipe and smoke it!

Thats what I thought. We've decided to continue with the OT avenue for now and see what they say after an assessment.

I must say I thanked my lucky stars he was his normal self as opposed to his my-mother-is-crazy-Im-an-angel self he was for his other paed appt. He played with 3 animal figurines and they spent the entire time we talked trying to kill each other with guns and knives. Pleasant listening Not to mention his usual 10000000 decibel volume. They could hear him out in the corridor.

[Lulu]

Hahahaha! Mitch threatened to cut the psychs head off on the second appt. They tend to show off at the first one...

[christy]

YEah.... OT's who specialise in Sensory Integration Disorder are more equipped than others. I have a friend who is an OT and who has said that she is no where near able to do what Matilda's OT does because she's not been trained in it and has no understanding of it, so I suppose different OT's have different understandings of things?

Yael, I have done the intensive weeks at swimming and they have been great. Not geared towards ASD kids, but great for holidays and having a routine.

Psych, Matilda refused to talk to the psych during her assessment. She just never spoke to her, had to have her assistant help her because M would go with her.

I need more wine....

[maz]

I think we've only seen the Psych once and he told her how to do her job and asked her VERY personal quesitons

I understand were your pead is comign from Anna but you know what shiats me about it..you now have to fork out the $$$$ and find the help when he could put it down and you could get the careers allowance to help fund the help and a healthcard card for R so you can get reduced fee's.

We've had the 'services' here who dont agree with our Pead that M is on the spectrum but they havent seen him in 4 months and he's getting worse. One of them rang me the other day and she couldnt believe it was him...yep he was screaming loud as hell and saying NO NO NO over and over whilst flappign his hands.
Ive gone from a tame W (in comparison) to a violent little monster....he headbutted me that hard yesterday a bite through my tongue ..*sigh* and then this morning he stands infront of me, tap's his bum and grunts whilst going red and goes''''ahhhhhhhh'''''. So Anna hun, I hear you and it drives me friggen batty!!

Thank go for sewing is all Ive gotta say...W just stayed up and watched Amazing medical stories on GEM becuase it had the young English man who Austic sophonet and draw's those fantastic buildings aroudn the world....he was totally captued by it. Our Pead has said that W is one but it was amazing to actually see someone who is.

[Early Kids]

We are trying to keep as much normality as possible until school starts, I personally wouldn't be enrolling in new things so soon before school.

We don't get carers for Brendan. Because he was prem his assessments are all based on corrected age, so even though he's delayed he's not *that* delayed when his age is corrected. (overall he fell just above the cut-off for a GDD diagnosis, if they had used his birth age he would have been diagnosed GDD then) It's so stupid and it really pees me off. We were told they wouldn't correct past 2, yet he's nearly 4. The whole prem crap is really starting to get to me now. I'm sick of hearing it, why should he be treated differently now. Sorry still angry with how things have gone down over the past few months.... good news is that if the school can't get funding for an aide they will fund one themselves for the first term. Being kindy he will only go for 2hr45min 4 times a week, so they shouldn't have too many issues *touch wood* once he has transitioned into it. We will be working on a plan for Brendan before school starts.

My main thing right now is getting Brendan in to an ENT to get his grommets done (and probably adenoids and tonsils too) he's been waiting 12 months already and is unlikely to be seen before June next year, despite having a mild/moderate hearing loss ion his left ear and a moderate/severe loss in the right, his overall permanent hearing loss is between 3-5% The system stinks all round and we simply cannot afford to go private

Best go to bed I suppose, have to try and get into the spirit of Christmas!!