I've just come across this thread. Urgh ... some GPs are painful, in the extreme. My GP is bemused by SPD - she reckons nearly all kids have some SPD issues, it's "just a phase" that so many are being diagnosed. Nonetheless, she helped us with a referral. My DS2 has SPD. Short story is since he was approx 18 months his behaviour at home is extremely challenging. Meltdowns and tanties when he gets frustrated, can't make something "work" to his specifications etc. You can't ask him to do one single thing without it escalating into a drama. But he's a bloomin' angel at daycare - they (quote) wish all kids were like him!! And I'm not a pushover parent, so I know I'm not 100pc to blame, lol.

Anyway, the upshot is I went to my GP and explained this to her - I wanted a referral to an OT to get to the bottom of whatever was going on. She worked out a mental health plan for DS2 under the umbrella of sensory processing disorder. It gave us 10 Mediare rebatable sessions with an OT. Subsequent to that, we've since been able to access an EPA ... EPC, sorry I forget the exact title of it. It gives us a further 5 sessions of Medicare-rebatable OT sessions. He had to be assessed by the nurse at my GP's clinic in order to get the additional sessions/plan.

OTs are so expensive - I had no idea until we started going. And we've found that with DS2, it's not just a matter of a few sessions and that's it. It's at least a fortnightly (give or take) appointment, plus follow up at home. DS2 is starting to improve - his issues affect his problem solving ability (hence, meltdowns when he can't fix/do something), plus we're getting help with his rather fast engine speed - how to slow it down so he'll listen to us etc. It's all an eye opener, so hopefully you get lots out of it. But re: the mental health plan, there's no reason in the wide world that a GP shouldn't sign you up to one (in my opinion, anyway).