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CAMS was upsettin first appointment

adele2301

im new here my name is adele i have 5 children but my son is 8 will be 9 in april has ongoin issues for a long time i took him out of school in sept last year due to ongoin issues with been bullied and him not copin with school,he has delayed speech n langusge difficultires and has had seven block of therapy for speech n language he had a iep when at school.while attending school he had serious issues with anxiety been sick wetting himself , he finds it difficult to cojmmunicate n make his own friends he lacks in confidence self esteemand does not like change .. since taking him out of school to  home educate i found he was finding things difficult so applied for statement which was turned down due to been home educated so i made a ppointment with docs who refrered him to cams . we went yesterday n discussed all his issues n said he may need special school and need a assesment to see were he is at but they he may have autism . he likes been alone n playing alone cannot cope with change n does not like anythin touched or moved of his which he has left in specfic place , has anyone hsd the assesment and what can we expect what will they do very worried n anxious

  • Just wanted to add to this conversation. My daughter is 24 yrs of age and I had loads of problems trying to get my daughter assessed for Asperger or Autism. Can I suggest that you go for an assessment that they stay at an hospital for 6 weeks assessment. The reason why is because having a child with Autism or Asperger it is hard to get a full assessmment because of their behaviours and also their OCD that they display. The child can either stay there for the night or be taken as day care. This then can help the child to build up trust and a routine, at first they don't like it but eventually the child is able to relax a bit more. Also the doctors have a better diagnosis of their condition. I find that two hrs spent with the child for a normal assessment doesn't give them the full picture. However with my daughter her behaviour was really bad, hence why it took so long to get her assessed but the outcome did show that she had the most complex Asperger they had ever met. Good to give it a go, but it is hard.

  • Hi Adele,

    I recognise alot of my own son in what you have described. he is just turned 11 and has alot of the difficulties that you have described. he has been seen by CAMHS for over 4 yrs now due to his severe anxiety disorder, and in the past couple of yrs was diagnosed with dyslexia, speech and language impairment, severe anxiety etc.

    CAMHS suggested a couple of months ago that we have him tested for autism, and i have to say that because we felt we already had the diagnosis over the years, we weren't too concerned about the ADOS testing, and even thought it would rule out autism!!....wrongly!

    Well, the tests were roughly 1hr long, both practical and written, done over a few weeks and done in a very relaxed and calm environment.....but it has to be said that my son was of course familiar with that environment and most of the staff. It was done at my son's pace, absolutely no pressure, and they went out of their way to make it fun. They also went right back to his birth, with questions about his development, which i have to say was a bit enlightening and painful as we realised just how much a struggle his childhood has been.

    It then took a few weeks to put the results of the testing together, and we were then called back in to discuss it, which for us is in the form of graphs to show his weaknesses and where he sits on a centile of "average" children. Although we are of course aware that he is struggling so much at school, it was a shock to see on paper just how much he does struggle, and why....and yes, to be told it's autism.

    I would say, yes, have the testing done, i am relieved that i can now work on understanding and helping my son....but it is a journey, which is very upsetting and painful, and i would stress that you do need to have a good support network in place. CAMHS have been (and continue to be) of immense support to us, and we are truly blessed to have their support. When our son had an emotional breakdown 3 weeks ago, they were absolutely fantastic, and still ring us most days to see how he is recovering. I truly hope that you can have the same support.

    Good luck with the testing. Sending you all my best wishes

  • Hi Adele,

    I'm not an expert so I don't want to comment on whether or not your son is autistic but I certainly think you are doing the right thing in seeking an assessment. Simply put an assessment is where a number of people will observe your son in a relaxed environment. They will be looking for signs of autism or any other number of things and will also ask you questions about your son. This is because with young children, especially ones exhibiting difficulties in communication, its often not easy to get answers to all the questions they will have. Tell them everything you can in as much detail.

    My son is autistic ans has the classic triad of impairments; poor social communication, imagination and interaction. He is in his second year at a local special school and loves it there, he never went to mainstream school. One thing to remember is that going to a special school is not a 'final thing'; I believe most schools will always try to integrate children back into mainstream school if they believe it to be beneficial, whether it be an hour or a morning or whatever they feel appropriate. Things will vary based on your local services, but on the whole I think they are good.

    Good luck.