Social Worker

Pertinent post. I’m meeting a social worker tomorrow and rather anxious about it re: what they are going to ask and most importantly can I trust them? How will I know if they’re competent? It’s a whole new world.... eek!

I'm sure you'll do okay ..  Maybe ask what experience they have of supporting children/young people with ASDs (and/or their parents) and get them to give you some examples of their interventions and how these helped.   Ask specifically what help and support they think they would be looking to give you: it may be that their remit only covers certain areas of either. 

(My daughter has recently accessed counselling, having been told by our local Depression & Anxiety Service that her needs are too complex for them to support her.  After a single visit, the counsellor has decided that my daughter probably has dyslexia - she doesn't - (because she finds reading stressful, and is already advising her of coloured overlays she can use (!); she's also pushing DD to go to university (she's highly intelligent academically - G&T in five areas - but has very little emotional resilience and university is simply out of the picture).  She's also advising DD to volunteer in a primary school, because 'that will be nice and easy'.  I despair.

Sorry - that's prob not v helpful!  I'm just trying to illustrate how necessary getting some clear guidelines at the outset as to how your SW operates is.  Good luck!

I'm sure you'll do okay ..  Maybe ask what experience they have of supporting children/young people with ASDs (and/or their parents) and get them to give you some examples of their interventions and how these helped.   Ask specifically what help and support they think they would be looking to give you: it may be that their remit only covers certain areas of either. 

(My daughter has recently accessed counselling, having been told by our local Depression & Anxiety Service that her needs are too complex for them to support her.  After a single visit, the counsellor has decided that my daughter probably has dyslexia - she doesn't - (because she finds reading stressful, and is already advising her of coloured overlays she can use (!); she's also pushing DD to go to university (she's highly intelligent academically - G&T in five areas - but has very little emotional resilience and university is simply out of the picture).  She's also advising DD to volunteer in a primary school, because 'that will be nice and easy'.  I despair.

Sorry - that's prob not v helpful!  I'm just trying to illustrate how necessary getting some clear guidelines at the outset as to how your SW operates is.  Good luck!