Back from speach therapy :(

[TaylorsMummyx]

I'm peed off.. Just got back from speach therapist who didn't do anything, just asked loads of questions an sat with him for 3 mins.
I told her the peditrition thinks he has asd. Bit because he Ives eye contact and blew her a kiss she's certain he hasn't got autism, :-/. She said she sees some kids and it's black and White but dexter is black and grey. She wouldn't listen and kept saying but he's only two! I know but h only says 6 words!
So she's told us to teach him sign laungage which I'm all up for.

I feel abit peed that because she saw him on a good day that he's fine?! Am I right to be annoyed

 

[Tommee]

Hi,

I've got a feeling I'm going to be writing a similar thread next month at our speech therapy appointment. One thing I've learnt that I was ignorant to is that ASD is a massive spectrum. I like many others thought that because my DS gives eye contact that he can't be ASD. I know now that it's not black & White.

When our GP first saw DS even he said that he gives eye contact so he can't be ASD? He also blow kisses but sadly there's so much more that he doesn't do I've had a letter from the Hospital & are still awaiting for an appointment to see the Specialist regarding ASD I'm 100% sure that he'll just confirm what we already know.

I bet that you feel a bit deflated from your appointment. Are you on the waiting list now for speech classes?

 

[TaylorsMummyx]

We already have speach classes
He has too many things that adds up to asd so o don't see how one women in half an hour on a good day can say he's fine?! He even did the lining up with the animals he was playing with, she just kept saying that is he doing the crying screaming like a normal two yr old or is there more? She was very doubting but then again iv had that ever since I thought something wa wrong iv had to fight all the time. She doesn't want to see him again for 4months!

 

[Tommee]

Exactly I agree, we're with our Children 24/7 which means we know them best. I've read a lot on here that parents have to fight for their Children so it seems that my battle is only just beginning

 

[TaylorsMummyx]

How old is your little one? Yep beginning here too another 18mths-2 years i reckon! O
Would love a dignosis early so we can hav the help we need an finally answer when people say ds is naughty

 

[TaylorsMummyx]

How old is your little one? Yep beginning here too another 18mths-2 years i reckon! O
Would love a dignosis early so we can hav the help we need an finally answer when people say ds is naughty

 

[Tommee]

He was 2 in July so 2 years & almost 4 months old.

I've known for a long time now that he wasn't 'typical' boy, but he's my first child so I never really had anyone to compare him to apart from other typical children. At first I just thought, wished that he was just boisterous but as he got older & didn't develop his speech & understanding along with many ASD traits I just knew.

A lot of people who know him also think he's a naughty 2 year old, like today whilst shopping he played up, I have to distract & bribe him all the time.

It's so hard isn't it x

 

[TaylorsMummyx]

Are u on fb Hun x

 

[Tommee]

Yeah, but I haven't ever mentioned anything on there about DS & ADS I don't feel comfortable as like I said in a previous post a lot of them are fair weather friends & would never understand & some family who I never see.

I'm thinking of opening an account & just add others who are going through the same? That way I can say how I'm really feeling & not paint on a smile.

 

[TaylorsMummyx]

I gabby put anything on there either, but wondered if u wante to add me? X

 

[luckybreak]

Hello here an opinion, children will start talking and doing things when they are ready some are right on target others take sometime. I understand you feel something is wrong but your little ones are still very little! I am glad to hear the speech therapy lady was not so fast to label your child...she wants to give him time to see if he will developed with time. Once your child is labeled with something it is usually hard to get it off. I am not saying you are wrong all i am saying is that maybe they just need a little time and even though you don't feel she spent enough time with your little one she probably has seen enough to children to know what she is looking for in certain children. Give them the time they are asking if nothing improves go back if you see she is not doing anything then look for a second opinion. Good luck

 

[TaylorsMummyx]

Th peditrition thinks he has it, so I don't understand why she had to make me feel like rubbish? I know my child more then any dr, he's my second as well so I kind of know what he should be doing iykwim? X

 

[LoveleeB]

Th peditrition thinks he has it, so I don't understand why she had to make me feel like rubbish? I know my child more then any dr, he's my second as well so I kind of know what he should be doing iykwim? X

I'm with you TaylorsMummy. I'm not sure if the previous poster has a child with ASD but it is a fight everyday to get someone to listen to your concerns without dismissing them and to try to get help as soon as possible for your LO. Everything we read says early intervention is key but when you try to get help you get a bunch of "Wait and see" BS!

Sorry if I sound angry but I am in the same place as you, trying to get help for my LO. Knowing something is wrong but hearing that stupid "eye contact" baloney. If people don't understand ASD then they shouldn't comment. Your speach therapist should have just helped you and your son instead of doubting you.

I'd also much rather my son was "labelled" incorrectly as having ASD and getting help, then the other option of him having ASD and no one helping him at all.

 

[luckybreak]

Th peditrition thinks he has it, so I don't understand why she had to make me feel like rubbish? I know my child more then any dr, he's my second as well so I kind of know what he should be doing iykwim? X

I'm with you TaylorsMummy. I'm not sure if the previous poster has a child with ASD but it is a fight everyday to get someone to listen to your concerns without dismissing them and to try to get help as soon as possible for your LO. Everything we read says early intervention is key but when you try to get help you get a bunch of "Wait and see" BS!

Sorry if I sound angry but I am in the same place as you, trying to get help for my LO. Knowing something is wrong but hearing that stupid "eye contact" baloney. If people don't understand ASD then they shouldn't comment. Your speach therapist should have just helped you and your son instead of doubting you.

I'd also much rather my son was "labelled" incorrectly as having ASD and getting help, then the other option of him having ASD and no one helping him at all.

There is no reason to be angry if you go to a therapist that is not helping you then by all means go to a second choice, I don't think the therapist was doubting her but you she was probably asking the right question, do you realize how many children get taken to specialist because parents think something is wrong just because they did not reach their expectation? many! and yes I do have child with Special needs and dealt with many morons specialists but also dealt with good ones. No I don't want my child labelled incorrectly because whatever help they will get will be wrong and whatever they really need will go untreated and it will help nobody. Thank you.

 

[sun]

Lots of hugs

That sounds so disappointing I feel lucky that the docs I have seen really listen to OH and I and have throughout. We don't have any diagnosis or reason for my LOs delays (gross motor skill and speech) and I'm not sure we will in the near future, but I am glad he is getting so much help already. I am surprised that someone that deals with speech issues in children would decide based on such limited experience with your son that your ped is wrong. She shouldn't be diagnosing anyway - she should be interacting with your son and learning how to help him as best as she can. It is great when they have good days at speech therapy because it gives everyone a chance to really see the childs potential and you can accomplish so much more.

I agree with the signing though - that and using pictures have really helped my LOs communication and frustration.

 

[Wynterheart]

Girl it took me a very long time and different speech therapists and teachers to diagnose my little girl. Exact same thing happened to me. They saw her on her good days and thought she just had a speech delay at 4 years old. They finally got a clue when they saw all the peculiar things she did. Like rip paper into tiny pieces and then arrange them. And loving straws and pipe cleaners. Throwing huge fits if they were moved, covered up or taken away. Also after more interviews notcied she def had echolahlia (sp?).
Dont give up get a new speech therapist. See different teachers and doctors if you have to.

 

[Wynterheart]

When I did finally get through my daughter was set up with a great speech therapist and more opened up for her at school. She has three in home thirty minute sessions with a speech therapist a week. Two sessions with a ST and OT a week at school also. Everything opened up when I found a great pediatrician that really listened to me.
My baby girl has improved so much since.

 

[TaylorsMummyx]

M confused lol.. Speach therapist has old us to teach him sign language and no back up plan, well he isn't taken too it at all, and I dot see them for another 4months!! Iv done a week of it and he hasnt taken to not even one sign don't know what to do :-/

 

[sun]

I don't know if this will help at all, but this is how we did it. It took months for Bun to sign anything back though, so I would keep at it. We started with 2 words "help" and "more" because they were the most useful to him on a daily basis. We just used a hand tap to his chest for "help" because the actual sign was too difficult. Then I would use them all day - every time he wanted something! I would give him half of his drink/food and wait for him to want more, then sign more?, give him more, and sign again. I would do it right in his face and speak very slowly. It took a long time, but we got it! He used "more" for everything at first, then as he got a sign or two I would look for another sign that motivated him - for us it was "open" because opening/closing things is a favourite past time lol. "Eat" and "drink" weren't signs that worked for us until later, but they might for your LO. Watch for things that you think he would really want to know (like "open" or "on/off") and just do 1 or maximum 2 at a time. We also made signs if we thought the real ones were too difficult.

Another thing you might want to try is to have pictures of things he likes so he can show you the picture. We started by cutting the pictures of Buns favourite cereal out of the cereal box and when he wanted a snack I would ask if he wanted "shreddies" and show him the picture. Or I would give him an option of two (shreddies and cheerios) and he could point to one. This also didn't happen overnight, but with time he caught on - and would eventually bring us a picture of what he wanted. You could try this with a favourite food/drink - or we also took pictures of his favourite shirts so he could show us what he wanted to wear (he only likes shirts with cars or dinosaurs on them).

Both of these were lots of work, but eventually made such a difference! Before Bun would scream randomly if he wanted something, but now he knows how to tell us. Also I think your son has a few words already, so maybe you might want to sign one of the ones he uses regularly? Then he might get that signing is the equivalent of saying the word.

Anyway - hope this helps a bit. Also I think it's lame for the therapist to just say "start signing" and send you off. It's not like you just do a few signs and toddlers get it right away. There can be lots of trial and error!
Hugs-

 

[LoveleeB]

Great advice Sun! I think I'll try some of those things with my son!