Aspergers assessment

andrealm

My 4 year old DD had a multi disciplinary assessment today and they think she might have Aspergers. I had thought she was showing signs of it but was still half expecting them to say we were imagining it and she just had a few little quirks.

They are referring her for an assessment, an ADOS I think, can't remember the name of it. Does anyone know what's involved in this? Are they likely to make a diagnosis fairly quickly or will it involve a lot of appointments before they decide if she has it or not?

shykins

my son is having one of these this week. we have waited approx 16weeks for it tho!!

my understanding is that it is a 2 hr appointment where they ask the child to do simple tests then observe their reactions to them. if u google ADOS u will find more info

from what people say they give u an indication on the day of their opinion but then follow it up with a report

hth and good luck

andrealm

Thanks, shykins. Good luck with your son's appointment. How old is he, did he have a multi disciplinary assessment first?

There is a 9 week wait for it, we were pleasantly surprised by this, as we waited 6 months for a referral to children's behaviour, then another 6 months for the multi disciplinary. Although we were originally told that we would only have to wait a couple of months for the multi disc.

She is also going to have some help from the OT to help with her motor skills and is being referred to the clinical psychologist about her toileting issues.

worriedmummy123

Hi, can I ask both of you what prompted you to seek professional advice? My DD is four and we have had concerns about her for a while but her nursery aren't interested.

jackieglasgow

They won't give you any indication on the day, only on the day they meet you to give the results. At the assessment, they will spend time asking you a lot of questions about your child, ours took about teo hours I think, then they spent several hours observing/interviewing DS. You are very lucky to get this done at such an early age my son was almost ten before his was done, we waited three years. I had suspicions for many years, but it wasn't until he was six that his teacher suggested it and we got an Ed Psych referral.

julie03

worriedmummy123 wrote: »

Hi, can I ask both of you what prompted you to seek professional advice? My DD is four and we have had concerns about her for a while but her nursery aren't interested.

i was prompted because of social and communication issues at 3 and a half, my son didnt talk much and didnt understand instructions , we saw a health visitor who got him refered, he was diagnosed with dysphraxia at 4ish and is nearly 8 now and has just been reasessed with possible ASD/aspergers but more tests to follow

worriedmummy123

Thanks Julie03. We are in a strange situation. I have OCD and it is difficult to know how much of my daughters behaviour is due to copying me and how much is her own iyswim. She is obsessed with order and patterns, neatness and routine. But so am I. Her most difficult behaviour concerns her feet. She has to wear certain socks and only I can touch her feet. She won't walk bare foot and won't look at bare feet. She also has food issues.....no warm food at all. She won't put anything warm to her lips and always touches it with her fingers first. Her nursery have assured me it is just a phase and she will get over it, but she has always been like it. I also have an 8 yo DD who is the most untidy and relaxed child ever. Sorry to hijack your thread OP. Will go back to lurking now, I promise x

julie03

some of the things you describe are ASD/aspergers but if the nursery dont listen there is no harm in seeing a health visitor or GP and asking for a referal

shykins

my son is 13 but we have been trying to get help since he was 7 or 8. we have been seen at CAHMS by a nurse many years ago who said he was fine, his primary school also said he was fine - dont get me started!!

he has now been expelled so they have had to take us seriously, we also paid for him to see a child psych who diagnosed ADHD and have waited 16weeks for this ADOS

MaryMurphy

Hi shykins,

Your story sounds very similar to my brother's, he wasn't diagnosed with Asperger's until he was 16! It angers me to think of the unecessary hardship he's been put through and lack of help we as a family received, and there's hardly any support for Asperger sufferers once they become adults (though thankfully we now have wonderful social worker who's working her !!! off to get him all the help he can receive).

So, if you suspect your child has Aspergers and the "experts" say he/she doesn't don't take their word as gospel.

MMx

shykins

mary sorry to hear about your brother but thankfully hes getting help now

well we had the ADOS and they said no sign of ASD tho hard to see how they can say after barely half an hour of talking to him and us i do not quite see how they can decide but they confirmed the ADHD so that somethng i guess

good luck to others still fightin for their kids