Looking for a diagnosis...

Following the Educational Psychology meeting, I approached my GP to ask if he could check if T1 had been referred to the Child Development Team when he was seen by our Health Visitor when he was 2.  It turns out that he hadn't been referred then or there was no record of it in his GP record.  I asked our GP if he would refer him and he agreed.  He knows that I work with people who have Autism Spectrum Disorders and that I had compiled a chronology of T1's differences in development over the last couple of years.  He asked me to email it to him so that he could forward it on with the referral.

Within a few weeks, we received a letter inviting us to go along to meet a Paediatrician at a specialist nursery school for assessing children with developmental difficulties.  I have a friend who works there so I knew a wee bit about what it might be like.  T1 was age 5 at this point and was in Primary 1.  Myself, DP and T1 met with the Paediatrician and a Nurse.  The nurse did some assessment tasks with T1 whilst DP and I discussed our concerns with the Paediatrician.  Whilst in there, I had another attack of the 'hypochondriac mother' feeling that I'd had when discussing my concerns with the Health Visitor when T1 was 2.  I kept reassuring myself that I had some idea of what I was talking about.  This came across in my description of T1's difficulties and the Paediatrician was very understanding and really listened to us.  Because of my knowledge of developmental disorders, she didn't feel that it would be of benefit for T1 to be assessed in the special nursery school because I really just needed the diagnosis, the strategies for afterwards I felt I knew enough about to get by.  Because of where I work, the Paediatrician also acknowledged that I would want someone to assess T1 who had a fair bit of experience in assessing and diagnosing ASD.  We agreed for her to refer us onto the Child Psychiatry Team.

Whilst we waited to be seen by them, T1 was also seen by the school Doctor and Nurse at his school for an assessment.  She knew that he had been referred to the child Psychiatry team and seemed satisfied with this and felt that we probably didn't need to see her again.

Within 6 weeks or so we had an appointment through for T1 to see a Consultant Child Psychiatrist.  I felt confident that this person would have sufficient experience to be able to assess T1.  We went along to our initial appointment which lasted about an hour and a half.  She had a copy of the chronology that I had typed so we didn't need to go into detail about all of T1's developmental differences.  She took a history from DP and I on our own health and that of T2.  She did some assessment tasks with T1 and spent some time with him on his own.  Between this appointment and our next appointment, the Child Psychiatrist asked T1's teacher to complete some questionnaires and for an up to date school report.  For the second appointment, I saw the child Psychiatrist on my own to have a further discussion about a possible diagnosis.  After these two appointments, T1, now age 5 years and 6 months was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a condition on the Autism Spectrum.  The Psychiatrist said that she would review him in 6 months, support any claim I made for Disability Living Allowance and refer T1 onto the Paediatric Occupational Therapy service for assessment of his motor, coordination and sensory difficulties.

T1 was seen for his 6 month check up appointment in September 2010 and because he is doing so well at school and at home, he will now be discharged from the Child Psychiatry service.

We also had another meeting at school in November 2010 with T1's teacher, DP, the Head Teacher and the Educational Psychologist to review his progress from Primary 1 into Primary 2 and to acknowledge the diagnosis of Asperger's.  All appears to be going really well at the moment and there is good communication between school and DP and I.  T1 has now also been discharged from the Educational Psychology Service.