Children with ASD
 

If I may just bring to your attention a campaign, which is very close to my own heart, called Make School Make Sense. The object of the campaign is to raise the awareness of the Government and local authorities of the provisions needed, and the difficulties faced, by children suffering from ASD in mainstream school.

It’s probably a little known fact, that maybe, as many as 1 – 100 children in mainstream school are affected by ASD. For those unsure of what ASD actually is you may find this website interesting.

Re: Children with ASD
 

i did it hun :D

Re: Children with ASD
 

I had a friend with ASD at school. It took till he was well into his teenage years until it was diagnosed, and his life was really tough as people didnt understand why he was the way he was.
So I think this campaign is a good idea and well worth it.

Re: Children with ASD
 

Awww, that's so often the case g78. School can often quite literally be a living hell for these kids. Often they are just unfairly labelled the 'naughty kid' by teaching staff who aren't trained to deal with issues that a child suffering from an autistic spectrum disorder might have.

Re: Children with ASD
 

An ex of mine has ASD-i agree a worthwhile campaign.It makes life v difficult at times.

Re: Children with ASD
 

Aye unfortunately a lot of learning differencies are hard to get noticed -plus coupled with huge waiting lists taking so much time to get diagnosed that it could be too late in getting recognised enough when matters in school.

My youngest is on books for getting tested for a few things because some key particulars could cover the spectrum of other connected learning difficulties/behaviourism. We've been trying with the school since started but only now at right time for diagnosis but needs to be done before senior school or will be too late - so seems i've timed it right altho the long wait with the various specialist asessments, but meantime till the assessments come thro with diagnosis then the school can then claim for learning equipment & specialist support once they know what they are dealing with, so yeh effects their education.

Re: Children with ASD
 

A worthwhile campaign in my view. There is little support and too many assumptions as to why un diagnosed people suffer because of it. To get the test can take so long that some will pay for the tests which is about £180 a time.

Re: Children with ASD
 

A very worthwhile campaign, a subject I know nothing about, thanks for highlighting it.

Re: Children with ASD
 

Its not just the schools that need highlighting but also improvement in referrals for assessments with such a long waiting lists, as some schools do actually alert to such conditions but they need confirmation from consultants/practioners, so that they can get specialist support teachers/equipment etc, schools are not equipped with learning tools or specialists teachers to start with till they have children with actual problems & that comes down to diagnosis so working with schools & practioners need to be closer together, im fortunate to have a supportive on the ball school but awaiting the consultants diagnosis & assessments now.

Re: Children with ASD
 

Maybe in your case but they weren't on the ball in my case. That school disappointed me to the very core of my being and I will never forgive them for the that! :mad: Infact even when they had it pointed out to them they were still ignorant of the facts!

Re: Children with ASD
 

Nice call sweetheart. My son has a couple of school mates who regrettable suffer from this difficult disorder, fortunately it is recognised and being catered for. Schools often fail individuals but they are much more progressive than in the past. I was picked up as having a problem at Green Haworth, tested over a two or three week period I was considered to be extremely intelligent but possibly lazy or easily distracted. Today they call it dyslexia.

Re: Children with ASD
 

Cheers Doug :)

They call it autistic spectrum disorder because it is exactly what it says on the tin ... a spectrum of different difficulties and varied degrees of severity. I can only speak from an Aspergers point of view but if anyone recognises any of the symptoms I'll list below, coupled with your child being thought of as the 'different', 'nerdy' or 'geeky naughty kid' then to recognise what it could possibly be may help.

• Not pick up on social cues and lack inborn social skills, such as being able to read others' body language, start or maintain a conversation, and take turns talking.

• Dislike any changes in routines.

• Appear to lack empathy.

• Be unable to recognize subtle differences in speech tone, pitch, and accent that alter the meaning of others’ speech. Thus, your child may not understand a joke or may take a sarcastic comment literally. Likewise, his or her speech may be flat and difficult to understand because it lacks tone, pitch, and accent.

• Have a formal style of speaking that is advanced for his or her age. For example, the child may use the term “beckon” instead of “call,” or “return” instead of “come back.”

• Avoid eye contact.

• Have unusual facial expressions or postures.

• Be preoccupied with only one or few interests, which he or she may be very knowledgeable about. Many children with Asperger's syndrome are overly interested in parts of a whole or in unusual activities, such as doing intricate jigsaw puzzles, designing houses, drawing highly detailed scenes, or astronomy.

• Talk a lot, usually about a favorite subject. One-sided conversations are common. Internal thoughts are often verbalized.

• Have delayed motor development. Your child may be late in learning to use a fork or spoon, ride a bike, or catch a ball. He or she may have an awkward walk. Handwriting is often poor.

• Have heightened sensitivity and become overstimulated by loud noises, lights, or strong tastes or textures.

Re: Children with ASD
 

Very interesting.

Thanks for helping me to understand a little more about what it is.

Re: Children with ASD
 

Quite hard lol as that crosses onto another like my youngest mainly dispraxia as fine motor skills are poor & when we went for initial consultation apparently theres 5 that are closely linked called an umbrella & u have one could mean u have a mild version others

they are

Autism, Aspergers, dispraxic, dyslexia, & cant think of other to do with speech

Theres strong dyslexic in my family [it is inherited] altho that is the case for my youngest its become in dispraxic form on passing on. This is something with these syndromes is that u cannot self diagnose as they are related but not the same that symptoms can mask over to others but doesnt mean to be one or the other, until been assessed for all areas to narrow down & rule them out before actual diagnosis. Complicated but long rd we've got in next 36mnths years gee thats speech & launguage therapy assessment a way off!!

ps ooh cheers tinks...just looked at that list & we ticked a fair few off & now know why he's being referred to speech & language [strangely not a poor point on face of it lol] ah so they are looking at aspergers as well as dispraxia he could have both :eek: ah well full mot doing lol.

Re: Children with ASD
 

Not really hard Mel, have you never wondered why those 2 get on so well. They are on each others wave length.

Re: Children with ASD
 

Im freaked now lol cos funny u should say that the Dr on intial assessment asked him about friends at home he said he only had 1 that he gets on with & u know who that was LOL!!:D

Re: Children with ASD
 

Re: Children with ASD
 

Awww :) Make sure you make the doctor aware of that on any follow-up consultations so he can be properly diagnosed.

Re: Children with ASD
 

Thankfully dyslexia is very much recognised these days. Sadly ASD children often aren't

Re: Children with ASD
 

Is that the whole lots of difficulties being labelled as ASD, cos on discussion on consultation is that he has varying degrees of all but is most severe on the dispraxic side handwriting pen grip, fine motor skills. Gee confused now what the diagnosis outcome will be ... dispraxic spretrum disorder lol labelling severe 1st :confused:

Re: Children with ASD
 

No that was just some of the typical symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome Mel.

I wouldn't try to diagnose him yourself. It's like reading a medical encyclopedia, you'd convince yourself from the list of symptoms that you have some terrible terminal illness. That's what the professionals are for :)

The only thing he should be labelled is the name you gave him at birth :)

Re: Children with ASD
 

LOL noooo im not self diagnosing he's actually under school doc & consultant for it seperately those are what he is definately having probs with in full view of full diagnosis but he needs more in depth assessment which on waiting list for

[QUOTE ]Be unable to recognize subtle differences in speech tone, pitch, and accent that alter the meaning of others’ speech. Thus, your child may not understand a joke or may take a sarcastic comment literally. Likewise, his or her speech may be flat and difficult to understand because it lacks tone, pitch, and accent.[/QUOTE]

^^ needs speech & launguage assessment which got letter that will have a waiting list of upto 36 mths, so in meantime it can be only therectical as we wait. Trouble with the spretrum diagnosis is that it take a long time for assessments, whereas occupational therapy which we are on list again takes upto 6mnths for another part of spretrum aka aspergers problem part & dispraxic disorder.

Re: Children with ASD
 

interesting site thanks tinks, have two nephews that went to special schools, one was far worse than the other behaviour wise, i understand a little more now the differance.

Re: Children with ASD
 

There's been some annoying clever sticks recently trying to claim that there is no such thing as dyslexia and that they just need to try harder! That made my blood boil. :mad: We want more recognition of all the different problems children face, not going back to the dark ages and dismissing the ones we're already aware of.

People who don't have children with problems can sometimes be very intollerant of those who do. I knew a lad who had learning difficulties who was just branded as naughty and disruptive at school, with other parents blaming his mother for lack of discipline. It took ages before he was assessed and finally sent to a special school which worked wonders. But he'd had all the years previously of struggling and being punished and told he was a bad boy :(