Have an appointment with psychologist

In Brisbane to have IQ testing. She comes highly recommended on quite a few sites here in Australia.
She’s already giving me some contacts of wonderful Occupational Therapist (OT) that are really good at dealing with sensory problems.
Well I just wanted to update for those that might remember us, it’s not for another few weeks I cant wait.

my son has a new habit we hope we can put an end to....
 

SRL

Active Member
Good to hear you're making forward progress in finding the right help!

There's always something, isn't there?:redface:
 

nvts

Active Member
Great news! Occupational Therapist (OT) at an early age can really help move things along. Is this with a regular psychologist or a neuropsychologist?

Beth
 
Great news! Occupational Therapist (OT) at an early age can really help move things along. Is this with a regular psychologist or a neuropsychologist?

Beth
no doesn't look like it, I went to her site and found this

MAPS B.A. (Hons psychiatric) Child Assessment and Counselling
S*** completed her Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours) degree at the University of Queensland in 1975. She is a registered psychologist with the Psychologists’ Board of Queensland, as well as a member of the Australian Psychological Society. S*** is registered with Medicare as a Psychologist.
S*** has worked with children and families as a Psychologist in the Queensland Health Department and as a Guidance Counsellor in the Queensland Education Department. S*** has been working in private practice since 1995.

Her areas of interest include assisting children and families on issues of behaviour management, anxiety and social-emotional distress. She also has a particular interest in psychometric and educational assessment to assist students with learning difficulties, as well as identification and counselling with gifted students. S*** believes in working closely with parents, schools and other professionals to support children with special needs across the spectrum.

any thoughts?
 

SRL

Active Member
If your primary interest is IQ testing, it looks like educational assessment is her area of interest so you should be fine there, if she's well regarded by parents.

I'd take the appointment and see where it goes. Here in the US we suggest neuropsychologists to parents because they assess in a wide range of areas, and refer out to areas (like Occupational Therapist (OT)) that's outside of their specialty areas. They usually are involved in the evaluation stages, and not in longer term treatment. Regular psychologists here tend to do less assessment with young children, and more behavioral counseling.
 
If your primary interest is IQ testing, it looks like educational assessment is her area of interest so you should be fine there, if she's well regarded by parents.

I'd take the appointment and see where it goes. Here in the US we suggest neuropsychologists to parents because they assess in a wide range of areas, and refer out to areas (like Occupational Therapist (OT)) that's outside of their specialty areas. They usually are involved in the evaluation stages, and not in longer term treatment. Regular psychologists here tend to do less assessment with young children, and more behavioral counseling.
thanks for letting me know. I'm not sure about neuropsychologists, only heard of them on this site, we could very well have them I just dont know.

Here in the US we suggest neuropsychologists to parents because they assess in a wide range of areas, and refer out to areas (like Occupational Therapist (OT)) that's outside of their specialty areas


she has sent me two names of Occupational Therapist (OT)'s that she feels can help our son. I do remember looking up neuropsychologists one othe rtime though I cant remember what I found might do that in the morning, it's already 1am so I need to get to bed thanks so much, and for this forum.
 

Marguerite

Active Member
From what you listed, I'm thinking she could be able to do what a neuropsychologist (in the US) would do. We were referred to someone we were told was a neuropsychologist down here in Sydney, attached to a university clinic we're part of. And she was a clinical psychologist who did detailed psychometric testing. This was what we needed. But for ongoing therapy, we see a different psychologist. However, this one sounds likes he generalises a bit more.

Certainly worth a try for you. What you need here, is both ongoing testing (every so often, as needed for progress as well as an initial assessment to set a baseline) and also ongoing (much more frequent) counselling support, especially cognitive behaviour therapy as and when he can understand it. She also sounds like she will refer to other specialities according to what she feels he needs.

Good to hear from you, Beth. Last I heard, you were moving house and also having hassles with your older son. I've been wondering how you were getting on. Good luck with the testing in Brisbane.

Marg
 
Hi Marguerite, we head off tomorrow, the appointment is for Tuesday 9:30am. I was talking on the phone to one of the phycologists at Heart and mind http://www.mindsandhearts.net/ where Tony Attwood is and now I wish we had of called there first. Oh well. They might be more about Aspergers and pigeon whole him or miss what is going on because he doesn’t fit Aspergers. Maybe not they sounds really good.
she did mention
psychometric testing, so maybe she does the same.
It’s all so expensive as well. If our Pead gave us the go head back when it all started, my son would have qualified for the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) funding, think it’s about $2000 straight up for testing to get parents started.
Tuesdays will be $450 then we will see where we go from there.
A base line like you said.
I keep questioning myself, all because I have the lady from mental health’s voice in my head.
And our Peads. The Pead thinks he will be fine because he is intelligent. And I start to wonder if I should just ignore these odd things he does. Are they just typical boy stuff? Arh had another mum say to me yesterday that her son does what Matthew is doing, but he stopped after a while.
Oh I just don’t know. The thought of people thinking I’m reading more into what is happening is bothering me, and his teacher again this year says Matthew is the perfect student.
All the mums that go up for parent help, Matthew is perfect.
At school last week he was doing his new obsession in front of everyone, over and over again, and no-one noticed. None of the parents (they have sports day) none of the teachers just me, I took a few photo’s of him to show this lady on Tuesday then I felt silly so wont take them.
Their all anxiety things, I felt he was anxious about the race and as soon as it was over he stopped.
So I’m back to, he’s just doing these things to help him out when anxious but I’d like to find more appropriate ways for him to deal with anxiety. Not good to rub bawled patches in your scalp….
The new thing I’d rather not say, he is doing over and over again, I feel so sad for him,. Though he is coping and seems like a happy kid in spite of it. When we ask him to try and stop he feels self couscous so I’m not getting this part right and need help, without judgement. Hope this lady can do that for us, or one of the Occupational Therapist (OT)’s, unlike the mental health girls. Sigh.
Will let you know how we get on. Thanks
Oh my eldest is settled down now. He is full on into church, ended up in hospital trying to deal with some of the church stuff they were putting in his head. I still worry though he seems in a good place now for quite a while.
We moved next-door, straight over the fence, and doing really well.
16yr daughter is trying to sort out subject, she’s struggling with modern history and only a “C” in Maths B the harder maths. Think she is going to pull out and concentrate her efforts elsewhere not many choices where we are.
 

Marguerite

Active Member
The thing with the odd things kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) do - yes, they're the same things other kids do, but they do them for longer, or more, or at ages when other kids have stopped.

Trust your instincts. Get it checked out. If you're wrong, yo will have spent some money but you will know. If you're not wrong, then you will have made a good investment. Frankly, I think it's a good investment either way.

I'm not checking in as often as I usually do, between my cancer treatment and difficult child 3's heavy schoolwork load at the moment. So if I'm not responding as fast as you expect, it's not lack of interest. It's lack of energy and time!

Marg
 
Marguerite i'm so sorry to here of your cancer, thinking of you hope all is ok.

We are back home I haven’t been able to log in while away, have forgotten my user name.
I have the full report haven’t’ had a chance tonight to read it as we have driven 12 hours today.
She told me before we left that M is a
Visual Spatual learner” that he scored 131 IQ range for that test putting him in the top 2% for his age. And average for all other area’s for his age.
I’ll be busy reading up on Visual spatual learners. She asked if M likes to use Lego and all those types of things. He doesn’t she was confused by this (great why do I get the feeling that M isn’t going to quite fit this) saying that he is “gifted” in this area.
I guess the child hasn’t had a lot of opportunity to play with construction toys as they are expensive (Mobilo is) and he has a younger brother that has choked and just about died 3 weeks ago from having a magnetic ball (marble) of M’s stuck in his throat.
So we will work on meeting more of M’s needs.
From the bit she has told these kids tend to have imaginary friends and “see” things guess like their words falling into toilets when they talk.
She also felt that his average score of verbal understanding compared with what I have told her (M’s reading ability) don’t add up. She is surprised he is reading as well as he is considering his score in this area. She has mentioned seeing a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) for better understanding.
As well as the Occupational Therapist (OT)…
That is it for now and I’ll have to get back to readying the report. Thanks again for all the support.
 

Marguerite

Active Member
Your next step, I feel, is to find a good Speech Pathologist and get a detailed assessment. You want them to test beyond merely finding what is normal, but to go into the fine detail. We have been lucky to find such therapist, she is also now one of my best friends. If you lived near us I would recommend you to see her.

Always value the assessments, even the dud ones. They provide a record, a mental snapshot, of how your child presented at that time. Always of value, even years later.

You could be lucky, there could be a great Speech Pathologist in your area.

His results are very interesting, but only a start.

For M right now - get him some Duplo or meccano. Look around op shops for it. Or what my Aspie nephew always wanted - a ball of string. Because with string, he could make anything he ever wanted. Or go to the beach and build in sand. Or dig in the garden, give him a dedicated space and some old kitchen utensils. Teach him how to make three-layered mud pies. Or get him cooking in the kitchen - muffins are good. So is pasta, or gnocchi.

It's all good.

I've finished radiation treatment now, I've got more time at home at last. Doing well. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Excellent prognosis.

Marg
 
thanks we dont have a speechy here we have DSQ come out once a term for my other son but they wont see M. had to fght them write letters to get these visits as they tried to stop them. there is one in Morenbah (or however you spell it) a good two hours drive from here. big trip but I need to take A as well so hope that she is good.
now I', kinda wishing I took M to hearts and minds. where Toni Attwood is. I still just will have to be a few months of saving first. maybe Christmas time. if the pead gave us the go ahead when we first went to her, we would have recieved all that funding for kids that might have an Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). grrr I should have forght harder, but I did like thinking everything was going to be ok! when she mentioned that to me. lol well he is ok, but you know what i mean.
glad things are going better for you. hugs
 
yes we did pick up some Knex and some more Knex and have put a heap of lego on lay-by at all the sales last week.
he's really loving what we have. cant wait to have the rest home. keeping his 4yr old brother out of it is hard though. we brought some duplo for A have to get some more. I see a new adiction coming. I am toy crazy love love love shopping for toys so it's all good.
 

Marguerite

Active Member
With the therapy, see if the GP will do a care plan for you that includes a certain amount of bulk-billed Speech Pathology. You need to find a speechie who is on the Medicare system, but the doctor should have a list, hopefully. ALthough I know you're fighting the Queensland health system!

With the toys - make a large circle of canvas, put large eyelets into it with a hammer and an eyelet tool (Lincraft has them) then thread some clothesline cord or similar through the eyelets so it will lie flat on the ground. Set up all the Knex etc on the circle, and at clean-up time, you just pull the drawstring and it all goes into one big bag.

You can colour-code the bags with fabric paint for each different kind of 'stuff' in them. You can even let the kids paint the bags, because they still will be individual!

Marg
 
THAKS I will ask about the plan at the Gp. yes QLD health just doesn't live up the NSW/ have friends with children with Down sydrome their children get heaps more services compared to my son. A has had 4ST assessments 5OT and 3 PT. in th eUSA the kids are having 4ST visitis a week NSW not quite that good but they are doing heaps better than we are.
 
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