CAMHS Assessments

The CAMHS team continue assessing Laura's behaviour. They have produced a raft of reports which are proving useful in understanding why Laura behaves the way she does. Mostly it's down to lack of communication as Laura doesn't talk, doesn't sign and doesn't use PECs. She mainly uses gestures and shouting, although will use objects of reference if they're to hand (eg pass me a plate for toast, a cup for water, a wellie boot for garden...

Laura's school are responding positively to the assessments and reports too, which is great news as we can all work together to help Laura communicate more effectively and reduce her problem behaviour (shouting, dropping to the floor, general refusal).

The Vineland Report that the CAMHS team produced was a bit of a shocker:

Receptive Language: 11 months
Expressive Language: 14 months
Social/Interpersonal skills: 4-8 months
Motor skills: 24 months average

But it does make you realise the level she is functioning at and how easy it is to assume she can do more and understand more than she can. Even the outdoor water play, which she tends to be obsessive about, is down to her having very few other self-occupying skills (she is at infant level for this area as well as her coping skills). A sad dose of reality but I did ask for it to be done.