What Help Are We Entitled To for 3 yr old Daughter

[richarda0109]

Hi

Our daughter has recently started stimming (last 6 weeks)

"Stimming is a repetitive body movement, such as hand flapping. The term is shorthand for self-stimulation. Repetitive movement, or stereotypy, is often referred to as stimming under the hypothesis that it has a function related to sensory input"

The NHS is a real minefield and I know it always starts with a GP referral but I would like to know what type of referral is best and to whom?

Any help would be appreciated

Regards
Richard

[The_Doc]

At a guess, following a paediatrician, you will end up at a paediatric behavioural psychologist.

Note that psychologists are not the same as psychiatrists, who deal with the David Icke's of the world.

Best of luck

[Lemmonie]

i would have thought a local health visitor would be a best port of call.

We called one out to speak with us about our 3 year old (different thing altogether) and she was very good.

[SunDiver]

The_Doc said:

Note that psychologists are not the same as psychiatrists...

Indeed. Not the same thing at all...

http://frontierpsychiatrist.co.uk/psychiatrist-vs-...

[Fozziebear]

Visit your GP, persuade them to refer you to the correct dept of your local hospital, then push as much as you can if required. I'd also study as much as you can on the condition so you can ask the correct questions and be able to guide them if needed.

[BlackVanDyke]

Even though it is only one of many possible explainations, the National Autistic Society is a very good option for advice and support at this point.

[Leptons]

What does this normally mean then. I have seen a few kids do this is not just over excitement?

[BlackVanDyke]

Leptons said:

What does this normally mean then. I have seen a few kids do this is not just over excitement?

Kids that 'stim' (engage in self-stimulating behaviours eg hand flapping) are more likely to be on the autistic spectrum - including on the very high-functioning end of it where as an adult people won't realise - than kids that don't.

There are autistic people that don't stim at all and non-autistics that do for various reasons.

It's generally agreed to be completely harmless, aside from the occasional severely impaired person whose stimming includes things that can do damage eg eye poking, but it is a bit of a 'soft marker' for the possibility that the person has something else going on. People should never try to stop a kid or adult stimming directly but little kids in particular are sometimes distractable from it.