New Member

Report post · June 20, 2001

Alice:

A very warm welcome to the group! I loved the image of your daughter

dancing sans knickers and kicking the headmistress as this was ME at

that age (blush -- and no comments, ).

On a more serious note, I would really encourage you to visit

amazon.com (or amazon.co.uk) and get a couple of the books Kathy R

suggested: OCD in Children and Adolescents by March and

Mulle, and either Freeing Your Child from Obessive Compulsive Disorder

by Tamar Chansky or Obessive Compulsive Disorder: Help for Children

and Adolescents by Mitzi Waltz. Both of these latter books are good,

but Mitzi lists resources in the UK, and the book has a forward by Jim

Hatton, a well-known psychologist who treats OCD. I think you might

find Mitzi's book a bit more useful. If you can't get the books

locally, amazon.com ships internationally. My friend in Oz is always

ordering books through them.

As far as meds go, and even ERP, it's tough when the child doesn't

recognize that she has a problem. You might want to try and pick up a

copy of Kissing Doorknobs, which is a fiction about a teenage girl

with OCD. She might see it, read it, and recognize herself. I could

also send you a copy of Kids Like Me if you write me off list at the

following address: jmonnens@...

Jule

Report post · June 21, 2001

Alice,

Welcome! Your daughter sounds similar to my in many ways.

She also is 11 (until her birthday next week). She was diagnosed

with OCD several years ago and had at first been treated using only

therapy. However about a year and a half ago, her fears (of bursting

into flames) got the better of her and she was put on Luvox. This

worked for several months until she was titrated up to 100 mg. Which

is when she began the really agressive, antagonistic, up yours

attitude. Anyway, since she no longer has fears, she firmly believes

she is " cured " and refuses therapy and wants to stop all meds. She

knows she cannot just stop the meds. I did get her to agree to

therapy by saying that I would go with her and that I also needed

help in dealing with our relationship. She still hates therapy, but

at least she goes. Usually with an arguement. Her anger and

aggressiveness is now being considered as either a reaction to the

Luvox - a behavioral side effect or it may be bipolar disorder. I

don't know how often your daughter's moods change, but some of the

behaviors you describe about your daughter may also be do to bipolar

disorder, including the inappropriate or precocious sexual behavior.

The website www.bpkids.org is a good place to look for info on

bipolar. Bipolar disorder often goes hand in hand with OCD, ADHD, and

ODD. One other thought on the inappropriate sexual behavior. Have

you questioned her about being molested? I raise that question

because I was sexually abused as a child by my brother-in-law, and

after being in group therapy for a while, I found that the

inappropriate, touching etc. was a common thread in children after

being sexually abused. This may not be the case with your daughter,

but it is worth ruling out.

Good luck in getting your daughter to agree to meds. Bribery aka

rewards is helping to pursuede to agree to the switch from

Luvox to Celexa instead of just stopping Luvox with no replacement

med.

in PA

>

> Hello everyone,

>

> I am quite new to your group, but have been reading the emails -

all of

> them!!!- for a few weeks now.

> I believe my 11 year old daughter has ocd, and has probably

suffered with it

> since the age of 5, when she was expelled from school for

outlandish,

> disruptive behaviour including dancing nickerless on the piano and

kicking

> the headmistress! At the time she was sweetness and light at home,

and I

> didn't know whether I was coming or going. Looking back it seemed

to stem

> from lack of stimulation at school, and in the next, big, bustling,

mixed

> sex school she's done great. However looking back from even

further now,

> this could have been the start of ocd. After that she started to

act out at

> home much more, until today when she is very rude (potty mouth I

believe)

> and VERY controlling.

> For a long while there have been issues with toilet tissue, and her

private

> parts. For years she wore a wad a big as two tennis balls in her

> knickers...saying she was " wet " . She would also openly " fiddle "

with

> herself infront of any of her brothers friends (boys are now 10 and

13)

> There was no pathology, though she did see a couple of

psychologists.

> Neither ever mentioned ocd. Now she just uses a wad of tissue to

wipe

> throughout the day and carries it everywhere. When she goes to the

toilet

> to wee she has started recently wiping so much that on two

occasions I found

> spots of blood. It takes 20 minutes to finish in the toilet after

a wee.

> Shes also started having to rearrange her curtains at night for

ages, then

> touch the corners five times. She has to open and close each

drawer and

> touch the corners. She changes her knickers 4 times a day. She

finds it

> easier now to read aloud though she is very able with English, and

often

> repeats a sentence time and time again. She is hand-washing so

often her

> hands are like little old ladies hands. All of these apart from

the tissue

> thing have started in the last two months or so. I haven't

discovered any

> obsessive thoughts, but we have these compulsive symptoms. She can

repeat

> questions time and time again.

> Does this sound like ocd to you guys?

> You may have gathered from my language I am from England (Surrey).

Am I the

> only one?

> My General Practitioner has told me just to be patient with her and

look

> after myself. He says the psychiatric and psychology services for

such

> problems are useless. Even if there was help out there privately,

I could

> not afford it. It seems that with help from all of you, I must

treat this

> myself. I'm learning slowly from the group. Trying not to enable,

though

> I'm not certain what this is. There is no way not to wash

mountains of

> (clean - no discharge , wee, or poo or anything, and still smelling

of the

> washing powder when she discards them) knickers- she'd melt down

totally and

> not sleep if there was no clean ones. I have also encouraged her to

use a

> milder soap to wash hands. If her quality of life deteriorated a

lot, I

> think my General Practitioner (GP) may be would to prescribe

medication,

> based on your advice! We are back-ward aren't we?

> For the moment, apart from bed times taking ages, and a fortune

being spent

> on toilet tissue, she is not really suffering. She still has

friends, and

> still does well at school. She's in all the sports teams which is

great for

> her self-esteem.

> It is strange to read about all of you with your medical insurance,

> psychologists and things at school, which are so alien from over

here. What

> is the same is the disorder.

> I look forward to hearing you have received this mail. Your

thoughts on

> whether this is ocd. If it comes to medication I shall ask you

which is

> best, at which doses etc. I understand that one doesn't work for

all, but

> to get an idea where to start. I am interested in inositol, which

I may

> find over here. What is the dosage for an 11 year old. I have

found it as

> part of a multi-vitamin at 5mg.

> I'd love to know if there is anyone else from England in this

group. Surely

> my Ami can't be the only child with this?

> Take care, and thanks for all the useful mails.

> Alice aj@a...

Report post · June 25, 2001

Whilst acknowledging your anxieties, I do not feel that having the ability

to prescribe is a negative attribute. For many HVs working with vulnerable

groups, it allows the early intervention to prevent further consequences and

just expands the interventions possible. However, I do not think you need to

have this skill to be effective and I do think the formulary fails to meet

the preventive agenda. Most HVs need to be able to prescribe contraception

and immunisations to be most effective. I could see a time when a team of

HVs might hail from a variety of backgrounds depending on the needs of their

population.The HV from a nursing background would add the prescribing as an

additional skill to meet those needs.

Some of our HVs have been working with GPs to offer parents quick access to

same day advice for minor ailamnets: this is due to be evaluated, but early

indications are that for the particular population, this is showing real

health gain.

I truely believe that the wider the breadth of skills a team can offer, the

greater the scope for addresssing inequalities.

New member

> Hello to SENATE,

> I am a new member to SENATE. Cowley introduced me to the group.I

have

> already sent a message and feel heartened that I am not the only one who

> feels passionate about the future of Health Visiting.I Live in the north

of

> Scotland and work in a small rural town.In this part of the world we are

> very isolated professionally and I think SENATE will be a boon.I feel

> strongly about HV's doing nurse prescribing in as much as I do not think

> they should be doing it at all and I feel increasingly that we are being

> faded out to become a generalist nurse to do the bidding of the GP's.There

> are of course many positive things as well in Health Visiting and we have

to

> keep banging the drum.I feel as if I have been for 26 years!!

> June

>

Report post · July 20, 2001

Welcome to the list Quita! I'm Judi, mom to Sam &

, 4 year old identical twins w/DS. There are

lots of families here at the list with similar

situations as the family you mention in your post. In

fact, I think (Katy and Denton's Mom) is from

Florida? Both of her children have DS. Haven't seen

her post in a while though. Maybe your post will help

her to " de-lurk " - LOL.

Glad you found us. Let us know how we can help!

Judi

sqfuller@... wrote:

> Hello,

> my name is Quita Fuller. I am a RN early

> interventionist in Florida.

> I have started a spanish down syndrome support group

> in this area.

> One of my families has a toddler with DS and is 6

> months pregnant

> with what looks like a second with DS. I had not

> been aware of

> multiple children in a family born with DS so that

> is why I am

> here...to learn and share...and to hopefully to

> provide resources for

> the mother who is really struggling with the news.

>

> Thanks

>

> Quita Fuller

> Husband to Steve, mom to 10(The Presidential

> Whiz Kid and

> 5(hydrocephalus/Vater) and nurse to many!!

>

__________________________________________________

Report post · August 6, 2001

HI melanie, im shawna, mom to nathan 10yrs w/ ds, pdd, add/hd, ocd, and nichols

8yrs wrestle maniac,lol. nathan was around 3-4 years when he ws first diagnosed

with austism, a good year or so ago they changed it to pervasive developmental

disorder, which is still autism, as you will find in your research. For a new

teacher, tell your team they may need to start from an autistic approach,

nevermind the ds at first. Make sure she has worked with autism before, if not

maybe you and the team can get together with information to share, learning

videos etc. I could go on and on, we would need to know more about schooling

issues, and any behavior issues, if any to be more distinct with helpful ideas,

which this is THE place to be for , everyone very caring and helpful.

shawna.

new member

Hello, I am new to this group, my son is 5 years old and we just received his

diagnosis this week. Any tips for beginners here. He starts school in 3 days

with a new teacher. He has regressed and lost all of his words, is it likely he

will talk again? Please let me know your experiences. Thanks.

Report post · August 6, 2001

Thanks a, will is just starting an all day 5 year old pre-school, he

has been in a half day program with children with disabilities and peers for

two years, as well as a regular daycare in the summer (which is closing

soon). I am a RN in critical care and am adjusting my working hours around

his school schedule. I am planning on trying therapeutic riding and swimming

too. Does talk at all, how do you communicate? His teacher is in his

first year of teaching, unfortunately, and I don't know if she will have a

clue or not, but working from the autism instead of the down syndrome is

good I think, I'll keep in touch . THANKS FOR WRITING BACK!

new member

>

> Hello, I am new to this group, my son is 5 years old and we just

received his diagnosis this week. Any tips for beginners here. He starts

school in 3 days with a new teacher. He has regressed and lost all of his

words, is it likely he will talk again? Please let me know your experiences.

Thanks.

>

Report post · August 7, 2001

Welcome !

, glad you're able to work around your sons school schedule .

That is a plus as you're a working mom . I just wanted you to know

that I totally agree with a . I've found that the Autism

information had more use than the DS for my son . As your son is 5

yrs. old and you know his diagnosis, that is another advantage of

knowing which route to take . I do hope your child's teacher has

learned some autistic knowledge . If not , there's always the Speech

Therapist to help with the communication issue , make sure its

requested in your sons IEP , the PEC's System which has helped . It

will be very important to also follow thru at home , so please ask

for parent-training at home to keep the communication going even if

its just two words or pointing to pictures , making choices . Have

you had a chance to read any of the Disability Solution Newletters ?

I was reviewing an issue Language & Communication : The Key is

Effectiveness, Sept. /Oct. 1999 or under Vol. 3 , Issues 5 & 6 . These

you could share with his teacher or any other information . Everyone

here is so helpful , just ask and you'll have ideas to guide you .

Vent if you have to , you'll feel better , because we can relate .

When we were chosen for our special bundle of joy , we had no

training or knowledge of how we are set out to do . What you get here

will be lots of Support and Friendship . Luck with you and your son .

What is your sons name ? A short letter to review Autism and Down

Syndrome http://www.netfeed.com/ccdsf/autism.html . Take Care and

welcome : )

Irma , 13,DS/ASD.

> Thanks a, will is just starting an all day 5 year old pre-

school, he

> has been in a half day program with children with disabilities and

peers for

> two years, as well as a regular daycare in the summer (which is

closing

> soon). I am a RN in critical care and am adjusting my working hours

around

> his school schedule. I am planning on trying therapeutic riding and

swimming

> too. Does talk at all, how do you communicate? His teacher

is in his

> first year of teaching, unfortunately, and I don't know if she will

have a

> clue or not, but working from the autism instead of the down

syndrome is

> good I think, I'll keep in touch . THANKS FOR WRITING BACK!

> new member

> >

> > Hello, I am new to this group, my son is 5 years old and we just

> received his diagnosis this week. Any tips for beginners here. He

starts

> school in 3 days with a new teacher. He has regressed and lost all

of his

> words, is it likely he will talk again? Please let me know your

experiences.

> Thanks.

> >

Report post · August 7, 2001

,

hi and welcome to our group.... we are a mixed bunch of parents and other

folks and together we share, cry, and brainstorm over a multitude of topics

from eating poop, running away, dropping and flopping to creative ways to

bring out communication like using pictures/visual techniques, potty

training ideas and just overall life support.... this list have been my

lifeline for over two years.....so welcome.....

i have a 10 yr old, ashton, who's speech has been not so good most of her

life...i will say she has increased her communication skills by using a

variation of things, sign, pictures, etc......

your not alone and know that we are here, we are just kinda quiet right

now........

take care and a warm welcome....

leah, mom to ashton and cameron

>From: " Cason " <scott@...>

>Reply-

>< >

>Subject: new member

>Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2001 09:42:44 -0400

>

>Hello, I am new to this group, my son is 5 years old and we just received

>his diagnosis this week. Any tips for beginners here. He starts school in 3

>days with a new teacher. He has regressed and lost all of his words, is it

>likely he will talk again? Please let me know your experiences. Thanks.

>

Report post · August 7, 2001

NO prob melanie, nathan got a brand spankin young, and new teacher this fall

too, I met her yesterday, and she so far is very interested and eager, and

sweet, ripe for the picking and training,lol, but I think we will have a good

year, this year we are getting the closed or classic classroom weve been opting

for last couple of years, has ben fully integrated since 3yrs old at

preschool, and It has served its purpose well on both ends, but now his peers

are rather far ahead of him and its a waist of time for him to be in their

classroom, while they are learning cursive or science when he still cant even

write, not even his name, in manuscript, let alone read around a k-1 level

approx 50 words now. We dont wnat him to get frustrated, and we feel he will

learn more just doing his stuff, and its not an issue now cause the other kids

wont see him leaving for ST or to do Sensory Integration activities such as the

pop machine or errands downtown. He will still do all specials etc with his reg

peers just academic time in his own classroom with a couple other special ed

kids who also want to try this route at this age level. But remember This is

what weve done for nathan to fit his needs, many do just fine integrated all

classes etc whole school career it just depends on the child and the parents,

and the school too, our schoolboard had to be addressed several times on this

issue by different parents requests, and they had to find a good big classroom

and hire a teacher, etc. As for talking nathan has mainly started verbalizing

over this last year, before that only signs, and grunts, and pics too and he has

had ST since a baby through early interventions and AEA, I think the major

changes was i started using a different docs techniques and he also started on

luvox last year to help with his OCD and its an antidepressant too, but many

ssri's are said to help with the speech production area in the brain. shawna.

new member

>

> Hello, I am new to this group, my son is 5 years old and we just

received his diagnosis this week. Any tips for beginners here. He starts

school in 3 days with a new teacher. He has regressed and lost all of his

words, is it likely he will talk again? Please let me know your experiences.

Thanks.

>

Report post · August 31, 2001

In a message dated 8/31/01 10:49:20 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

slantz@... writes:

<< Im

looking forward to the experience,strength,hope,laughfter and realness

this group can bring to our lives.

Sherry mom of stwart ds\autism and spencer strong willed and needy!!

>>

Hi and welcome Sherry,

Hope things improve for you when school starts. Personally, I'm finding

that's when the probs begin for me. LOL I'm sorry about your Mom. Looking

forward to hearing how makes out.

Gail :-)

Gail-Mom to Seth 5 ds/asd/pica, jo 9 the gymnast, 10 the pianist,

24 beautiful but a pain, Jen 25 the wallet breaker, Grandma to Errick 5

all boy and wife to , my hero.

Report post · September 1, 2001

In a message dated 9/1/01 1:49:35 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

slantz@... writes:

> I was told of s possible autism 2 1/2 yrs ago when my mom was

> dying of breast cancer, at the time I just said do I have to know

> this

> now ,

Hi Sherry,

Welcome to the group. My daughter Madison (7) was dx'd with autistic

spectrum disorder two weeks after my mom died, so I know all about the double

whammy thing. I knew Maddie had autism for three years but chose not to see

it also. Just wasn't ready to come face to face with the monster. You've

come to the right place Sherry. You'll find tons of support and

understanding here. It really helps get you through the day!!

{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}

Donna

Report post · September 1, 2001

> In a message dated 8/31/01 10:49:20 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

> slantz@b... writes:

>

> << Im

> looking forward to the experience,strength,hope,laughfter and

realness

> this group can bring to our lives.

>

> Sherry mom of stwart ds\autism and spencer strong willed and

needy!!

> >>

> Hi and welcome Sherry,

> Hope things improve for you when school starts. Personally, I'm

finding

> that's when the probs begin for me. LOL I'm sorry about your Mom.

Looking

> forward to hearing how makes out.

> Gail :-)

> Gail-Mom to Seth 5 ds/asd/pica, jo 9 the gymnast, 10 the

pianist,

> 24 beautiful but a pain, Jen 25 the wallet breaker, Grandma to

Errick 5

> all boy and wife to , my hero.

Hi Gail,

So far so good for in school the bus is a mess but it usually

is the first week or so.

I have a couple of questions,This head banging finger bitting

and all ??? is there something to prevent it out there or ways

do what ever is needed so he wont have to do these things to himself?

Also trashes every room he goes into within seconds

any ideas there?

Sherry mom of ds/asd Spencer strong willed & needy

hubby /dad is

Report post · September 1, 2001

In a message dated 9/1/01 11:43:29 AM Pacific Daylight Time,

slantz@... writes:

<< I have a couple of questions,This head banging finger bitting

and all ??? is there something to prevent it out there or ways

do what ever is needed so he wont have to do these things to himself? >>

Well, I found if you take something away, you better have something better to

replace it or they will find another destructive thing to do. I decided to

let Seth dangle his shoe and play with the VCR, and the wall eating has cut

down a lot. I know Seth gets something out of doing his weird stuff, but

what it is I have no idea! LOL I would rather have him fill that need with

nondestructive stuff. Even though it's stimming, and all the therapists are

against that, I don't care. He's happy and safe, and that's my number one

priority right now. If I can work with him between the stimming, so can

they. Granted, he does look rather strange swinging his shoe around, but not

as strange has he would with a cut up face or something like that. I know

this isn't acting *appropriate* for the majority of the world, but it is for

Seth.

Gail :-)

Report post · September 3, 2001

My son use to be a horrible head banger, and he

bit his arms up, not fingers but same concept.What we

had to do was redirect from activity NOT bring

attention to it. Eg: If stewert starts headbanging

redirect him to some toys or another fav act, such as

games or video. If he starts bitining his fingers just

remove from mouth, dont say anything this will be

attention, cant give any attention for inapropriate

behavior. Then I would offer him something to chew on,

this will help releive any tension or sensory needs.

has a vibrating teether, got it at wal mart,

but his fav is this blue triangle one with a white

handle, you can put in fridge or freezer, they have

sterile water in them, so he can chew through without

harm. jI use to buy these in bulk,lol, but rare

occsion anymore. We called them his " chewy " and would

offer this anytime he would be biting self, chewing on

inner cheeks, or grinding his teeth, he got to where

he would just go get one out of the fridge and chew

until satified. The final kicker for us was medication

in combo with the behavior management, We got lucky

and ritalin or now concerta for nathan calmed him down

enough where the head banging and posture simulation

was mostly during the evening(wind down time--sundown

syndrome). Now its just a little posture sim nd

rocking when gets excited in the evening but otherwise

we have kicked he behavior I pray anyways.There are

other things too, like I put ambesol(sp?) in nathans

mouth and on the bottom part of his CPAP mask

nightly---he keeps chewing through them, and they are

exspensive, insurance and his medicaid will only

purchase one every 3-6months or it out of pocket. I

discuss it nightly too with nathan, in simple terms,

but we go over does nathan chew on his " nose " (our name

for mask) and he will answer " no " etc etc, every

night, and I think its starting to sink in. Hope this

hleps, sorry sooo long, shawna, mom to nathan 10yrs,

w/ds, pdd, add/hd, ocd, and nicholas 8yrs.

__________________________________________________

Report post · September 3, 2001

Sherry,

It sounds like you could really use a behavior therapist to help you. We

have used them on 3 different occasions with our son Brook and they can be

very helpful. If you can figure out why the behavior is happening you may be

able to extinguish it. Brook also head banged, pinched, bit and pulled hair.

A lot of the head banging was because of the very painful reflux condition

that he had. The hair pulling he did for our reaction. The harder he pulled

the bigger reaction he got from us. When we stopped reacting he stopped

pulling hair. We also used mini time outs for him. I can go into more detail

if you can give me some more info about what he does.

You can also make a chart up with 3 columns labeled, A, B and C. The first

in antecedent, the second is behavior and the third is consequences. Keeping

this record for a few days or so can be very helpful and give you some

insight into what is going on.

Marisa,

Mom to Miles 14, Brook 11, and Genevieve 3 yrs

Report post · September 6, 2001

Welcome Charlene; delighted you have been 'brave enough' to introduce

yourself; hope we are not too intimidating! It sounds like an exciting job,

and I am sure that there are otehrs doing similar things. Lots of people seem

to be on holiday at present: all a bit quiet in the last few weeks. Kind

regards

.

Charlene Lobo wrote:

> Hello all,

> I have just signed up and wish to introduce myself.

> I am a health visitor and have recently been appointed Health Needs

> Assessment Co-ordinator for West Norfolk PCT. It is a one year secondement

> and my remit is to facilitate health needs assessment and develop public

> health capacity in primary care. I find this forum very useful to help

> understand and maybe participate (if I am brave enough!) on current issues

> in health visiting. I also hope this forum will present opportunities to

> network and share experiences with anyone doing similar work elsewhere.

>

> Looking forward to some health debate.

> Charlene

>

Report post · September 7, 2001

Charlene, welcome to Senate and hope you find the discussions useful. I was just

about to put a message on Senate for help with a proposal on health visiting

public health. At present I am trying to do both casework and public health work

but finding it difficult within my hours. Can you tell me how you got funded and

the remit of your job? I am going to be away for the next year but please reply

for my return. Jeanette Clifton

> Hello all,

>I have just signed up and wish to introduce myself.

>I am a health visitor and have recently been appointed Health Needs

>Assessment Co-ordinator for West Norfolk PCT. It is a one year secondement

>and my remit is to facilitate health needs assessment and develop public

>health capacity in primary care. I find this forum very useful to help

>understand and maybe participate (if I am brave enough!) on current issues

>in health visiting. I also hope this forum will present opportunities to

>network and share experiences with anyone doing similar work elsewhere.

>

>Looking forward to some health debate.

>Charlene

>

Report post · September 7, 2001

Gosh Jeanette, where are you going for a year?

j.e.clifton@... wrote:

> Charlene, welcome to Senate and hope you find the discussions useful. I was

just about to put a message on Senate for help with a proposal on health

visiting public health. At present I am trying to do both casework and public

health work but finding it difficult within my hours. Can you tell me how you

got funded and the remit of your job? I am going to be away for the next year

but please reply for my return. Jeanette Clifton

> > Hello all,

> >I have just signed up and wish to introduce myself.

> >I am a health visitor and have recently been appointed Health Needs

> >Assessment Co-ordinator for West Norfolk PCT. It is a one year secondement

> >and my remit is to facilitate health needs assessment and develop public

> >health capacity in primary care. I find this forum very useful to help

> >understand and maybe participate (if I am brave enough!) on current issues

> >in health visiting. I also hope this forum will present opportunities to

> >network and share experiences with anyone doing similar work elsewhere.

> >

> >Looking forward to some health debate.

> >Charlene

> >

Report post · September 7, 2001

I too need to ask where are you going for a year - sounds good! Re the PH

post it was pure luck, my dissertation was " An Exploration of the needs

Assessment role of Health Visitors in the context of Public Health and

primary Care " The post is funded by Region and PCT, primarily being pushed

forward by our PH consultant. I do not know what the future is, i suspect

it will depend a lot on what I deliver.

Re: New Member

> Charlene, welcome to Senate and hope you find the discussions useful. I

was just about to put a message on Senate for help with a proposal on health

visiting public health. At present I am trying to do both casework and

public health work but finding it difficult within my hours. Can you tell me

how you got funded and the remit of your job? I am going to be away for the

next year but please reply for my return. Jeanette Clifton

> > Hello all,

> >I have just signed up and wish to introduce myself.

> >I am a health visitor and have recently been appointed Health Needs

> >Assessment Co-ordinator for West Norfolk PCT. It is a one year

secondement

> >and my remit is to facilitate health needs assessment and develop public

> >health capacity in primary care. I find this forum very useful to help

> >understand and maybe participate (if I am brave enough!) on current

issues

> >in health visiting. I also hope this forum will present opportunities to

> >network and share experiences with anyone doing similar work elsewhere.

> >

> >Looking forward to some health debate.

> >Charlene

> >

Report post · September 8, 2001

Hi Charlene,

Congratulations on your new appointment!

Its good to hear that you are still around locally. I am now at APU in

Chelmsford.

Crome

New Member

> Hello all,

> I have just signed up and wish to introduce myself.

> I am a health visitor and have recently been appointed Health Needs

> Assessment Co-ordinator for West Norfolk PCT. It is a one year

secondement

> and my remit is to facilitate health needs assessment and develop public

> health capacity in primary care. I find this forum very useful to help

> understand and maybe participate (if I am brave enough!) on current issues

> in health visiting. I also hope this forum will present opportunities to

> network and share experiences with anyone doing similar work elsewhere.

>

> Looking forward to some health debate.

> Charlene

>

Report post · September 24, 2001

Welcome Jane! I'm Deanna and I have a 5.6 year old HFA daughter

named Bridget and a 2.5 year old NT daughter named . I currently

homeschool and we are enjoying Musikgarten, gearing up to start

Language sessions at a local college next week and working on meeting

new friends through a Special Needs Homeschool Activity Group.

Bridget was in ECSE preschool and Language classes last year, did

some private ABA and a whole lot more that can wait for another

time. This is a great group and I'm glad you found us! Deanna in

Oregon

>

> Hi i've just joined this group, i have a 5 1/2 year old daughter dx

> moderate/high functioning autism and a 8 year old NT daughter. I

look

> forward to getting to know you all, nice to have a group just for

> girls as my daughter is the only girl i know locally and have only

> met 2 other girls with ASD so far.

> take care glad i stumbled across this group

> Jane

Report post · September 26, 2001

Welcome Jane!

Penny-------------------------------------------------------- " Just remember this: Plenty of Horsepower, No Traction " - R. S. on

" If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away. " --Henry Thoreau

Report post · September 27, 2001

Greetings Jane........our daughter is 13 dx moderate autism . Welcome to

the group! Betty Lou

new member

>

> Hi i've just joined this group, i have a 5 1/2 year old daughter dx

> moderate/high functioning autism and a 8 year old NT daughter. I look

> forward to getting to know you all, nice to have a group just for

> girls as my daughter is the only girl i know locally and have only

> met 2 other girls with ASD so far.

> take care glad i stumbled across this group

> Jane

>

Report post · October 1, 2001

Hi ,

Welcome to SENATE - I think you know my views quite well, but I am sure you

will hear from many others, both in education and practice.

Regards,

new member

> Having just joined the SENATE, I realise from reading some of the previous

> entries that I am not alone in feeling suddenly overwhelmed with

> information.... as I was automatically sent the digests for June - August

> and Sept - October last year I thought I would print them off and enjoy

> some interesting bedtime reading - I think I might be in bed for a

> fortnight!! Is there anyway of accessing people's comments by theme or

> would that just create too much work for someone?

>

> I specifically joined SENATE to-day because I had heard a lot of good

> things about it and because I particularly needed to acquaint myself with

> the latest recommendations of the forthcoming Hall report -( I know there

> was a launch in July )- and access views of health visitors about it. Has

> there been any kind of debate about it's content and if so how can I

access

> that debate? Also can anyone tell me whereabouts on the internet I can

> find reference to it - I have been surfing without success for over an

hour.

>

> I would also like to know if there is anyone out there with a similar

remit

> to my own? I was appointd to the post of health visitor consultant

> (parental and child health) for Mid Essex in March of this year. I am in

> the rather strange position of being employed by the North Essex Mental

> Health Partnership NHS Trust (who do not employ health visitors in a

health

> visiting capacity although do employ h.v.'s within CFCS teams ) to promote

> emotional well-being and positive mental health in children and families,

> by acting as a sort of " go-between " between h.v.'s and CFCS / adult mental

> health. I am currently undertaking a mapping and gapping exercise which

> includes an examination of existing protocols and referral pathways and

> professional perceptions of mental health problems in both children and

> their parents. Like all nurse consultant posts, I am supposed to divide my

> time between clinical practice, leadership and consultancy, education and

> training and research and evaluation. I have also been looking at current

> involvement in parenting programmes, who's doing what in terms of

detecting

> and managing postnatal depression, I have participated in the PIPPIN pilot

> for the Home Office, am exploring with colleagues the prospect of

> delivering modifed STEP parenting programmes to special needs groups and

am

> in the process of helping to deliver an early intervention in behaviour

> problems training programme for health visitors ( based on the Solihull

> approach). I am also intersted in setting up an early intervention forum.

>

> In October I will be starting a brand new clinical doctorate programme at

> the University of Essex which will culminate in the award of Doctor of

> Nursing ( hows that for confusing terminology?) and my inital proposals

for

> research projects include an examination of professional and parental

> perceptions of need of parents and babies in neonatal units and parental

> reflections on positive and negative components of professional and social

> support in the first three years of life.

>

> From a superficial glimpse of the two digests from last year, I realise

> that there is ongoing debate about the public health role of health

> visitors and its compatibility or otherwise with the firefighting that has

> become routine health visiting practice. I also note the dichotomy of

> opinion about the current focus of health visiting on the under 5's, but I

> have to say that the more I read and understand about the importance of

> attachment and the profound impact the quality of early parent-infant

> interaction has on the structure and function of the developing brain, the

> more I am convinced of the importance of consistent, frequent, reciprocal

> health visiting input during the first three years of life so that we are

> truly able to change our focus from managing behavioural diffulties to

> preventing them, thereby reducing the prevalence of the most common and

> enduring mental health problems in children under 5 - especially conduct

> disorders - which, if prevented have implications for improving public

> health. It has been demonstrated time and time again that children with

> conduct disorders are often unable to acheive their educational poential

> because of their poor attention spans or disruptive behaviour, are less

> likely to succeed at school, are more likely to play truant or be excluded

> from school, are less likely to complete their education or achieve the

> minimum number of basic qualifications, are more likely to abuse drugs or

> alcohol, are less likely to be able to get a job and are more likely to

> indulge in criminal activity. Apart from anything else, It makes economic

> sense to intervene early and avoid all the extra expenditure that such a

> pathway would entail and yet we still have difficulty convincing

> commissioners of the value of early intervention? Promoting positive

mental

> health in children is a public health issue and seems to encapsulate, for

> me, the family centred public health role of health visitors advocated in

> so many policy documents. I would , of course, be interested to hear

others

> views on the subject or is this a debate that has passed?

>

> Looking forward to hearing from you

> Lowenhoff

>

Report post · October 1, 2001

Welcome to Sennate.

There has been some mention of HALL on Sennate but not a great deal. From

my work I get the impression that locally Trusts are setting up groups to

look at it - there is also a web site to access -

http://www.health-for-all-children.co.uk which provides a range of papers

and links. I understand the final version is not likely to be out until the

end of the year or early next.

Good to hear about your job - I do vaguely know about it from Jo Coughlan.

I do so agree with your comments about the ned to support families in the

early years but also see a role for HVs with other ages. What we really

need to do is to develop the SN role and link the two and also look at what

can usefully be done in terms of prevention for adults and older people. As

you will find discussed on SENNATe the skills of the health visitors when

they are allowed to grow can cover a multitude of things!!

I do some work for Harrogate Management Centre helping them to orgasnise

conferences - we have a second nurse consultant conference on Tuesday

November 13th in London - if you are interested in coming let me have your

address and I will send details. We also hope to run some seminars for

nurse consultants where they ccan have faciltiated time to really debate the

issues arising for them - our first one will be sometime in the new year and

again may be of interest to you.

I let you have details when they are sorted.

Regards

Margaret Buttigieg