Learning Disability

[Mummabear2002]

Hi all,

Looking for some help.

My 17 yer old daughter has been diagnosed with the following- Dyslexia, PTSD, Depression, Anxiety and possible Bipolar.

She has always been quite behind the norm with development since a baby, and she struggled all her life with learning and dealing with life in general.

She is still very young in her mind and has no street smarts what so ever.

I really feel that her learning issues is about a lot more than just dyslexia, but i have no idea who to go to with my thoughts. So any help would be massively appreciated

Thanks in advance

[Kazbail]

Hi

My daughter is 16 and has similar disabilities. She is quite young in mind and no street savvy as she has been lonely and always left on her own. My daughter has just started college and already left on her own wandering round by herself and I am beside myself as to why this keeps happening. She is desperate for friendship but for some reason nobody clicks with her and she comes home upset yet again my heart breaks for her and I don't want to keep getting on at college.

[Sarah_Mencap]

Hello Mummabear2002

It is good that your daughter has got a diagnosis - as that might make it easier for you to find the support you need. Is she getting any treatment/support for any of the mental health issues you listed? Your GP should be able to advise about this.

Your daughter may also be able to get help from you local CAMHS service. This link is really helpful as it explains clearly what they do and who you can talk to -

nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-se...

If your daughter is at school/college, are they able to offer her support? Schools and colleges usually have good pastoral teams - would you be able to ask them for support?

Your daughter may also benefit from meeting up with other young people who are in a similar situation. Do you know if she knows anyone else? There are sometime local support groups just for young people. Try contacting your local Mind to see what is going on near where you live.

Young Minds would also be another good place to look at for support - youngminds.org.uk/find-help...

Young Minds have a parents helpline you can also ask for support and advice. Your daughter might like some of their videos too. Here is an excellent one on anxiety

youtube.com/watch?v=mprhqMR...(Not working as expected?)

Please do let us know how you get on.

Thanks

Sarah

[Mummabear2002 in reply to Sarah_Mencap]

Hi Sarah, thanks for coming back to me so quickly.

She is already being seen by CAMHS so that part is covered.

The college have been worse than useless with helping her apart from providing a read and scribe for exams (although I have been told she has marks taken away for using that!)

It's more about what i can do along the lines of speaking to someone about the possibility of there being an LD

[Sarah_Mencap in reply to Mummabear2002]

Hi again, thanks for responding so quickly.

It is such a shame that the college is not stepping up and offering some real help. I was going to suggest that they might be able to help push for a diagnosis, but that doesn't seem like an option for you at the moment.

I think would a good idea for you to talk through your options with one of our helpline advisors. Email them on [e-mail]. and they will get back to you. Make sure that they know where you live as they will be able to find out what is available near you.

It might be worth thinking about any support you might need through all this. It can feel overfacing when you are busy looking after someone else, and worrying about them. Check if there is a carers centre near you. Don't be put off by the term carer - the help you are giving your daughter means you are taking on a caring role. They will be able to offer you support and there is often a chance to meet other people who are in the same situation. Some carers centres offer help specifically for people who support people with learning disabilities or mental health issues. Search on Google or visit the Carers Trust website - carers.org/

I really hope this helps.

Sarah

[Mummabear2002 in reply to Sarah_Mencap]

Hi Sarah,

Thanks for your advice, I will message the helpline to get some info.

On a positive note, her psycho therapist at camhs agrees with my worries and is going to try and push for a test to be done, but like always, there is a waiting list.

Thanks again