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What qualifications should social workers have to diagnose?

Grubby

Hi everyone

As a parent with a statemented aspergers child, have lots of experiences priority interest over this. But i just wondered if anyone could advise as to what experience or qualifications a social worker should have in order to suggest an adult could be on the spectrum?. The person concerned only met her once for i hour in total in an unrelated scenario, and she included the comment in one of her reports. No form of test was done, and none were requested. Is a comment that a person could be on the autistic spectrum classed as diagnosis?.

Should it have been suggested at all when not expected ?. 

 

  • A comment from a social worker certainly doesn't count as a diagnosis - only medically qualified people can diagnose.   Personally I think it is reasonable for other professionals to suggest the possibility that someone may have an ASD, but of course it should be done sensitively, and ideally with advice as to why ASD is suspected and where the individual can go for a formal assessment if they wish to follow it up.

  • Welcome to the forum Gubby - we hope you find it a useful source of advice and information.

    I do not know myself what qualifications a social worker needs to have and / or the extent to which they can give advice on or speculate on possible diagnoses.  Hopefully other community members may have more experience of the role of social workers and may be able to give you advice or share their own experiences.

    In the meantime, you might find the NAS Community Care Service helpful:

    www.autism.org.uk/communitycare

    They may be able to outline for you exactly what a social worker can and cannot do.

    I hope that is of some help to you.