Hi, my son is two and has been identified by a paediatrician as being on the autistic spectrum. He is waiting for his NHS diagnosis, but will be a year away due to waiting lists in our area. The NAS helpline suggested private diagnosis and recommended someone. We will still go through the NHS diagnosis, but I don't want to waste a year when a diagnosis could help my son access some of the services he can't at the moment. For example, he gets speech therapy in a group of children and he hates it so much, he either bangs his head repeatedly on the floor or hits me and/or the other parents. I think with a diagnosis, I could ask for one to one ST, which is what he needs.
I wondered if anyone here had taken a child though a private diagnosis and what they thought of it? Is there anything I should take into account before I go down this path?
After lots of thought, heatache, periods of denial, my husband and I are feel pretty sure our son has autism. We both want to plough our energies into helping him. He doesn't have any words and has trouble understanding what we say. I would like to use picture exchange cards with him, but have looked on line and don't know which to choose. I can't get over how much they are charging for some bits of card with pictures on - I feel I've got to get it right first time cos to pay that much twice will do me in!!
Any advice on private diagnosis or PECS much appreciated!
