Published on 12, July, 2020
Good evening My name is debbie I have 16 yr old daughter who has been declining since she turned 13 years old. We have been under Camhs for the last year without much progress. It has come to light with sessions my daughter has with a mutual friend who is a Senco that he feels she is autistic. We met and the more questions I answered the more he is convinced. I would like to know what the diagnosis process will be with camhs? They have been so far unhelpful and have never really looked into my daughter and her issues and just gave her medication which hasn't helped at all. I am worried that they will not listen to me when I ask them to test her? At present she is in a PRU as her secondary school felt it wasn't a safe environment for her. The PRU is like a prison and are totally ignoring me at present. With GCSE exams fast approaching and her being so far behind I am pretty desperate for advice. Has anyone else been through this before?
Hi debbie76,
This following link provides further information on getting a diagnosis for your daughter:http://www.autism.org.uk/about/diagnosis/children.aspx
It is very important that you see someone with experience of autism spectrum disorders. Details of diagnostic services can be found on our Autism Services Directory:
http://www.autismdirectory.org.uk/services/autism-services-directory.aspx
It might also help to pass on information about autism to health professionals when seeking a diagnosis. The following page includes information for a range of health professionals:
http://www.autism.org.uk/Working-with/Health.aspx
The main things parents should be expecting and asking for during assessment are those outlined in the National Autism Plan for Children. You can look at the NAPC using a link at the bottom of the following page:National Autism Plan for Children (2003): executive summary, full report, details of speakers, appendices.
http://www.autism.org.uk/about/diagnosis/children.aspx
I hope this information is useful to you. If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to post them and a member of the community or a moderator may be able to answer them for you.
Best wishes,
Nellie-Mod