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2.5 year old... can I get a diagnosis?

NAS71712

My son is 2.5 years old and after a lot of research I have come to the realisation that he most likely has autism. Having spoken to his childminder and grandparents they have also been thinking the same thing which reaffirms my gut feeling. 

I have spoken with the GP who advised they don’t usually diagnose until school age but I can be referred before if I wish and then based on the referral it will be decided whether to bring him in for assessment or not. So I’ve decided to go down this route, I really don’t want to wait until school age which is another couple of years away before I know if he is going to need any additional support and if I need to be doing anything in the meantime to help and support him. For instance potty training! 

my question is, am I likely to get a diagnosis at his age?? Do you believe that mum knows best and gut instinct is right? What is the process and how long does it take to get a diagnosis? Do I have a battle on my hands to get a diagnosis or is it quite an uneventful process to navigate?

thank you in advance! Danielle 

Parents

  • Hi Danielle, my son as showing worrying behaviours at nursery when he was the same age and they excluded him, so we went down the private route for his diagnosis which was only a couple of months although it felt like an exceptionally long time to be working and without childcare and a child with behavioural issues.

    However you will still need to apply for an EHCP through your local authority, a diagnosis in itself doesn't automatically lead to support. Even though we had a diagnosis in place our nursery kept dragging their feet on applying for an EHCP for him, and I should have taken the reins earlier to apply for it myself.  

    It is better to have him diagnosed and have an EHCP in place before he starts school so you can start his education with the support he needs (e.g. a one-to-one assistant with him in the classroom). The other autistic kid in my son's class was diagnosed and got an EHCP in place after a referral from his nursery, all through the public sector (NHS and local authority). 

    Aside from the diagnosis, I also found it helpful to do as much reading as possible to understand autism, as the doctor won't necessarily be able to solve your problems for you and come up with workable day-to-day parenting strategies for you. Tony Attwood has good books that are quite thorough but also accessible for parents. There are also courses that your local authority should be able to put you through that are specific to parenting an autistic child. 

    Good luck, and I hope you get the answers and support you need. x

Reply

  • Hi Danielle, my son as showing worrying behaviours at nursery when he was the same age and they excluded him, so we went down the private route for his diagnosis which was only a couple of months although it felt like an exceptionally long time to be working and without childcare and a child with behavioural issues.

    However you will still need to apply for an EHCP through your local authority, a diagnosis in itself doesn't automatically lead to support. Even though we had a diagnosis in place our nursery kept dragging their feet on applying for an EHCP for him, and I should have taken the reins earlier to apply for it myself.  

    It is better to have him diagnosed and have an EHCP in place before he starts school so you can start his education with the support he needs (e.g. a one-to-one assistant with him in the classroom). The other autistic kid in my son's class was diagnosed and got an EHCP in place after a referral from his nursery, all through the public sector (NHS and local authority). 

    Aside from the diagnosis, I also found it helpful to do as much reading as possible to understand autism, as the doctor won't necessarily be able to solve your problems for you and come up with workable day-to-day parenting strategies for you. Tony Attwood has good books that are quite thorough but also accessible for parents. There are also courses that your local authority should be able to put you through that are specific to parenting an autistic child. 

    Good luck, and I hope you get the answers and support you need. x

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