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Diagnosis

NAS77368

Hi everyone,

I'm new here: thank you for having me : )

My 10 year old daughter is really struggling. She has no diagnosis yet but I feel pretty certain she is autistic/pda. I've known there was something different about her since she was a baby, but school have only recently started noticing things in the last 18 months so until then I've just been told that her difficulties, because they're mainly at home until more recently, are likely caused by me. I'm totally open to that being the explanation; I'm not perfect and I might be doing something without realising, but I've been on 2 different parenting courses and have tried everything I can to help her and we are still no further on.

She has now been referred for an autism assessment buy I've been told that it's still another 15 months wait time until she will be assessed. This is just not viable as she will be going to high school at around that time and I'm so worried about how she will cope with the transition without any support and/or understanding of why she feels different to her peers.

She is very adept at masking at school (although the mask has started to slip more recently as pressures increase and the work gets harder) and I'm so worried that she will be dismissed without a diagnosis by someone who might not have the time to really investigate what's going on.

To cut an already long story short, I've been saving up for several years to be able to see someone privately. I'm now in a position to pay at long last bit I only have enough funds for one specialist assessment and I don't know which professional would be best? I know that only a paediatrician can diagnose autism so maybe I should find a paediatrician, but I also know my local education authority doesn't accept private diagnoses. Would I be better with an educational psychologist whose report would (hopefully) be of use when she finally gets to see an NHS paediatrician? What do people think? We are just desperate.

Thank you for reading/responding, I really appreciate it!

  • Hi ,

    Welcome to the community. It sounds like you're on your way to getting your daughter a diagnosis. I know it can be difficulty to choose the right professional to support you. it is important the professional you see has experience of autism spectrum disorders. You can find details of diagnostic services on our Autism Services Directory in the Assessment and diagnosis section: 

    https://www.autism.org.uk/directory 

    I hope this helps,

    ChloeMod

  • Hello

    You can get a diagnosis from a psychiatrist or psychologist, not just a paediatrician. Getting an educational psychologist or psychiatrist is quite a process. I think it also depends on where you live, but please do look into it.

    Privately, you will get a faster diagnosis.  Some places do a day assessment, others over several hours. Some prefer to see you for a few hours over several appointments. Different working styles are more apparent since COVID. Either way, you should be paying ONE fee for the whole process.

    I advise you find someone that has experience not only with children, and females,  but also with Autism. Be that extra qualifications, or a special interest in it.