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I don’t know where to start with getting my son assessed

NAS87727

I don’t know where to start! Can anyone advise please. Suspect son maybe ASD/ADHD. But probably fairly low level (not sure if that’s the right term, definitely do not want to cause any offence. Have absolutely no idea about any of this). Sleep is the main issue. Dyspraxia. No best friend/v few friends altogether. Voracious reader. Absolutely no concept of danger. Pretty bright child. Converses easily with adults and isn’t shy of strangers and adults at all. Much wider ranging vocab than my other children. v easily upset /gets incredibly angry at small things and v hard to calm down (gets a bit hysterical). 

I don’t know how to find a good/reliable assessment centre. What should I look for? And what result am I looking for I.e if the assessment comes back saying he is autistic… then what? How does that help us? Will school recognise all assessments or only some particular kinds? Found a few online assessment centres… can this really be done online or should it be face to face?

Happy to pay as realise wait lists are massive.  Thanks for any advice!!!!

  • Guide for child diagnosis here: 

    https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/diagnosis/pre-diagnosis/parents-and-carers

    From my experience, if school/other people involved in the care of your child will back up your concerns it helps. Making notes about everything you have noticed also helps at the initial appointment, and it can help later if the assessment goes ahead.

    If your child is diagnosed then that will give them legal rights. A comprehensive assessment will give you more understanding of your child's profile and areas they struggle with, so it should help with managing life better. 

    As for online or face to face that's a decision you'll have to make based on factors including how well your child would manage going to a place they never been to before, meeting new people, and other sensory issues that may affect them compared to online. Generally, the more someone has learned to mask their difficulties the more in depth an assessment needs to be. Diagnostic tools are explained here:

    https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/diagnosis/diagnostic-tools

    You can use the search function here for a start:

    https://www.autism.org.uk/search-results?searchTerm=Diagnosis+

    I know it can be overwhelming so take your time to explore.  Some things to look out for might be how accommodating a practice is willing to be during an appointment, the language they use around disability and difference, does the assessment outline areas of difficulties and strengths and offer strategies tailored to that, and of course any reviews from personal experience. Once you have a shortlist you can always ask on here if anyone has had experience of a center.