What You Can Do While You Wait For Your Assessment

The Assessment Process For Children

The team assessing your child will likely:

• Discuss developmental milestones like language skills.
• Observe interactions between you and your child.
• Consult reports from healthcare providers or educational institutions.
• Conduct a physical examination and delve into the medical history.

The Assessment Process For Adults

As an adult, you can expect:

• Detailed questionnaires about your experiences and challenges.
• Consultation with someone who knew you as a child.
• Review of any medical reports or records.

Getting the Result

After the assessment, you'll receive a comprehensive report, either in person or via post. This report will detail if an autism diagnosis is applicable, areas where you or your child might need support and personal strengths that were noted during the assessment.

The report may contain specialised terminology such as:

• Neurodivergent: A term describing individuals whose brain functions differently from the societal norm, often used for autism, ADHD, and similar conditions.
• Sensory Processing: How the brain receives, interprets, and responds to sensory information like touch, sound, and light.
• Executive Functioning: A set of mental skills involving planning, organisation, and managing time effectively.
• Repetitive Behaviours: Actions or movements that are repeated frequently, often as a way to self-regulate or manage stress.
• Social Communication: The use of language and non-verbal cues to interact with others effectively.
• Special Interests: Intense focus or passion for specific topics, often observed in autistic individuals.
• Stimming: Repetitive movements or sounds, like hand-flapping or humming, used to self-soothe or express emotions.
• Meltdown: An intense emotional response to overwhelming situations, often involving loss of control and requiring a supportive environment.
• Masking: Suppressing or hiding natural behaviours to fit social norms, often exhausting for neurodivergent individuals.

If you encounter other unfamiliar terms, don't hesitate to ask the assessment team for clarification or you can get in touch.

What to Do If You Disagree With the Assessment

If you find that the report doesn't resonate with your experiences or understanding, you have a few options:

• Seek a Second Opinion: If you disagree, a second assessment team can be consulted.
• Private Assessment: You have the option to go outside of the NHS for a privately funded assessment.

Bear in mind that a second opinion might yield similar results. Diagnosis is an in-depth, nuanced process, but it's essential to ensure that it resonates with your lived experience.

Newly Diagnosed with Autism

An autism diagnosis can elicit a range of emotions. For some, it provides clarity and answers longstanding questions. For others, it may come as a shock. Give yourself the space to digest this new information and Remember

• There Is Help: A support network is out there for you.
• There Is Hope: Though the present may be tough, things can improve.
• You Are You: The diagnosis doesn’t change who you or your child fundamentally are.
• You Don't Need A 'Cure': Autism isn't an ailment to be 'cured' but rather a different way of experiencing the world.
• You Are Strong: There are strengths as well as challenges that come with being autistic.
• It's Okay To Struggle: Feeling isolated post-diagnosis is common, but there's a community ready to help.

Finding Help

Initially, a diagnosis of autism for you or your child may make you feel isolated.However, there are avenues where you can find assistance and community.

• Local support groups
• National charitable organisations
• Fellow autistics or parents sharing their experiences online
• Educational and professional environments
• Local government resources
• The medical team that diagnosed you or your child

Broaden Your Autism Understanding

There’s a wealth of information available; don't feel you must grasp it all immediately.

Reliable info can be accessed from :

NHS : Offering broad insights into autism, as well as practical advice.

National Autistic Society : Catering to both autistic individuals and their families.

Ambitious about Autism : Focused on young autistic people and their families.