To ask about private ASD assessment?

[mither]

Has anyone any experience of a private referral for ASD?

I don't know how (GP referral I guess) or where (Tayside) or who (same CAHMS team?)

Mither that’s what concerns me with CAMHS carrying out the ADOS. IMO a specialist SALT is better equipped.

Although I have heard that CAMHS are good for diagnosising girls.

Swings and roundabouts. Good luck

Shedmice CAMHs diagnosed my son, they did carry out the ADOS but also sought reports from SALT and the actual diagnosis was given as a result of a multidisciplinary panel decision.

My daughter is currently under diagnosis at CAHMS it is clear that the lead Pead thinks she could be autistic, as does the SALT but the school observation came back inconclusive so she has now been referred from an ADOS.

My experience from the CAHMS approach is that it is very thorough.

Sorry should say daughter is currently under assessment!

A salt was present when Camhs did the ados. It was done as a team and after intensive salt intervention anyway

Bloody hell...I can't read the whole thread as you guys are coming along as a bunch of vultures!!!!
Dylan works in an environment where private diagnosis is not readily accepted ...she didn't bloody write the rule book!

I also have HF ASD Child who is immensely intelligent but has no common sense or social skills...can't cross a road without help and struggles to dress but LOVES to learn . He gets no support in school .... Why because in terms of education he's not struggling.
Considering he has no friends, he class mates ignore him and tell him he's annoying. He cries as he's lonley and he's constantly being mocked by his classmates ..... He has panic attacks and severe anxiety .
But he'll probably pass his SATS easily ...that's all school care about. His ECHP was rejected as school refused to say they saw any anxiety ..despite saying he cries, shouts, kicks his boots off, runs off !!!!

Blame the government...not Dylan in her job!

I also work within a SEN school as I have a severly disabled boy with severe ASD .... People don't take private diagnosis seriously and yes ...I know your not bothered because you just want the answer to your child's behaviours...but you will be very bothered when you are still on the waiting list because no one will listen to someone who has been paid to say ...yes this child has ASD !!! See you GP and ask for a referral to community paediatrician... No need to involve CAMHS as they don't DX ASD!

Good luck with your journey!

Doesn’t appear that’s what is being done in OP’s case. I suspect different areas having better/worse services.

My experience of CAMHS on a diagnosis level is limited. They have been great in other respects. When my sons referral was accepted, he didn’t have a diagnosis. However by the time appointment came, he had received his diagnosis from the CDC a few weeks earlier. I did send CAMHS a copy. However they seemed unaware of it.

My son went off into another room, while I sat chatting about his current difficulties. They came back an hour later and told me they saw no signs of autism! And questioned why I thought he had autism!!

I have to say I was relieved they were not diagnosising!

but you will be very bothered when you are still on the waiting list because no one will listen to someone who has been paid to say ...yes this child has ASD !!!

I'm not looking to pay someone to say my DC has ASD

See you GP and ask for a referral to community paediatrician...

Saw the GP 20 months ago. GP referred to CAHMS.

Older DC was seen by paed years ago, paed refered on to CAHMS!

No need to involve CAMHS as they don't DX ASD!

Yes they do.

Bloody hell...I can't read the whole thread

Perhaps you should have. Literally everything above was covered.

How old is your dd? I have to say when my ds was 5, he didn’t seem very ‘autistic’, he attended a mainstream school etc.

Over the years he has had some many difficulties, I am so glad he got a diagnosis, for various reasons, particularly blame the parent for his difficulties! He is now 14, has an EHCP and attends a specialist school.

She is 8. Her differences were very subtle when she was little. The older she gets the wider the gap becomes. My older DC is in mainstream and actually manages better now as a teen than when he was in primary.

Maybe you can request specialist SALT involvement from CAMHS?

If not I’m wondering whether money might be better spent getting a private specialist SALT assessment to inform CAMHS diagnosis? As oppose to a private diagnosis. Even possibly an OT too, cover all bases?

Mither how has your dd changed? I only ask as my dd (she's a twin) has deteriorated rapidly the past two years with meltdowns obsessive behaviour stimming etc I feel so frustrated for her, I have tried every sensory diet & strategy that I can and nothing works. She has no friends, doesn't even play with her sister or her older brother she does parallel play. I suspect she has learned what to do from copying her older brother and her twin to cope, but as soon as we are out of that gate the fizzy bottle of pop explodes, and I'm left picking up the pieces. She already has been dx with dcd and spd and her OT (private) thinks she is presenting more and more. Before anyone sniffs at me having a private OT it's because There is no sensory support in our area on NHS. I have found a very useful group on Facebook m.facebook.com/groups/198220980748417 maybe it could be useful for you?

Mither my sons differences are still very subtle, even at 14! He is an expert at ‘masking’, it’s the effort and cost of the masking that has a very severe impact on him emotionally, mentally and even to the point of physically.

My little understanding of girls on the spectrum, is it’s fairly common for them to ‘mask’ too? Which obviously makes it very difficult to diagnose.

The people I know who have paid to go privately have had a multi-disciplinary team assess the child in exactly the same way that would be done on the NHS. The payment means you get seen quicker - but the process of diagnosis, to be NICE compliant, is the same.