Autism

[Puddleducksmum]

Hi all am new to this and would love some advice took my 21 month old daughter to peadiatric this week having been refered at 16months asq scored low so did her 12 month asq so we see a top pedatrician at our local nhs hospital in london and within 10 mins of meeting my daughter said i think she has autism she watched her running round ignoring me causing havoq ect.. she said its ok as they could offer early intervention and support genetic testing for when she is older ect.. then she called 2 other doctor's into room they spoke amongst them selfs then asked me to come back next week on monday so they can asses my daughter this can take up to 2hrs and would i be available i said yes so will be going back monday but im so worried don't have a clue felt like a blur is it not too young to diagnose? Why did the doctor say that so soon after meeting us for 1st time? What is this apppintment? Advice would be great my head is spinning with worry 😣

How do you feel about the diagnosis? We’re you expecting it? It can be a shock if not. Drs are pretty cautious about diagnosing unless certain so they must be certain that it is autism. They will probably assess her in more detail and then that can inform their report and an idea of developmental levels etc. Take some time to process it all, there is a lot to take in and think about x

I feel so worried i don't think it has sunk in yet tbh do u think that its a diagnosis? Based on 10mins she is only 21 months aswell 🤔

It's not a diagnosis. They do an informal assessment to decide whether a child requires an ADOS - a diagnostic assessment.

It must be worrying and overwhelming.

A diagnosis doesn't change who your baby is. The important thing is to build a profile of strengths and needs so appropriate support can be given.

If there is a concern it's brilliant to get assessment started so soon, that will mean you daughter has the best possible support. If there isn't then you will have put your mind at rest.

Genetic tests are standard for autistic children as some conditions mimic the effects of autism so they like to rule them out early on. Ours were done at the hospital were they have a very good set up for dealing with young children and do everything possible to help them feel relaxed.

With regard to diagnosing your daughter they probably wont right now, they will put 'autistic traits' or something and refer her to a paediatrician. They paediatrician will see her every six months or so and slowly decide if there is anything to be concerned about. In the mean time they may recommend things like Portage or speech and language support if they feel it's appropriate.

My sons are both autistic. The were initially diagnosed with global developmental delay with autistic traits about your daughter's age then formally diagnosed at two. They have received ongoing support from the paediatrician and their diagnosis has been clarified over time. It is a an ongoing process not a one appointment thing.

Try not to worry to much, you can always message if me you have any questions. If it's an reassurance to you my sons are currently five and eight and got to a fantastic special needs school. They have had opportunities I could never have offered them and are in small classes getting close to one to one support from staff. Their teachers are brilliant and identifying their skills and encouraging them to reach their full potential.

Life can be more challenging at times but I wouldn't change a thing. Nothing about the diagnosis changed who your daughter is, she is just the same. If she is autistic you have just learnt something new about her and will have lots of help in finding the best ways to support her so she can reach her full potential.

Puddleducksmum,

I've taught children for 12 years. Although autism is a spectrum with massive variances you do, with experience, pick up cues that many people would never notice/think twice about. I'm therefore not surprised the paediatrician suspected it rather quickly.

The difficulty with autism is that unlike most other conditions there are no set markers. For example, for every child autistic child that is non-verbal there will be others that are complete chatter boxes etc.

My advice for now would be don't panic. Which I appreciate is easier said than done. When I discovered my son was autistic I cried non stop for hours. Despite knowing for over a year now it still upsets me. Essentially I felt that I wanted him to have the best life possible and autism was a barrier to that.

I'm still processing it all now and working through my feelings however I now appreciate that what makes him brilliant is in fact aspects of his autism. He's not weird. He's just wired differently. Although that makes some things challenging for him it also makes him incredibly unique and talented in some ways.

If your daughter is diagnosed I advise you take all the professional help offered. I engaged the services of a child psychologist and it has helped IMMENSELY. It's literally been life changing. My stress levels have greatly reduced as the psychologist went through some techniques to help address my sons anxiety with regards to going to school (he finds it boring).

Also, I recommend reading up on autism - there are a lot of misconceptions out there!

Best wishes,

ShinyPinkLipgloss

It’s young to diagnose but doctors don’t rush to this diagnosis (whereas schools and nurseries can tend to suggest it with very little to go on, in my experience). It is very shocking to suggest have a diagnosis looking like a possibility so it may take a while to sink in (and remember they haven’t said it yet). Remember if they do, early intervention and diagnosis is a good thing and gets you lots of support and intervention at a useful time.

FWIW, my DNiece was about 20 months old when I became sure there was something developmentally not standard about her (I’m not a doctor or healthcare professional). She was diagnosed with autism and global delays at less than two and a half. On the other hand, I thought DS might well be autistic due to speech delay and other stuff around 18 months, but by 2 he wasn’t looking like that was much/major issue at all. You have to just trust professionals who will be careful and want to diagnose correctly and know what they are doing.

Thank you so much just reading that had me in tears been so emotional since i've kind of known myself she might be but never said anything wanted to see if they notice what i had a suspicion about if you know what i mean xx

MN SN boards are an absolute mine of information. Everyone there has been where you are now, some have a few years' experience, some have more than a few years' experience.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs_chat
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs

I had a similar experience with my son, after one appointment to determine whether my son should be referred for assessment, the Dr ‘unofficially’ diagnosed our son with Autism, we asked if it could be anything else and we were told absolutely not, she had never been more sure of a diagnosis. We still had to go through the motions of assessment and it was almost exactly a year after that we got the ‘official’ diagnosis. When we read the assessment, it was clear that our son was very much textbook in his presentation! Despite having read book after book and taking course after course and becoming very well versed on all things autism, I still felt my knees shake and afterwards my husband and I had a cry together.

You are in an exceptionally fortunate position, my son was 6 before he was diagnosed with high functioning autism. Your daughter is still a baby, you can have immediate intervention and educate yourself and your husband and find the tools that will make life easier for your little girl and you! (Many girls on the spectrum are not diagnosed until they reach their teens!)

My advice would be the same advice that we were given after we were first told that our son was autistic. Research, research, research! Read all the books that you can get your hands on. Contact your local National Autistic Society and book yourself and your partner on their courses on autism.