To be annoyed at ASD assessment

[TEH82]

So DS 7 was diagnosed with ASD a few months ago and it takes a few weeks for it to come through. It has come today and in 2 separate places it refers to him as ‘odd’ in the context of ‘child’s eye contact and interaction is extremely odd’
I work in health with children and would never dream of writing this about a child let alone in a report that will follow him for years- but not sure if I am being precious?

Completely inappropriate in my opinion. Wow, I'm really sorry.

Wow that is awful! I would be addressing this.
Sorry op

Atypical would be more usual (and less offensive).

Not precious at all, I wouldn’t like that either.

I'd be annoyed. My youngest has ASD and I've had some quite upsetting things written in reports by thoughtless professionals.

I would be annoyed too. I think that's really unprofessional and quite insulting actually

Surely ‘atypical’ would be more appropriate.

YANBU, that's a very unprofessional way of describing what they observed and I'd be quite upset to read that. I also work with children and would never use odd to describe them or their behaviours. Is there any way to put in a complaint? for you and your lovely boy.

Do you think they meant ODD as in oppositional defiance disorder?

Wow, yes. My boy has ASD and I wouldn’t like that language. It’s like saying ‘not normal’ or similar, isn’t it? Agree with PP that atypical would be more appropriate wording

Odd is a totally inappropriate term, as pp said I would expect atypical. I would contact PALS and ask their advice on how to handle it. I found them very helpful.

YANBU. DS was referred to in his hearing as an "odd bod" more than once by a paediatrician when he was assessed for ASD, aged 6 (there wasn't enough evidence to diagnose or rule out.) That was in 2008 and I remember thinking at the time it didn't seem very professional or appropriate. I am so sorry to hear that these attitudes are still happening, OP. I would have expected things to have moved on.

Not only is it offensive and unprofessional but it isn’t very useful information diagnostically. What about his social interactions was not typical? What about eye contact was different? Was he avoidant, was his social eye contact too intense and not braking off at regular intervals.
I would complain.

I wouldn’t like that either. “Unusual” not “odd” would be more appropriate surely. Ask them to change it and explain that it hurt your feelings at a time when you were vulnerable.

That's interesting...I've just been reading an ASD report today that states "her eye contact was fair but her social communication skills are somewhat odd"

I was a little surprised to see the description and I don't think I've seen that particular word used in reports before (I read lots of ASD reports, psychiatric evaluations etc in the course of my work). But maybe some professionals are happy to use it.

Was it odd or ODD?

Definitely odd - one line says ‘His non verbal communication was noticeably odd with very avoidant eye contact and a blank facial expression’

@suggestionsplease1 could you feed back that it’s inappropriate?

They are not odd they are just different from neuro typical. Health professional here involved in assessments and we d never write odd. Over the years I've seen some unusual things wrote by pediatrians it's always worth a challenge. "he had quite a big head not unlike dad" charming!

Autism assessments are hard to read, they always say stuff like this. Both mine and my daughter's contained comments like that. Don't get upset, the important thing is you have a diagnosis.

I wouldn't be offended by the use of the word odd. Clearly I'm in the minority alone but it's just a word meaning 'different to what is usual or expected' for me that is most likely accurate hence the ASD diagnosis.

Also, to clarify this report won't follow him for years. File it away in a cupboard. He doesn't need to be letting anyone read it. He has his diagnosis, that's it.

I wouldn’t give it any more thought my 11 year old was described as having odd behaviours and acting like a hyperkinetic 8 year old.

YANBU at all. It's the kind of language we'll look back on in years to come and wonder how the fuck it was ever deemed acceptable. I personally also have an issue with the term Autism Spectrum Disorder for the same reason - I genuinely don't understand why labelling autistic people as "disordered" isn't considered deeply problematic.

Technically, 'odd' just means 'differing from the usual, ordinary, or expected', so maybe that's why some medical professionals deem it ok to use. However, as it also means strange, I would say it should be struck off the 'accepted' list of words. Most of us would hear it as 'strange' or 'weird' and I wouldn't like it used to describe my child.