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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you have a child with autism or on the pathway, How long are assessment wait times in your area?

141 replies

Crispymandm · 04/03/2023 07:30

Just curious to see how long nhs assessment takes in your area after referral , and if your child was offered support after diagnosis?

OP posts:
onwardandupwards · 04/03/2023 07:40

Ours is 2 years 4 months, my ds has just been placed on the waiting list. My dd was diagnosed with asd and we do have some brilliant support mainly from health visitor, but I think that is very much down to luck. My eldest ds was diagnosed 11 years ago and support for him is currently minimal.

LateToTheParty · 04/03/2023 07:49

3.5 years from first referral, no support

Wine4whine · 04/03/2023 07:50

We have just joined the five year waitlist here!

grumpypug · 04/03/2023 07:51

My child was diagnosed at 15 then discharged. He was finally referred at 11 so took a few years!

Lovescookies · 04/03/2023 07:51

28 month wait for assessment (we're 21 months in), doubt there's any support when we get to the end.

soundsystem · 04/03/2023 07:51

Just over two years here. DD had the final part of her assessment last week and so now just waiting for someone to come back to us. No idea how long that will be - they said "a few weeks"

44PumpLane · 04/03/2023 07:52

North east and my then 5 yo was referred a year ago.....only just talked to CYPS for the first time a couple weeks ago......no idea how long it'll take from now.

GoldenGorilla · 04/03/2023 07:53

3 years here. We went for a private diagnosis instead (took 3 months). Lots of support available in theory but in practice the state run services are overwhelmed.

WellTidy · 04/03/2023 07:53

It’s a few years round here. We had a private assessment and that took nine months start to finish (so not quick either). But no support after diagnosis whatsoever.

Cupcakegirl13 · 04/03/2023 07:54

2 years from referral to assessment and diagnosis then immediate discharge no support.

Bandanadrama · 04/03/2023 07:56

Years, I decided to forfeit holidays etc and prioritised a private diagnosis. Took 5 months but worth it to me.

Sheepareawesome · 04/03/2023 07:56

One year so far, no idea how long left.

Those who went private, how did you do this? Where do you find someone please as I looked online but can't tell how to know who's any good?

Sirzy · 04/03/2023 07:57

We waited nearly 2 years which was 6 years back. I believe that now locally we are over 3 years, and apparently at points they have closed the list to new referals.

ExtraOnions · 04/03/2023 07:59

We are over 2 years in … got another letter this week to say she is still on the list, but they can’t give us any timescale - bob useless.

DD has missed Y10/11, and the first year of college due to severe anxiety. I pay for private psychotherapy, but back to CAMHS this week to try to get some anti-anxiety medication- doubt I’ll get it as you have to see the psychiatrist before they will perscribe, and they are no appointments with the psychiatrist.

autumnboys · 04/03/2023 08:00

My now 13yo was diagnosed in Year 3. He was referred in the January and seen in the June. I did find out the name of the person who scheduled the ADOS assessments and got in touch to let her know we could take a cancellation on short notice. I had a very flexible job close to his school and the hospital. We had less than an hour’s notice on the day. If you can do this it’s worth considering, waits are quite long.

fairgame84 · 04/03/2023 08:00

It was 9 months when DS was diagnosed in 2011, now its 22 months.
There is no support and never has been. They offered the cygnet parenting course but it took 2 years to get a place and by that time I'd figured things out myself.
Luckily he went to an independent special school so he's had great support there.

biscuitbadger · 04/03/2023 08:01

4 years. For support we got given a list of websites and local support groups. Our local MIND services have been good.

AssignedNorthern · 04/03/2023 08:03

Currently been on the assessment wait list for 16 months expecting to go before panel in October so wait would be two years. However issues first identified during 2020 and nothing done then because of covid so really we will have waited 3 years. There is no support only a diagnoses from MAAT however we have a local charity that offers advice which also has a long wait list! Essentially parents have to do all the research and help the kids as there is no support from supposed professionals.

autumnboys · 04/03/2023 08:05

Forgot to say, handed a DLA form and a sheet from a local charity who run a course. Offered one follow up appointment which we were told was for any questions we might have but turned out to be the start of them investigating ADHD. He has some attention issues but he did not recover a diagnosis after the questionnaires came back from home and school.

SpinningFloppa · 04/03/2023 08:05

3 years then thrown off the list for missing an appointment we didn’t get a letter for 🤷‍♀️ told if I wanted him diagnosed he would need to start from the beginning.

Morph22010 · 04/03/2023 08:05

We were about 18 months but this was back in 2016 2017, I think wait times locally are longer now. No support on diagnosis just a bunch of photocopied leaflets most of which proved to be out of date. Applied for ehcp straight after diagnosis as school told me we wouldn’t get without diagnosis even though Ds had been having major issues in school and was being excluded. Got turned down for ehcp assessment on the basis it was a new diagnosis and things might improve now he had a diagnosis.

Morph22010 · 04/03/2023 08:07

Sheepareawesome · 04/03/2023 07:56

One year so far, no idea how long left.

Those who went private, how did you do this? Where do you find someone please as I looked online but can't tell how to know who's any good?

I didn’t go private but I’ve heard from other cauldwell centre is good and do a reduced rate if income is below a certain level

Sugarfree23 · 04/03/2023 08:10

4 years so far - still waiting

MyOtherUsernameIsDave · 04/03/2023 08:19

2 year waiting list, and that’s just to start on the ‘parenting course’. It’s a lot of hoop jumping before you get anywhere. If you don’t attend you get taken off the waiting list.

thumpsthewastrel · 04/03/2023 08:22

I don't, but work in this area. Under 5s around 2 years. Over 5s, 3-4.

It's a scandal.