Ds 11 autistic?

[WhoUsedMyName]

Where do I even start.
Ds 11 has always been slightly odd not sociable in fact completely socially awkward. Can't stand being touched even from tiny. He doesn't really have any friends out of choice. He is partially sighted and speaking with hv & docs when he was younger they kept putting it down to his sight.
He walks around painfully slow doesn't seem to care about anything or have any idea of consequences. He gets obsessed with one thing at a time and that's all he cares about ie when younger loved fireman Sam would only,watch, wear and play fireman Sam. Then it was music he taught himself to read music & play drums. Now we are into skateboarding he eat sleeps and breaths skateboarding. But there's nothing about him in any other sense I don't even no what to do? Please help. Thanks for reading

Well I would say there are some strong indicators that it might be a possibility.
You need to have him properly assessed. Do school have any concerns?
A return to the gp and an insistence on him being referred to the appropriate people would be a first step.
There are online diagnostic tools I think that you could have a go with to give you something to go off. They obviously don’t replace a professional assessment.
Someone might be able to recommend one.
School should be able to help also.

He has just moved over to secondary school he is in lowest set for everything. They have commented on his writing but also I think school put it down to his sight because they don't really no how bad his sight is. He doesn't get involved in class conversation or engage but had numerous detentions for speaking out of turn or over the teacher.

I'm thinking of going privately but looking online I'm not even sure who I contact

A GP could put you on the right track for getting a diagnosis. Maybe go without your son and see what they say.
I’d also arrange an appt with Senco at school.
Sorry you’re going through this

Thank you, yeah I think I will call the gp in the morning as I feel like I'm head butting a wall with him and it's really hard not to get frustrated with his complete lack of motivation to do anything. But maybe he really can't help it and that makes me feel worse. But it's like the older he's getting the more obvious it is that he's so different to his peers and siblings.

Yes speak to your GP and explain your concerns. It seems to take about 2yrs to get assessed. Ask for an appointment with the school senco and explain your concerns. I hope you will find supportive people to help you with the process.

Where I am, assessment takes 3yrs to even begin, the neurodevelopmental service is overwhelmed. However, there are services here to support through the assessment pathway and support in school is needs led, not diagnosis led so if your child is struggling with accessing education - academically and socially -support should be put in place irrespective of diagnosis.

Best to start those conversations asap and communicate with the school and GP about your concerns.

Thank you for you replies. I will get the ball rolling tomorrow. Will private break the bank? Is it quicker etc

Private is expensive but quicker. It can bring its challenges though such as whether the NHS for example accepts that diagnosis. You may still have a long wait for it to be ratified.

Have a think about what diagnosis means for you. A diagnosis can be a really useful tool in your arsenal, particularly as time goes on and it might be the key to unlocking the right support and opportunities. It can also be a powerful thing for a child to know why they experience the world a certain way and to remove the anxiety from some experiences.

However, as I said above, the support at school is needs led and not diagnosis led so getting what he needs from his education setting should not be hampered by lack of diagnosis. The school should work with you to get it right now, based on what he needs.

Don't spend money you don't have if you don't need to. There are a couple of charities who help with autism assessment costs and means test their funding. The ones I know of need a referral from a professional and are for children under 11 however.