Autism diagnoses question.

[Helpmeout124]

Hello, I have just found out (by calling my portage worker about something unrelated) a team of professionals are are currently making arrangements to discuss my daughter's case. It will be the community peadiatrician, speech therapist, education psychologist, and her portage worker. Not sure if anyone else is attending, I was told they now have enough evidence to make a formal diagnosis, (I've been told off the record for over a year my daughter has autism) but I'm fairly sure this meeting is to actually diagnose her or am I wrong? We're two years into the process. My question is, if that meeting (which I won't be attending) is to diagnose her will I be called? Written to? Or will they want to tell me face to face? I'm not sure how it all works.

also does anyone else who's been through similar find it bizarre that a group of people are arranging to have a meeting to talk about my child, and I won't be there or know what they say, I'm sure I'll get a report. But it's just odd to me. 😬😅

Have they seen her? How old is your dc? Usually the ed psych and SLT would assess the child using the dsm5 assessment. The child needs to be present as this is an interview style assessment. A report is written and a the paediatrician would meet with you and dc to do a bit of info gathering/medical/social history.

They will surely make an appointment for you once they have had their meeting?

She has met with all people involved in this meeting, yeah that's what I thought. A proper appointment. It makes me a bit anxious because I don't know where information is going to come from, Everytime I get a letter addressed to the parents of.. I hold my breathe. It makes me feel better to know it will be in an actual appointment. I'm not anxious about getting a diagnosis as such but I know it's coming and I want to prepared and ready for it when it comes. And now I know it's going to be soon, I want some level of predictability. Maybe I sound silly

She's almost 4 we started the process just before her 2nd birthday.

The educational psychologist observed my daughter at nursery for an hour and then had a meeting with myself and 2 nursery staff afterwards for a sort of interview. So that's probably what that was

In a similar position with my son his case got sent for a MDT meeting in September still waiting. I should get a phone call to arrange a meeting time where they will tell me the outcome of the MDT meeting.

We never had an mdt meeting for ds, the paediatrician just phoned and told me the diagnosis on the phone (I was at work at the time)

Oh gosh really? September! That seems an especially long time to keep you on tender hooks! Hopefully soon for you 🤞🏻

That's what I'm afraid of because I feel I will have an emotional reaction and I just hope I'm home at the time if it happens that way. How did you feel recieving that over the phone? Even if you know it's coming it's still a big thing to be told on the phone

I was told they now have enough evidence to make a formal diagnosis,

Are you sure this wasn't them informally telling you that a diagnosis has been made?

Sometimes they speak in euphemisms, so it can be hard to tell, but I seem to recall someone saying something similar about one of my DC and they meant they'd gathered enough evidence to be confident that autism was the right diagnosis.

Either way, I'm sure they'll contact you after the meeting to let you know more formally what's been decided and give you a report and answer any questions.

I didn’t know he was phoning that day. I was at work luckily I was in a room by myself as my colleague was off. Paediatrician phoned and just launched into conversation without asking if I was ok to talk, after a few mins I said “I am at work” and he said “sorry I didn’t know” and then just carried on. It’s quite a few years ago and lots have happened since so I can’t remember exactly, I remember thinking “how am I going to get thorough the day” and I didn’t want to tell my partner or my mum by phone so had no one to share it with till hours later.

Think of it more like a meeting where there's a conveyor belt of children being discussed. They haven't all taken time out of their day to specifically meet to discuss just your child... if that makes it feel less like you're missing out? There's usually a long list to get through so they meet once a week or once a month for an MDT meeting to discuss all the cases while everyone is together. The meetings are long and boring.

I've been informally told many times to be fair, so quite possibly yes. I have no doubt at all that they won't diagnose her.

When we left her speech therapy appointment the therapist stroked her cheek and said "yes, I think a diagnosis is what's right for you little one"

The portage worker pretty much talks to me about my daughter as if she's already diagnosed, "we see this a lot in children with autism" "I think that school would be perfect for your daughter (talking about a sen school) and many other instances.

community pead told us that he thinks she has autism but can't diagnose untill he could rule out a genetic condition. (All done)

there's been so many instances in the last two years where I'm basically been told, but we just don't have a formal diagnosis yet.

Hey, yeah this sounds like the meeting they have to diagnose - they look at all the evidence and they decide to give/not give/ a diagnosis.
My little boy is being assessed at the moment, they told me that he will be discussed at panel when they have enough evidence (this happens on a Wednesday for us and then the parents are invited in on the Friday to be given the outcome)

it’s been a long 3 years , but anyday now I keep telling myself ! I know my sons ASD and have been told the same at the appointments but they are unable to officially diagnose without this MDT meeting .

My son has his MDT over teams, included all the people you mentioned, this was to diagnose and then I was called in 2 days later to present me with the diagnosis.
My sons assessment was carried out by the autism assessment team x

This post is a few months old and that's exactly what happened, we got her diagnosis back in March. We got a letter to go in for a review appointment with community peads, I had a feeling it would be her diagnosis but it wasn't definite,

anyway got there and he just told us straight away, you're daughter has autism, then told me why they'd reached that conclusion, she had every marker on the scale they use to diagnose so it was quite cut and dry,

then he went through what support was available to us (not a lot 😂) and then he discharged us.

I got my son’s diagnosis in March. Was a relief to finally get the diagnosis and move on. It’s not changed a thing our life carried on the same as before , it just means he will be able to access things in school more easily. .

I basically had a phone call and they said why he met the criteria then he was discharged from the ASD pathway .