Private and public autism assessment?

[Crystalball84]

Hi, was anyone in a situation where they paid privately for an assessment and received a diagnosis and then went on to get the public assessment also? In my mind , I'm thinking that it would be good to have a second opinion. I would not want to furnish the private report for the public assessment as I have been advised that I will receive back large chunks directly from the private report!
I received a call today to say that my son is being put forward for an autism assessment to be completed privately on behalf of the HSE.

Has anyone had both assessments?

Can I use either report when accessing services after?

Well it seems like a waste of NHS time and money to get another one just because as long as the private one complied with NICE guidelines it is unnecessary.

What additional services do you want to access?
I just emailed the GP surgery the private report and it is on DDs record as if it was an NHS one.

@Crystalball84

In my personal experience, I tried to go private and it was advised I go an assessment of need process with hse and I needed a multidisciplinary team. The psychologist I was recommended at the time also worked with the HSE so she helped with the process. What I have learned is regardless of a private assessment, the HSE will want to do their own investigation. My daughter has since been diagnosed with ASD and she is still in the public system, so if I need support, I have a team I can reach out too. If you go decide to go private, I would still wait for the hse assessment too. I believe with the backlog, they are outsourcing some of the cases to private clinics. If you have already sent it an application for AON, I would follow up to how long as by law it's meant to be completed by 6 months.

I hope that helps.

@Ber84 Thank you. I have had a private assessment by a multidisciplinary team but have been advised to go again for the public one.

@Crystalball84

It's what I was advised too, if you need further support in the future you will be under a team that you can ring and they will see you child, you stay in the public service until your child reaches 18 years of age. My daughter is transitioning to secondary school as she has a lot of anxiety, I rang up her team and I spoke to the hse psychologist and he seen her for a few sessions. It's good to have that support going forward.

As your child grows and starts primary school the hse may send out slt to the school to discuss his/her needs going forward, it's a valuable support.

We paid for a private assessment for DD and she wasn't diagnosed. The NHS used the ADOS report from the private assessment along we the information gathered from us and school to diagnose her. They said she couldn't do a further ADOS.

@Ber84 ok. That makes sense. It's just that the two have come so closely together.

Ooops sorry just noticed which section you have posted in - ignore me

I paid a grand for my personal private assessment as the HSE waiting list is about 5 years long and because of the cost not a hope I would want a second opinion anyway.

@Crystalball84 you need to be open and honest if your dc has had a previous assessment as repeating can negate the outcome. As someone said an ADOS shouldn't be repeated close together.

@Psychoticbreak it's not the second opinion I want it's the statement of service. These are services that legally my child would be entitled to after assessment. The only way to get this legal statement is to go through the assessment of need process.
@elevens24 it's the Irish system.

@Crystalball84 I gathered that given its Craicnet.

An ADOS is widely used in Ireland. If your dc didn't have one then that's grand. But any standardised type assessment that has been used should be disclosed as they should not be repeated (within a given timeframe).

And the information in terms of neuro development history should be the same in both reports.

@elevens24 That's interesting about the testing being repeated within a time frame, do you know the time frame?
I am trying to seek advice, it's nigh on impossible to get official advice.

@Crystalball84 my DS has asd and I know from any of the groups I'm on they always say accept the HSE one as well. We also had a private assessment paid for by the HSE. I've no real advice but it's definitely something that seems to get asked regularly on the Facebook pages.

We had a private assessment as the HSE one was taking too long.

They are supposed to be done within a certain time frame but as everyone knows that is a complete joke.

Who advised you to get a second public one?

Won't waiting for a 2nd assessment delay your DC accessing services?

@Greenotgrey I have a private diagnosis. I've been advised to go along with the AON process so that I have access and entitlement to public services. I'm using the private report to get him a school place but he needs OT etc.

@Crystalball84 I'm a bit confused by this but it's a few years since my DC was assessed and systems have changed I know.

We were on the waiting list for a public assessment locally when we cracked and went private as it was taking so long. (We had complained etc and that was upheld but it meant nothing. I realise now that the next step was court, I didn't realise that then, I didn't know what to do.)

At the time, even after the private assessment, I still wanted DC assessed publicly. I had heard the assessments were more thorough, multidisciplinary. I was told by the director of the local facility not to take that route, that it would delay DC's access to services. In fact, they were very impatient with me about it, obviously thought I was a twit for trying to take the approach I did.

Bottom line, the private diagnosis was enough to access everything at the time.
I don't know, it must be different now?

@Greenotgrey It must be. A service statement comes from the Assessment of Need. You are legally entitled to the services. You don't get the same from a private assessment. I have been advised to go ahead and get the public assessment. Although it is being outsourced to a private practitioner!! As I Am have also advised me on this. The public system want people off the list so it's no surprise that they would be thrilled with people going private so they can clear their lists faster.

My son was diagnosed privately & in our area the NHS won’t reassess people who’ve already had a private assessment as they’re just too overwhelmed.

Yeah, sorry, I realise I'm no help as it seems to have changed. My experience was 5 -10 years ago. We did have what was called an AON. It was half an hour in an office (parents only). No doubt we filled in questionnaires first. From that we were referred to local autism assessment, but waiting for that took forever.

Good luck with everything.