GP has just diagnosed Littlemad with Autism, on an appt about sinusitis

[LizaTarbucksAuntie]

Littlemad is down with a virus.

Against my better judgement I took him to the Doctors this morning (recently a doctor at this practice refused to accept me saying I was stressed not depressed and sent me away to ask my husband what he thought)

Anyway, GP pokes a digital thermometer at littlemad who rightly (in my opinion) goes 'what are you doing with that?'

Gp says: Does he ALWAYS behave like this? I say no, he's poorly this is out of character...he says hmm and he made a fuss about having his eyes tested didn't he? Have you had any tests done on him? His implication was littlemad has behavioural problems although he then refused to say what sort of test he meant...

I bristle a little to be fair and say no Gpd says, but he's very 'difficult' isnt he. Now Littlemad is a darling and fairly quirky, he's very bright and gets quite focused on things.

Neither he nor I have slept much for the best part of a week.

Now I'm not going 'he's so perfect he can't possibly be autistic' but there is a time and a place for having a conversation of that kind and it's not:

1. the first time you have met us
2. During a consultation about SOMETHING else
3. APPROPRIATE UNLESS I'VE ASKED FOR YOUR ADVICE

Am very cross.

really, very cross, if I wasn't so tired I'd be dangerous me :)

kreecher good idea, once I can just untangle my pinny strings.

I did say I'm waiting for him to phone me back so he can prove me wrong by telling me he meant tests for something else..

tocha the GP has never met either me or littlemad. He refered to littlemads notes. How do they translate to 'genuine concerns'? they've not been raised anywhere else by anyone else.

This is the first time any behavioural difficulties have been raised.

A little odd of him to ask if any tests have been done when he's clearly just referred to LM's notes? no?

A GP cannot diagnose autism; he can only refer up.

Ergo GP is an arse.

And autism is not a 'behavioural problem' it is a diagnosed disorder with genetic links and physiological aetiology.

Presuming GP has woried you even a tiny bit now have a gander at this . if you worry afterwards talk to a different GP about referral. But don't bother too much with thw ord of a GP who claims he can DX ASD if that is what he did.

sapphire fling that's why I'm waiting for him to ring back and explain but he did talk about difficult behaviour in direct relation ot the tests.

To put another spin

If he just suggested tests

How would you feel if he suspected something and did not mention it?

Apparenlt 'everyone knew' about ds3 long before we did.

Thanks Peachy, I'm not too worried to be fair because littlemads personality is not limiting him in any way and he is well adjusted and achieving briliantly at school

Thing is I have the whole picture on him and so I'm probably better placed to judge sleep deprivation or not.

So the doctor didn't say anything about autism at all?

Your OP seems a bit strange. The doctor asking whether DC have had any tests done doesn't mean sod all. Why have you jumped to teh conclusion he thought your child had autism? He might have been thinking hearing tests, eyesight checked, anything, quite standard tests.

peachy I would say as above, littlemad's personality does not appear to be limiting or creating him any difficulties.

Apparently he's bit of a challenge for some professionals though...

You say yourself that your child has a quirky personality. You also say that this GP just mentioned tests, did not specify what tests, yet you have jumped to conclusions.

Do you not perhaps think that you might be in a bit of denial here, and rather defensive.

In the nicest way, YABU. And I say that as someone who took her 2 year old DD in to see the optician the other week. She came out with 20 20 vision and a diagnosis of epilepsy because she ignored the optician at first!

Now - I know in my bones in my case that this isn't anything to worry about. But nonetheless, I've resolved to keep an eye on it and have discussed it with her childminder. Children only see medical staff sporadically - and if there were a child with either epilepsy or autism or whatever, a faster diagnosis is better for all concerned.

Niminypiminy scaremongering? about what exactly?

sardine as I've said a few times, am waiting for the Gp to phone me back to confirm what tests he meant but in the cotext in the appointment it appeared he meant regarding behaviiour rather than anything else.

Thanks really tired he's fast asleep at the moment

Neuromantic no Gp would do that?? are you sure? aren't there any crap ones then?

squeakytoy yes,, that's right denial, brilliant.
of course. why didn't I think of that.

I've also said several times and I really don't think I can be more clear, I'm waiting for the GP to phone me back to specify what he meant

And yes, I am defensive, you're saying it like it's a bad thing.

did he actually diagnose him with autism? It's not clear from your post, which seems to indicate that he asked you questions and made some fairly daft comments based on little evidence, but you don't say that he said anything like "your child has autism" or in any way actually made a diagnosis.

Anyway, it doesn't matter if he did or not.

A gp can't diagnose autism. You need a referal and a team of people and an assessment process.

Nor can someone going I think he's got autism actually give it to him, so if your child is not autistic, no amount of gp speculating will change that

so honestly - you have nothing to worry about.

I am not saying it like it is a bad thing at all. I just think you are jumping to conclusions, and we have now asked a few times if the GP actually said "This child is autistic".. because it isnt clear from your OP that he did.. in fact it isnt even clear if the tests are related to autism at all. But your thread title implies that the GP did specifically diagnose your child and confirm it as autism.

Not even a terrible GP would "diagnose autism" in a 5 min appt.

Can you please confirm that your doctor did not do so, as it is quite obvious he did not? You seem to have a problem with admitting this.

I wouldnt really listen to the GP..in fact a top neurologist saw my DD once and said "she can't possibly be autistic"..she has severe ASD..a snapshot does NOT a DX make.

I have to agree with Squeaky.

Oh and OP

I ahve powerpoints a -plenty from my autism studies ay uni; if you do decide top question this, am happy to forward some. just PM me.

Hecate - you're right, my wording was dramatic, it does in fact reflect what happened which is this:

Littlemad and I went to the Doctors, littlemad would not co-operate when the doctor, without saying' I'm going to take your temerapture, or let's check this out or anything' stuck a themometer in littlemads ear.

Doctor then asked if that was normal. I said no. Dr askes if any tests have been done on littlemad and refers to an eyetest done 3 months ago where littlemad didn't like the eyedrops.

Doctor ignores all other symptoms that the visit is about, I keep saying so how long off school for etc, Dr keeps asking about tests, I say what for he humms and haws and refers back to littlemad's refusal to have temp taken the first time.

We have never met this doctor before. Apart from moving his head away he didn't display any behaviour beyond being was snuggled up on my knee because he felt poorly

I'm waiting for confirmation from Dr about what tests he meant.

No one (Dr, Health Visitor teachers) has previoualy drawn my attention to littlemad struggling in any context.

You're damn right I'm defensive and you're damn right I'm in denial because as far as I'm aware there is nothing wrong with littlemad.

"I've also said several times and I really don't think I can be more clear, I'm waiting for the GP to phone me back to specify what he meant"

Yes, but are you saying that in response to people asking whether he actuallt said what you started the thread claiming he did? You're not actually being clear at all.

has your ds ever had his temp taken via ear thermometer before?

Its a very odd response to an odd situation. Why didn't you just say to him to concentrate on the issue at hand and then get over it? The aggression, defensiveness, embellishments and denials seem to indicate something else.

"GP has just diagnosed Littlemad with autism" - taken from your thread title.

Only it appears..... he didnt.

So he didnt say it then.

Good you are asking foe clarification of his comments. I dont see what you are soo anoyed about though.

Your GP sounds like a bit of an arse, but from what you posted he said nothing about autism, so YABVU.

You are making assumptions.

Maybe your child's behaviour was difficult. Difficult enough for the GP to suspect there might be something going on.

Not all behaviour problems = autism you know

There are lots of things that it could be, or it could be nothing, but do you really think the GP is going to order expensive tests just to piss you off?

Get a grip.