Son diagnosed over phone

[RubyRose25]

Hello

I have been on mumsnet for years but only as a lurker never made a account but I really need someone to tell me if this is normal.

Today I got a call from the child development centre asking me if I knew I had a appointment today for my son's diagnosis (DS7). I never had received a letter or anything so the consultant decided to ask me questions over the phone about his situation and symptoms.
It was a long call where I answered all his questions and basically told him about my concerns and the behaviour of my son getting so bad in school they permanently excluded him before lockdown.

At the end of the call he said he would diagnose my son with adhd today and he is sure about autism but wants a few more sessions before officially diagnosing and all of this was over the phone.

My question is did anyone else have a child diagnosed over the phone obviously I know he had all his information from school and GP but I keep asking myself if this was normal?

I'm grateful he does have a diagnosis after everything we went through just confused.

No we had a face to face meeting, but we weren't in the middle of a pandemic then.

Maybe the consultant thought it better to have a conversation over the phone rather than waste the appointment? Better than no consultation at all, and we are living in unusual times at the moment.

Thank you for the reply I'm happy he does have a diagnosis finally and can get help.

This is the way CDCs are doing their best to cope whilst they are unable to see children face to face for many, many months
As you say, they will have read all the evidence from the school, and then from what you have also said in the assessment today. If the "pictures" painted by both school and home match up, and they meet diagnostic criteria, then diagnoses are being given.
It is far from ideal. Far from what the HCPs want to be doing, but it is making the best of the situation.
Where there are differences of opinion between the school or Nursery and the family, or where there is lack of certainty, or a borderline decision, then they will no doubt be put on a waiting list to be seen when that is possible.