Who do I speak to?

[user1495827045]

Sorry if I haven't explained this very well ....
I was wondering who to speak to about a possible diagnosis or assessment, is it school or our GP?!
Basically our son can go quite low in moods where he will struggle to show any excitement, acknowledgement or happiness. He gets very addicted to one particular subject at a time, he can also be very 'silly' I.e saying things which aren't relevant to the social situation or be quite blunt/rude . He also has meltdowns over small things like being asked to do things.
I spoke to his teacher today who informed me he is being taken out of the classroom once a week for a 'regulation of zones' meeting with a teacher to help him manage his emotions as he can get very cross or sad if punished at school or told off.
I've always felt there was something but never been sure of who to speak to or whether it is just me being overly anxious and worried ? (It may actually be me being anxious) but it is something I want to explore to rule out.
Any tips, help or advice would be really appreciated as I spend most days so upset by his behaviour and worried.

The simple answer is - it depends where you are in the country.
Where I live / work, school SENCos can refer into the CDC (Child development Centre) for a full Paediatric assessment, and it is usually considered far more helpful if the referral comes form the school, as they see the child 30 hours a week and can give a detailed report / description of concerns, whereas a GP will see them for 5 mins when they are in a stranger's office.
However, I have seen on MN over the years that not all areas accept referrals from schools and it has to be a Health Professional that refers a child.
Even in the neighbouring authorities, I know there are different systems, where specialist teachers become involved first, before any referral is made to a Paediatrician.

In your shoes, I would speak to the teacher and say you have some concerns about your dc, and that you would like to make an appointment to meet with both her / him and the SENCo at the school, to discuss your concerns further.
You then can ask about the difficulties they see in school and how his needs are being met and if there is anything further you can do at home to support the work they are doing in school. You can also ask them how you go about getting further assessment, as you are concerned.

To add to Kite's post and complicate matters further in some areas some assessments are undertaken by CAMHS and others by community neurodevelopmental paediatrians, and in some areas you can self refer.