how long does it ususally take to get a dx of asd? DD (5) has only had 2 paed appts...

[josben]

but the paed wants to dx asd. I'm not sure if its too early, as she has only had 2 paed appts...?

I have had concerns since she was toddler and her reception teacher said it would be a good idea for DD to see a paed and that she thought she may have aspergers. But my Mum and DH do not think that it is ASD. I go through periods of total worry and then thinking no she's fine shes just a bit behind / immature...

Her Year 1 teacher says that she has settled in well and seems to play with other children at playtime. But she does need extra help with her work (1:1) and they are doing groupwork with her to help DD with her social skills.

I do want DD to get all the help we can get her, but I am scared of labelling her too soon...?

It isn't a label, it's a signpost. It is good that she is getting help sooner rather than later.

Presumably the paed you saw is an expert? So he/she is more likely to recognise ASD than your parents? You said you had concerns about her, yet don't want to believe the paed?

It took 18 months for us to get a dx and while at the time it seemed a long time, looking back it was good because it gave us time to get our heads round it all (still a shock though, I that makes sense). Before dx I called it a label, but it isn't, it's just who they are and it's help too.

The autism team would have been happy to dx DS with fairly severe AS after me filling in a questionnaire and them observing him in school. They carried out an ADOS test to 'tick boxes' but it merely confirmed what they already knew. He was 8 at the time.

4 months from start to finish,however we was told to expect an autism dx at first pead appointment.He has classic autism so it was pretty obvious.
I think they only waited 4 months so we were in a good state of mind to gather knowledge of the spectrum and help our son move forward.

We have multi-agency assessments in our area. There is a team of five: paed, SALT, Ed Psych, Clinical Psych and someone else I can't remember! Our Dx took 18 months from us first talking to the GP and visiting the Ed Psychs at a drop-in. They, too, whisked out their form as soon as we'd begun talking, and had him pegged from the start.

What shocked me was how little time they spent with DS1 himself, and how much they went on what I'd observed. I've got year's worth of diaries documenting his every move, which depressed the hell out of me to write. I felt immense pressure during the Dx period, that all the responsibility lay with me, and what I documented/said. This was going to shape my boy's future...

I flet very much like you, OP, around Dx-I'd go for days thinking there's nothing untoward, then realise how many consessions I was making for him. I still do find myself thinking he's actually fine, and they got it wrong...then he does something so off the wall, and it all comes home to me.

DS2 was 3.6 when he had his DX, 6 months from first paed appt, but she said ASD or language disorder at first appt. I doubted it for a few months, it took time to get my head around it and get properly read up on the subject. She was right, though, and the DX helped with getting support.

If dd2 Pre school had done their jobs we would have had dx in 6 months aged 3 years but we waited just over a year in the end, still aged 3
I would think paed knows what's his talking about and they don't like to dx ona whim.

Any early help is of huge benefit and sadly without dx your limited on wht will be offered

Thanks v much for your posts,

i think that i feel really responsible as i filled in the questionnaire and attended the 2 paed appts - DH wasn't there. Also DD hasn't been observed at school by a paed. She was observed by a SALT and they wrote a report which the paed recieved, and she has had inclusion support in to school to observe her and they are going in again this week but as far as I'm aware inclusion haven't been consulted on her dx or written a report to the paed.

I know DD's teacher has had a questionnaire to fill in but the Paed hadn't recieved that when i had a letter saying they thought that DD may features that could be suggestive of Aspergers. Also DD saw 2 different PAeds and there was a 6 month gap between appts. SO I am just worried that once DD has the dx it will always be there. Although if i thought it would enable her to get the extra help that she needs then that would be different i just wonder if she will get the extra help?