At what age can ASD be diagnosed in the UK?

[Soutty]

Hi

My DS is 4.5. I have been repeatedly fobbed off by professionals telling me to wait and see, that his speech delay may wonderously improve all by itself, that his tantrums may be down to a strong personality and boys will be boys, blah blah blah.

I have him on a VBA programme. Paying for a consultant but doing all the tutoring mysef - have seen an improvement in him but have reached the stage where I know that he either has a lanuage disorder or ASD or both.

So I have decided to pay for private assessments by a clinical psychologist and a speech therapist, both of whom were recommended to me by my consultant.

The CP told me when I rang to make an appointment to have him assessed that he is too young and that all the ASD tests are geared towards children aged 6 and up. Is it really true that no one in the UK can carry out definitive tests on children aged 4.5? Really?

To say that I'm pissed off is an understatement. I've just made the decision to get private assessments for him with a view to applying for a statement (as the NHS people "involved" if you can call it that - with DS have told me I have fat chance and no chance) in the hopen that I can say, there you go, deal with that you munters and it seems that yet again I've hit a bloody brick wall.

Sorry for the rant but is this really true and if not I'd be really grateful if anyone can recommend a good private CP that can diagnose ASD in the under sixes.

When DS was dx at 2 the main clues were his total lack of interaction, eye contact and attachment. He had screamed excessively for the first 3 months of life and slept little, then became very good at routine - more clues! He has never been very rigid or routine-led, now and then but it wears off quickly, but is terrible at transitions. He was dx 14 years ago, he is 16 now, and we had a home ABA Lovaas program, that was the only thing available to a young chlid with ASD at that time and luckily we funded it and then got LEA funding. We also used PECs and a bit later Makaton, both very worthwhile. HTH.