SALT has suggested a misdiagnosis some 13 yrs on

[eatyourveg]

ds3 diagnosed with ASD when he was 3. (Now 14.6) Had his annual assessment from SALT today for the annual review next month. She rang to tell me how it went and in the course of the conversation mentioned that if we wanted, she could refer him to the paed for a reassessment as she thought he wasn't autistic, what he had was a language disorder and he had been misdiagnosed.

I have spoken v briefly to ds and told him that it is up to him to decide what he wants to do but I want to find out as much as I can so we can have a proper chat and he can make an informed decision - it is up to him in the end .

So...

1.What are the benefits of keeping the diagnosis even if it may not be accurate?
2.What are the disadvantages of keeping the diagnosis?
3.Would a change of diagnosis automatically render his statement invalid?
4.Should we give up the statement? (he is at an independent school that we are funding as there is no case for naming it in part IV)
5.How might he cope if the diagnosis remained? (not sure if he sees it as a millstone around his neck which he could possibly be free of)

Is there anything else we should consider?

One dissenting opinion does not a misdiagnosis make. Spectrum fringes and overlaps are common. Outcomes in adulthood of ASD and language impairments are similar.

In the current context of chopping statements following annual review, and of their frequent removal as a belated 16th birthday present, I would be a bit wary of anyone seeking to have a competent professional's diagnosis removed 11 years on, unless there was strong evidence of a miracle cure.

I suspect your generic SLT has recently done some learning on this but unless she also has a very high level of knowledge on the subtle social and imagination deficits in very high-functioning dc with ASD, tread carefully. There are plenty of teenagers on waiting lists to get an ASD diagnosis, having been wrongly told at 2 or 3 that it would all settle once their speech improved. If you do decide to get a second opinion, consider Great Ormond Street social-communication disorders clinic.

specialist SLI schools can be named in part 4. Or she might be angling to get some more SLT provision added to part 3 of his statement. It ought to be possible to access the same services even with ASD on top of SLI, but sadly, ASD often means everyone assumes th difficulties are not amenable to help.

But children with SLI usually don't get statements at all, and I would imagine you'd end up fighting hard to keep it, especially for sixth form. Think this is a case for discussion with ipsea or sos:sen