Assessment for ASD - What to expect and how to make the most of it?

[pencilsharpener]

Hello. I've not posted here before so forgive me if my queries seem simple.

I have a 12 yr old DS who has just finished Y7 at a grammar school. Always thought life would be easy for him (he never cried as a baby, was classified as "gifted" in Maths aged 5, seemed happy in his own company etc) but has never grown out of many of the quirks/difficulties that I assumed were down to immaturity.

The past couple of years have been dreadful. His wandering off has got worse. His lack of empathy has become more apparent. His honest remarks to people now come across as rude, rather than just funny as they did when he was little. And he has found the move to secondary school extremely difficult (as he can't cope with the organisation that's required) and has been having major meltdowns culminating in lots of violence mainly directed at me.

Having met us all a few times, the school nurse has asked CAMHS to assess him for ASD and we have an appointment soon.

My question is what can we expect at this meeting & how can I get the most benefit out of it? I've seen lots of comments on this board about how long it has taken other people to get a diagnosis, so any hints on how to move the process along as quickly as possible would be greatly appreciated!

Having now read up about ASD, I can see that my DS exhibits lots of the issues that appear on the lists. But I'm a bit concerned that because he's intelligent, DS has learnt to conceal his problems, so an outside observer wouldn't spot them e.g. I have taught him over many years to have much better eye-contact. Also, he has TICS but can conceal them pretty well when in the presence of others - it's just at home it all comes out!

Sorry if this is a bit rambling. As you can imagine I'm still struggling with being in this situation.

Thank you for any help.

In my experience, I sensed something was wrong and requested my GP to refer us to a Developmental Paediatrician and Speech Therapist for assessment. Their knowledge and experience meant their diagnosis was quick to make and although never nice to hear, it is in some way a relief to give it a name and then move forward with more specific help, geared towards them as individuals. It is less frightening when you know what you are faced with.

The assessment itself relies on as much information you can give at the start and they then put this together with what they witness at the meeting and how the child reacts to various specific tasks. It's not as scary as it sounds, it is strangely comforting to have someone who knows what they are talking about and can give you clear direction on what is needed.

I believe the CAMHS is a multi-disciplinary appointment, so should incorporate professionals from each area, to help in the diagnosis.

I think I'm rambling now as both my ASD boys have just returned from the park and the noise is stopping me from offering more constructive advice.

No doubt someone on this forum will offer more appropriate advice & I wish you the best of luck.

I'm new to mn too but I have just had my first meeting with CAMHS yesterday for diagnosis of my DS who is 7.
I found them to be very helpful. They asked lot's of questions about the problems we experience and when they started. While explaining they would ask further questions about when he was a baby/toddler/nursery age etc. They also asked DS about things too. We now have an appointment in November to carry on the assessment as the first appointment is just to find out what 'issues' there are and if anything further needs doing. Hope this helps.

Thank you both for your replies.

Is there anything specific I should bring with me to the meeting do you think? School reports etc? Or is it just a question of talking about the various issues? I suppose I'm just wondering whether they will need to see evidence of the issues I raise or if they will be happy to just listen to me rambling!

Thanks.

I took things incase but didn't need them. We just talked about the issues. Didn't ask to see anything. Although I have been keeping a diary as I was told this is useful for spotting patterns of behaviour (which it has). I also had a school communication book which I had with me and spoke about but again I didn't need to show it. Think the first appointment is to establish the main concerns to determine what root of action will be taken. Doesn't hurt to have things with you in case but if it's like the appointment we they won't be needed :-)

You don't need any evidence for them, they are happy to listen to your description - as Pigzgrunt78 says, it is just an initial meeting to talk through your concerns and see the child in person.

..oh and, for you - take a little notepad and pencil and jot down any questions you have as I find my head goes blank, when emotions kick in! x

Hi, my DS has also just finished year 7 and has just gone through all the assessments for asd. My ds didn't show many traits when younger, just mainly anxiety and some speech problems, he was a bit different from his peers but I didn't even consider ASD until he was diagnosed with dyspraxia and spd in year 6 and it was flagged up.

My DS got alot worse this last year , has alot of vocal tics , sound sensitivity, and has major problems with organization.

He is very happy at school though which helps and is doing welll, with some support.

His first appointment where ASD was mentioned was with a community peadiatrician who listened to me, spoke to my ds and asked him some questions.