diagnosis of asd

[reallyconfusedmum]

my daughter has been diagnosed with asd this morning, came as a bit of a shock as she has been treated for severe social anxiety for the last year.
we have been kind of left up in the air and not really sure what happens next, walked out of camhs in a state of shock.
just wondered if anyone could give us some advice as to what to do next.
many thanks in advance.

Hi welcome , just a quick one as more knowledgeable people will be along later ,

Welcome to the SN board. :)

My info's probably too out of date to be of any help but I'll do my best.

I'd give yourself some time to let the news sink in. A dx can be difficult to deal with even if it's one that was expected. If you weren't expecting it, it will probably have been a heck of a shock.

When you feel up to it, you could look into applying for Disability Living Allowance for your daughter. It's not a nice form but the extra money will really help with some of the extra costs associated with ASD.

If she doesn't already have a Statement to help her at school/pre-school it could be worth thinking about getting a request put in for one.

Good luck.

Sorry the dx has been such a shock, I know how you feel, I went through exactly the same when DS was diagnosed last year. I came very close to seeking a second opinion, but I finally gave up as I didn't want DS to go through any more assessments.

Be kind to yourself, allow sometime for the dx to sink in. Come to this board for fantastic support. I would recommend Ambitious About Autism forum as well.

What helped me the most was reading about ASD, attending courses and try to become an expert on DS' needs. We are a much happier family as a result.

We've been lucky the LEA has just agreed to carry out Statutory Assessment of DS' educational needs. We found the Autism Advisory Teacher's support essential in achieving this as the SENCO had been reluctant to apply pre-dx. But you could apply for it yourself, no need to wait for the school to do it.

If you decide to apply for DLA check the CEREBRA guide , is very good.

Maybe is worth asking for Occupational Therapy input, DS' paed referred him to the service.

You might find meeting and talking to other parents in similar circumstances useful so check your local NAS for a carer's group.

thank you everyone xx
she already has a statement at school for learning difficulties and the anxiety.
do i need to let school know in September about the dx, she is due her annual review in September for her statement and i am thinking that some of the things mentioned on it will need to be changed. does anybody know if they will do this at the review or do we need to go through the process again.
i will look into the dla. and all the other advice
thank you all again xx