ASD diagnosis today... What now?

[JustBeingJuliet]

Ds (9) got an ADHD diagnosis a couple of months ago and is doing well on his meds; not been in trouble as much at school and generally calmer. Got a last minute cancellation appointment this morning for an autism assessment (was initially told the wait could be up to 18 months!) and they've diagnosed high functioning autism and given me lots of websites etc to look at.

So, what now? I'm going in to talk to school later - will this diagnosis mean we can now access more support for him? I can't work out how I'm feeling at the moment!

It should certainly help in accessing support: for some reason actually having a diagnosis does tend to act as a trigger. Can the people who assessed him advise as to the specific help he will need in school?

I think they will be writing to school so that may outline measures which need to be in place. I don't know whether I feel happy or sad at the minute!

Hi juliet take some time to adjust to the new diagnosis. It is perfectly natural to have mixed feelings, no one wants their child to have a disability but having the correct diagnosis can be so much better than always wondering why your child (or yourself)is different!!

Be kind to yourself eat and good luck