"Parents only" feedback appointment

[LiefievdM]

Hi, just wondering if anyone has any personal experience with this.

We have been invited to a feedback meeting with the local "Social Communication Pathway" diagnostic panel. My DS has been assessed and observed by multiple HCPs in multiple settings over the past year, but has not had an ADOS. (We were told that not all children require ADOS, as some clearly have ASD or not based on other observations/assessments - which we have now had).

I was just wondering if the fact that they specifically request we attend without him has any significance in terms of diagnosis/not? He'll be 29 months when we have the appointment.

Not in terms of dx but maybe the message is getting through to professionals that it's beyond dire for kids to sit passively whilst they list their deficits and suggest interventions.

Or it could be they just have a certain time to pass on the info to you and it's easier to do an adults only session than have a parent only half-attentive as they're trying to supervise their child at the same time as listen to the dx and interventions

Yes you're right. I agree it would be dire indeed for a child. However, my son has almost zero receptive language, so wouldn't have a clue. He'd just be in his own world playing with his cars.

Thanks for the reply. Silly question really. Just trying to second guess things because the wait for any real feedback is so damn excruciatingly long theoughout the process.

We are at the same stage but have been told we can choose whether to bring our much older DS. I think we won't bring him. But we are double, triple guessing ourselves trying to glean any scrap of a hint from the appt letter.

I am telling myself sternly that the letter is probably standard for our area, whether the child is diagnosed, sent forward to ADOS or deemed not to be on the autism spectrum.

I think some parents might be upset to be told their child has ASC, others upset to be told the reverse, so perhaps better not to have the child there for any outcome. Plus you can concentrate & take it in better without him perhaps.

It is most likely because it is generally much easier for the adults to have a conversation without the distraction of the child being there. If the hcps don’t need to observe the child for anything at that point it makes more sense to not have them there as generally they are a pretty big distraction.

When ds had his ados we took him back to school and then went back for the results without him there so we could talk and ask questions

We had a similar feedback meeting for DS, they said it wasn't necessary for him to attend, but I guess we could have taken him if we had no alternative childcare. This is where we received the diagnosis.

Thanks everyone. Just wait and see now, I guess. I feel like everything is on hold until we know for sure either way. Although, to be honest, I will feel rather crushed if he doesn't get diagnosed. It's been a hard slog with all the well-meaning family memebers and nursery workers constantly telling me how young he is and pretty much always implying that I am neurotic and over reacting and basically just need to learn to control him better. to everyone else playing this diagnostic waiting game x