Questioning the diagnosis

[Chargertest]

Hi, is it normal to do this? Our DS was given diagnosis of autism at 3.5 years old. I had my suspicions around the 2 year mark so i sort of kicked things off by mentioning it to my HV but now I'm questioning the whole process of how he was diagnosed. A Salt observed him in both his nurseries for 15 mins each time and then he spent about 30 mins with a psychologist and we filled in questionnaires. I guess it doesnt really feel like a robust enough process to make an accurate call. Spending essentially 30 mins at nursery is barely even a snap shot of someones day. Can I ask if others feel the same?

That contact with nursery will also have included collecting reports from staff who work with your DS all the time.

A diagnosis at this age is usually because there's something fairly obvious because the majority of parents get fobbed off with "wait and see" or "do these parenting courses" for years on end. That diagnosis doesn't remain set in stone. DS1 was diagnosed around the same age and his autism has been amended to atypical autism (code for we don't diagnose pathological demand avoidance here so this is the best way we can describe it without being misleading) and he has also gathered a load of comorbid diagnoses in the 12 years since - some as new information has become evident and some have sprung up with hormonal changes, never not being there, but becoming more problematic.

It doesn’t feel it’s all that robust. I felt I had quite an exhaustive process with dd11, less so with dd7. But I believe both the diagnoses and with two NT dds also, I have no doubt it’s the right diagnoses. I think sometimes they may be brief due to costs when the fact that they have ASD is obvious. Getting a needs assessment for your DC when it’s time to go to school/nursery is really where the best info on your child is.

Where would we get a needs assessment from? Is that something that the nursery would do for us? Neither nursery thought there was an issue

It’s the first stage in applying for an EHCP. I think you should get one after diagnosis! Do you think he needs additional support at nursery?

We have meetings with the nurseries but they don't think he requires an EHCP, which he probably doesn't. Just feels like we got the diagnosis, which didn't seem very thorough and then nothing aftwrwards in terms of what we can do to support him. We are considering seeing if we can get a second opinion. As neither nursery settings mentioned any issues before the diagnosis a s don't seem to think he needs a plan

I don't blame you, that doesn't sound robust at all.