Can someone explain the process for assessment/diagnosis please?

[Furiousfive]

Hi all,

My son's school requested a meeting this week and asked me to take him to the GP to start the process of him being assessed/referred. They have concerns about his social interactions and his inability to cope in the classroom.

He's 7 and we've had issues with his behaviour throughout his schooling (poor impulse control which manifests as sometimes being physical with other kids; struggling to control emotions; not listening to the teacher etc) but it's never got to the stage of the SENCO being involved as he would have 'bad' weeks but then would be fine with no incidents for several weeks after. Nobody has found any obvious triggers for the behaviour.

However, since starting Y3, he's become very emotional at home and at school, he can't seem to cope with minor incidents that happen in the classroom and will either overreact or run off/hide, and school has noted that he's not very happy :(. They've been helpful in putting in some strategies to help him and my husband and I thought he would take some time to settle in - as the jump from Y2 to Y3 does seem quite big and being a summer-born, he's always struggled with the maturity side - but would ultimately be ok.

We suspected for a while there is something not quite right but thought that while he was coping at school, it wasn't worth getting him 'labelled'. However, they now feel he would benefit from being assessed and although I've tried to find out the process for this, I can't understand it fully - can someone either explain it or please send me any links? Who will the GP refer him to? And is it a very long process? School didn't say exactly what they think he should be tested for, but I would think it would be ASD from these behaviours.

Hi,

Sorry to hear your little one is having a tough time.

The GP is a good starting point, they’ll take a background with you and refer on from there to whoever they feel is most appropriate. In my son’s case it was to the Child Development Unit to a consultant but it was nearly 3 months before that appointment came about.

The other thing to look at at the same time is going down the EHCP route. As a parent you can make a request to the LA for an assessment because you have concerns. There’s a lot of help online to help you fill it out, IPSEA and SENDIASS are particularly good. If school are supportive of this they can apply and you’d fill in the parental section.

On a total aside from that, your son seems to be showing a lot of the behaviours my son did, might be worth a look at Sensory Processing Disorder. In my son’s case, a lot of the presenting behaviours were down to sensory seeking behaviours or hypersensitivity to things going on in the classroom. It’s not officially recognised in the UK so he won’t get a “diagnosis” I’m the traditional sense. If it does resonate with you I’d advise asking for a referral to an OT to explore it further, the GP should be able to refer you if they don’t take referrals directly. We’re looking into ADHD as well as poor impulse control is a hallmark of some his behaviours and he ticks a lot of the boxes, for lack of a better phrase.

Good luck with everything

Hope this helps you to understand the diagnostic process
www.autism.org.uk/about/diagnosis/children.aspx
NHS via the GP takes around 18 months to 2 years from referral to diagnosis as the services are so overloaded, the waitlists can be very long. It depends on which area you live in.

Good info on Sensory Processing, it's included in some of the newer assessments for ASD
www.falkirk.gov.uk/services/social-care/disabilities/docs/young-people/Making%20Sense%20of%20Sensory%20Behaviour.pdf?v=201507131117