Private assessment?

[Worriedmum1511]

I have a 4 year old who has been under peads and salt since she was two. She had a preschool assessment which identified social difficulties, speech difficulties and sleep difficulties.

She has recently started school and is coping amazingly whilst in school and then utterly fallen apart at home. The school have wanted to do parenting support but I have done incredible years twice and over half term I had my little girl back and it was amazing so I don't see how it's my parenting.

Anyway, we are firmly stuck in the waiting list for her next peads where the receptionist said preschool aged children are priority so mine is no longer priority and likely seen in january. Then if she gets referred back for further assessment it's going to be 9 months until initial appointment and likely two years until assessment.

Alternatively I have found a very highly recommended private clinic who will assess etc. I am looking at scraping the money together for assessment so I know one way or another.

My concern is then getting school etc to accept ny potential diagnosis and to also fill in their side of the necessary paperwork.

Does anyone know how private assessments work when it comes to schools etc?

We have had private assessments for ASD and ADHD for our DS and have had no issues with the school at all, they have been very involved with the process and have have always been available when needed, be it questionnaires /school observations and feedback sessions.

I would suggest meeting with the school SENCO and asking then if they would be happy to be part of the process.

I wouldn't hesitate to do it again, we were looking a a very long wait on the NHS at a time when our DS really needed a lot of support.

I would do it if you can afford it. Ds is 15 and was diagnosed with ASD by the NHS a few weeks ago. The whole experience has been negative for us. Very long wait, zero post diagnosis support. Poorly written report and diagnosis letter. His diagnosis appointment was a generic chat about autism, nothing personal to ds. We feel very let down by the whole process.

I'm sure the school would be fine with a private diagnosis. To be honest after our NHS experience I think the private route will be more thorough and much more helpful!

I think I've read the advice on here before to check if your private diagnostician also diagnoses on the NHS. If so I don't think there could be any reason for anybody to not accept the diagnosis. (I don't know if this is a real concern! But may be worth looking into to be on the safe side).

I'm looking at Dr keen and she does both and seems highly recommended.

I'm hoping sendiass will be able to confirm school etc will have to accept a private diagnosis.

I'm not sure if they would even know: it would just be a diagnosis by Dr Keen? Might be worth asking her secretary as they are probably asked this question a lot?

Daphne Keen is very highly regarded in her field of expertise, on a par with Lorna Wing Centre and Judith Gould.I don't think any school or LA could challenge their diagnostic credibilities, simply because they also accept NHS referrals. The NHS are not going to refer to a professional then refuse to acknowledge the validity of their dx.

I've only encountered the 'you paid for that dx so it's not as credible as an NHS one' viewpoint on things I've read on MN over quite a few years.
Much of it comes from playground gossip 'Her kid only got dxd because they paid for it and it's an excuse he hasn't got that, he's just a little expletive, she's a crap parent. Our kid has a proper NHS dx.'

Obviously, totally ignore anything you hear from those uninformed sources.

The ones to be concerned about are the parents who report that either School or the GP or the LA will not accept private dxs.

GPs cannot 'rubber stamp' any private dx, because it has not been carried out by an NHS professional, unless the professional concerned also undertakes work for the NHS , like Daphne Keen, Lorna Wing Centre etc.

Schools - Usually SENCOs - This could be because the SENCO knows the diagnostic team do not also carry out NHS dx and is refusing on that score or because parents have paid for a comprehensive screening test which outlines all the pointers for a dx so believe they have an actual dx, when in fact all they have is a 'strong likelihood indicator' of their child having that condition. even the Lorna Wing centre do this sort of test and I've seen someone post here very distressed that her school wouldn't accept LWC's dx, only to discover it wasn't a dx, only the screening test, therefore school could not action any interventions as it was not a full dx.

LAs This comes up a lot when people apply for EHCPs. 'The LA will not accept the private dx.'
I never went through that process, so again from what I've read here, it seems as though it's a delaying tactic by the LA as they can be very oppositional do deal with. The poster Goldmandra I think did outline a way to prove a non-NHS dx HAS to be accepted by the LA, but I can't remember what that was, so if anyone is in that situation, maybe drop her a pm.

TL:DR There is no way a GP, School or LA could refuse a dx from a professional who also dxs for the NHS because a parent paid to have their child assessed by them privately.

They would in effect be challenging that professional's or the diagnostic team's credibility by saying NHS and private clients were assessed differently by the same people.
Imagine the storm caused by suggesting the same diagnostic team assessed NHS clients fairly and accurately, yet gave a dx to anyone who paid them privately.

I don't think you'll have any problem going to Daphne Keen, but by all means ring her Secretary, I'm sure they must know of the situation and be able to put your mind at rest.

Good Luck for the assessment