Any recommendations for ASD Assessment- London

[toddybell]

DC (3) has shown signs of ASD since infancy. Each time I queried these, I was told by HV they were 'normal' and/or that DC would outgrow these 'quirks'- they haven't. Lots of research and information gathering later and I think DC would benefit from a Paediatrician assessment to find out what on earth is going on. The current waiting lists for Paeds referrals are 18 months. I can't afford to wait that long sadly. Anyone have any recommendations of someone they've seen who actually listened and tried to understand?

Anyone?

I didn't end up using them but I did look into the Lorna Wing Centre. I think I was quoted between £2,000-£3,000 for a full autism assessment. At the time I was told their wait times are around 6 months.

I think ideally it's best to get a private assessment/diagnosis via people who also work for the NHS.

I'm also London and I know that the wait for an ASD assessment is around 2/3 years where I am. It's a national scandal IMO.

I would also say that your Ds should be getting support from nursery/school even if he doesn't have a diagnosis - legally it's based on need.

Apologies, I've just re-read your post and you don't say if you have a DD or a DS.

We are in London but were diagnosed by NHS Paeds so we don't have a direct recommendation to make. It might be worth checking if you have an NAS branch in your area - there might be members there who could make a local recommendation. www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/branches?searchTerm=London&postalcode=&radius=20&orderBy=score

In terms of urgency, it's worth being aware that Dx may not bring much in terms of additional support: schools are supposed to support based on needs rather than Dx. E.g. I believe you can apply for an EHCP based on needs and without a Dx (though I haven't done it personally).

Fully understand there may be other reasons for urgency so please ignore if this isn't relevant to your situation.