How long is normal to wait for a formal report following an assessment/DX?

[notfromaroundhere]

DS1 was DX with ASD at a multi-disciplinary assessment over 5 weeks ago. I have chased up the report and been told it will be at least another week before I get it, possibly longer so that will make it 6, possibly 7 weeks. We got the summary assessment about
a week after the DX but it doesn't really say much.

Am I being very impatient? I reeeallly want the report as I think we are going to have to explore the private route. DS1 is coming along nicely atm and I want to try and keep that going but fear without some real help its not going to happen.

It depends on (1) how many professionals have to contribute (2) whether several reports will be attached or several contributions sent to a secretary and condensed into one report (3) if someone has gone on holiday and (4) whether all the staff are full time - for example I work for the NHS one day a week and it's very hard to find time to write reports- I rely on people failing to attend to give me some spare time.

People are under pressure and it can be several days or even weeks before they have an "admin slot" boooked into their diary to write reports. And even then, sometimes the admin slot gets eaten up with a clinical contact. Clincal contacts carry more "importance" whereas writing reports doesn't help the waiting list figures. Lots of admin goes without the appropriate attention because it;s not regarded as high priority by trust managers and the staff know that.

6 weeks sounds about right. We were given copies of the reports that the everyone used during the case conference before we left the meeting but it was about 6 weeks before we got the 'neat' versions of the reports and the Paed's summary and opinion.

Thanks I did suspect I was just being impatient, its just a bit hard as atm I feel a bit lost with it all which is why the private route is being considered. Still another coupling of weeks of bumbling through won't do any harm!

If I'm totally honest, I'd probably take the private route if you can afford to, depending on exactly what your child needs.

I used to work full time in the NHS but got very fed up and started working privately at the same time. My private patients get exactly what they need and they get it right away. My NHS patients have to wait ages for anything and lose precious developmental time. Sad but true.

And the parents are rightly pissed off with the waiting around and nothing happening and they think it's you personally. NHS therapists get a hard time from parents and that was one of the reasons I went private. Most of my colleagues are doing the dame, which makes the NHS system even worse!

Same therapist NHS or private. The private therapist can get on with doing her job whereas the NHS one is caught up in red tape. Worth a thought.

doing the same....doing the dame obviously highly dubious!

Thanks for your reply Mowai, I appreciate your honesty on your expereince of the system.

Part of the problem is knowing which person to approach with getting advice for DS1's needs which is again why I am eager to get the report. As well as being DX with ASD some phyiscal problems were identified and there is a possibility I could use a medical policy my mum has him under but I can't do that until I know for sure who needs to be seen. OTOH we have a nurse coming to our house to take his bloods which I was blown away with and assumed I would take him to the hospital (which I had no problem with at all).

I am acutely aware of how overstretched the NHS therapist's are and from a clinical POV I think my DS1 is considered low priority as he has made good progress to date with little formal intervention. We saw the SALT last week but we were actually already doing all her proposed suggestions so she was unprepared for the next stage as it were. Plus she also works part time, has a large caseload so by the time she has had a chance to think further it will be a few weeks before we hear any more. His preschool are considered to be very able so it is unlikely the specialist teacher will go in there as there's not much she could tell them that they don't already do apparently.

This is totally understandable but as his parent he is high priority for me and I truly believe I could be doing more but without guidance and back-up I am stumbling in the dark. We would need to appeal to family members to fund private therapy so I want to make sure I approach the right people which again brings me back to waiting for the report.