still waiting for ASD Assessment

[Hope4000]

Hi Friends,

My son is 19 years old and has been on the waiting list for year and half. When I chased up the centre they told us it is a three year waiting time.

I am very worried about my son and wanted to ask if anyone knows if we can get an ASD Assessment any quicker way? We can’t afford private. Does anyone have any suggestions on how my son can get an assessment with a shorter waiting time?

If we have to continue to wait , my son will be 21/22 by the time he gets his assessment. I am worried that my son may not be able to break out of some behaviours without support.

Thank you for your time,

Hope4000

[Saju21]

I can’t offer much hope if you can’t afford to pay but I look at it this way- the car needs a repair, it’s costs £1-2k you find the money-borrow/ put on credit card. Same for holidays or household purchases. In the UK we soooo expect the NHS to fund everything.

The timescale is typical and unless you are in an area with ‘right to choose’ which would offer the possibility of say 6mth waiting list you pretty much stuffed.

There is no cure or treatment for ASD so the diagnosis doesn’t really mean anything except access to support in workplace or education. Maybe priority for mental health (not my experience).

If you really aren’t prepared to pay for private diagnosis then discuss with GP how you can get more support for his ‘behaviours’ - if he is on the pathway then he should be considered ASD anyway.

Good luck.

[Hope4000 in reply to Saju21]

Thank you for your reply.

[Bee-bop]

Hi there,

I am just wondering if you are more looking for support for your son rather than the diagnosis as you mention breaking out of behaviours?

Our wait time was also three years. My daughter was at secondary school and not coping which meant that the school requested an EHCP assessment and autism assessment from CAMHS was suggested too. She was given support in school and a reduced timetable which really helped and recieved the diagnosis in the last year of school. However, in college she struggled again and there's less support there and working from home was a part of the support offered.

Was your son given an EHCP as this could mean other support could be available. Did he struggle at school or attend school with any support?

In regards shorter waiting times, it is dependent upon where you live. It was currently 5 years where we live recently. None of these wait times are acceptable. However, a different daughter in their 20's was seen in about a year and told her diagnosis was more likely Dyspraxia, Dyslexia and Dyscalculia at he first part of the assessment process. Some of the struggles both of them experience are very similar.

[Zara-LouiseD]

Hi. Have you looked at right to choose if you are in the U.K.?

I went through Problem Shared - took the referral forms and short pre assessment forms off their website to my GP and asked them to refer me. I completed my subsequent pre assessment forms on 31st May and had my ASD assessment on 6th November. I was given my diagnosis later the same day after the clinical team had discussed my observational assessment and the interview they did with my husband at the same time.

I have my ADHD assessment early next month - I was told by the ASD assessors that I likely also have this, but I’d already guessed as much and put forms in for that back in May too.

It’s all subcontracted by the NHS so it’s a valid diagnosis recognised by the NHS and all in less than a year.