Can A Gp Diagnose Autism

My Child Has Been Diagnosed With Autism Whats Next

If your child is diagnosed with autism, you may have a lot of questions following your assessment. Chances are you will want to learn more about autism, want to know how to access services and support, and perhaps join a support or autism group.

Post-diagnostic support is important. The assessor, or the organisation that your child was assessed in, may be able to offer follow-up services after your diagnosis and might be able to answer your questions and point you towards support services for your child. For example, you may be able to access:

• A post diagnostic meeting, providing information about what autism is, supports and services and strategies and interventions.
• Training and workshops to learn more about autism.
• Services such as counselling, a psychologist or other professionals for your child.
• Online or face-to-face support groups.
• Short-term accommodation options.

You can learn more about support and services available to you in our Support for adults with autism page.

If You Are Told You Are Not Autistic

Sometimes people are told they aren’t autistic, and sometimes they may be given a diagnosis they don’t agree with.

You can seek a second opinion, which either means going back to your GP to explain that you aren’t happy with your diagnosis and ask them to refer you elsewhere, or paying for a private assessment.

If you go for a second assessment, remember that it may reach the same conclusion as your first.

What Questions Should I Ask

Its important to find an ABA provider and therapists who are a good fit for your family. The first step is for therapists to establish a good relationship with your child. If your child trusts his therapists and enjoys spending time with them, therapy will be more successful and fun!

The following questions can help you evaluate whether a provider will be a good fit for your family. Remember to trust your instincts, as well!

Recommended Reading: Dog Breed For Autistic Child

Don’t Miss: Difference Between Autism And Sensory Processing Disorder

Equipment And Assistive Technology

You can visit The Better Living Centre to find out about the help that is available for you and the person you care for to live a happy, healthy, safe and independent life in your own home.

Quite often, all it takes for someone to live comfortably, independently and safely in their home is a few items of simple equipment or technology.

The Better Living Centre can help you find the best gadgets, trained staff can show you the equipment in action and you can try before you buy in the demonstration house.

Health Coaches And Personal Health And Wellness Trainers Make Physical Fitness Fun

Maybe you havent pictured yourself as the next Jillian Michaels or Bob Harper, but thats exactly what you could achieve with your ABA degree.Many of the worlds most successful trainers and health coaches studied nutrition or exercise science and have a degree in one of these disciplines. However, with a background in ABA, youll be able to take your clients to the next level by going beyond teaching exercise and nutrition to actually applying tried and tested techniques for bringing about the kind of behavioral change required to achieve and maintain peak fitness.

Fitness is a mental game above all else, and ABAs are trained to help people break unhealthy habits, while teaching and reinforcing the healthy ones.

Also, individuals who choose to study ABA often do so out of a deep desire to help others. What better way to help others improve their lives than to help them achieve both physical and mental health?

Imagine the wide variety of directions you could take this careeryou could work in a corporate fitness center or top health club, contract with a physical therapy office, or work independently with wealthy clients in their home gyms.

You May Like: Freddie Highmore Disability

Assessment For Autism Diagnosis

A formal diagnosis is done by a psychologist, psychiatrist, or neuropsychologist who does adult ASD assessments. A good place to start to find such a person is through your local autism society or by contacting the governing body for that profession. Most have a college or association and they may be able to provide you with some names of people in your area. You can also ask around, maybe through members of a support group. How did they get their diagnosis who did it? If there is a local university or medical teaching hospital, there may be a psychology department you can be referred to.

If a formal assessment is too expensive, contact the local autism society or services organization to see if they have someone on staff or a consulting psychologist. Some universities, hospitals or clinical centers offer assessments by supervised graduate students who need practical experience in diagnosing. If you are in on-going therapy for other issues, a therapist may suggest the possibility of ASD and be willing to give a diagnosis.

Keep in mind that there is no standardized screening tool tailored to adults that is universally endorsed. Some of the autism tests specifically designed for adults are: ADOS 2 Module 4, ADI-R, 3Di Adult, OCI-R, AFQ, SRS 2, RAADS-14, AdAS Spectrum.

After A Childs Diagnosis

Once a diagnosis is made, the parents will receive a copy of the assessment report. This report is used to plan a program for the child in consultation with parents and service providers.

The assessment report is also used by government agencies, schools, respite care and other services to determine eligibility for funding or other support.

It is important to remember that a diagnosis does not change who your child is.

A diagnosis can be useful, however, to help inform families, professionals, child care workers, teachers and other people involved in the childs care or learning about what strategies, interventions, or supports have been shown to be effective with other children with similar difficulties.

It is important to note that a diagnosis can inform developmental, educational and social outcomes at any age, no matter when the individual is diagnosed.

Also Check: Autism Outgrow

Solihull Adults Support Group

The Solihull Autism Support Group meets one evening a month at a community room at Solihull Methodist Church. The group can support up to 15 people with autism and is run by Autism West Midlands.

The group supports people over 18 with Autism and Asperger Syndrome to meet others with the same disability, share experiences and issues and realise they are not alone. The support groups also provide advice and coping strategies for these issues to help them develop. Social contact is also a key element of the support group and members meet for a drink after the meeting.

A New Understanding Of Asd

After reading and researching ASD and feeling certain this information describes yourself, you may experience an identity shift towards one that is autistic. Reflecting back on moments in your life, you may view things that happened in a different context, through the lens of autism. Retelling the story of your life may now have the ASD perspective. Remembering your stories, reflecting on them, and receiving feedback will change your narrative. This process of self-discovery helps to make sense of whats happened in your life how having ASD has shaped the way you think, react and feel. Maybe some of the confusion is gone, you understand yourself better, and in time you can share this discovery with people you trust.

This new identity may also cause feelings of loss, resentment or anger. Its OK to feel this way as this is a life changing event and it can feel overwhelming. Try to think about the positive things such as your strengths. People continue to grow, change and adapt throughout their lifespan. You can learn new skills and find new ways to do things that may make life easier and more comfortable.

Recommended Reading: Freddie Highmore Is He Autistic

How Could I Reach Adulthood Without Realizing Im Autistic

Due to financial factors, long waiting lists, misdiagnosis or even outdated ideas relating to gender, there are large numbers of autistic adults who never received a formal diagnosis. Without a full understanding of themselves, these individuals likely have grown up with a lot of anxiety due to sensory overload or the stress of masking.

Some autistic adults may even have spent time in to psychiatric units when autistic burnout is mistaken for a nervous breakdown. This can lead to being misdiagnosed with a personality disorder or even being given incorrect medication. These combined issues also mean that difficulty entering and keeping long term employment is frequent problem. Since there is no public route for pursuing an adult diagnosis, they may be forced to go private, which may be too expensive for them to access.

Who Should Diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorders

It seems that everyone, including the lady at the grocery store, can spot autism when they see it. But of course, it’s not that simple. Autism is not just a collection of personality traits and personal interests, and not everyone who prefers solitude and comic books is autistic. In fact, autism is a serious developmental disability, and diagnosis requires testing, evaluation, and an in-depth understanding of the disorder.

Read Also: Comorbidity Of Adhd And Autism

What You Can Do While You Wait For An Assessment

If you think you or your child need support at school, home or at work, you can start getting help before having an assessment.

You can:

• find a local support group using the National Autistic Society services directory
• talk to teachers or special educational needs staff at your child’s school
• speak to student support services at college or university
• speak to your manager or human resources at work
• ask your local council for a needs assessment to see what support they can recommend

Ners Of Autistic People

Some autistic people will successfully maintain relationships. However, like most relationships, there are challenges.

An adults diagnosis of autism often follows their childs diagnosis of autism or that of another relative. This double whammy can be extremely distressing to the partner who has to cope simultaneously with both diagnoses. Counselling, or joining a support group where they can talk with other people who face the same challenges, can be helpful.

An autistic partner, like any partner, will have strengths and weaknesses when it comes to relationships. A non-autistic partner may find that there are communication breakdowns, such as misunderstandings or finding that your partner is not able to predict your feelings. An autistic partner may need routine, order and time to pursue their hobbies.

Relationship counselling with a counsellor or psychologist experienced at working with autistic people can assist couples to develop strategies and to communicate more effectively with each other.

Also Check: Pivotal Response Training Certification

What Happens During A Child’s Autism Assessment

Observation and interaction are key elements of an autism assessment for a child.

At Autism SA, they take place with a member of the Diagnostic Team in a dedicated space featuring a range of games and toys that may be used as part of the assessment. While this occurs, parents or carers are interviewed in an adjoining room and detailed information about their childs development and current patterns of behaviour is recorded.

Assessments are videoed to enable members of the team not present in the room to observe and contribute to the findings.

During an assessment, we are looking for specific characteristics and behaviours that are likely to indicate whether or not a child is on the autism spectrum. Assessments may look unstructured, but they are being conducted by very skilled professionals who are looking for very specific patterns of behaviour.

Much of what happens during the assessment will actually be led by the child, and this enables the diagnostician to observe a range of behaviours.

In some cases, it may be that the Diagnostic Team will also want to observe a child in another setting, such as at kindergarten or at school.

The time required for an assessment can vary, from between 1 to 2½ hours. Parents and carers will be advised of the length of time it is anticipated will be needed in their appointment letter.

What Do I Do If My Child Is In A Passe

Schedule an appointment with your childs primary care physician to discuss your concerns about your childs development. Also, contact your childs Care Coordinator to discuss your concerns and ask about autism-related services covered by the PASSE.

Arkansas Total Care: 1-866-282-6280Empower: 1-866-261-1286Summit: 1-844-405-4295

For more information about autism-specific testing and autism-related services covered under the EPSDT Autism Program, call 501-682-8665.

Recommended Reading: Symmetra Overwatch Autistic

Read Also: Life Expectancy Of Autism Spectrum Disorder

What Type Of Doctor Should I See To Get A Comprehensive Evaluation Of Autism

Dr. Loveland answers the question: What Type of Doctor Evaluates Autism?

Oct. 23, 2008 Question: What type of doctor should I see to get a comprehensive evaluation of autism?

Answer: A diagnosis of autism could be given by a psychologist, a child psychiatrist, a developmental pediatrician or a child neurologist. All of these professionals are qualified to give this diagnosis if they have received training in this area. However, its also a good idea to get a broader, more comprehensive evaluation including speech and language, hearing, and physical and motor development as well as IQ or intellectual development.

The professional who gives the diagnosis of autism should be able to refer you to the appropriate professionals to provide these additional evaluations.

You May Like: Life Expectancy Of Autism

How Can A Diagnosis Help Me

Some autistic people choose to self identify and dont see the need to access an official diagnosis. This is of course valid, and widely accepted within the autistic community . Some other people would like the opportunity to talk it all through with a professional and help get some clarity and understanding around themselves and their life experiences.

Going through the assessment process with the right psychologist can greatly help with this, and can be a therapeutic process. A big benefit to accessing an official diagnosis is it can help provide you hopefully with the right supports and reasonable accommodations either in college, the workplace or in accessing disability benefits. A formal diagnosis is not merely a label. Assessment and diagnosis opens many doors for the following reasons:

Aoife Dooley was diagnosed at the age of 27.

Its like youre constantly looking for an answer you dont know the question toWhen you get a diagnosis as an adult its bizarre because everything and nothing changes at the same time. Youre still you, but now you have the tools to understand who you are and how you work.

Also Check: Low Functioning Autism Vs High Functioning Autism

Is A Diagnosis Helpful

Unfortunately, there is no medication recommended for the core symptoms of ASC.

Some patients feel having a formal diagnosis is unhelpful as nothing can be done to help with their condition. This isnt completely true. A diagnosis can be very helpful to underpin an assessment of likely support needs, particularly as the extent of these needs may be partially hidden by normal I.Q. and language skills. Knowing that a person has a diagnosis of ASC can be important at work, in relationships, and in family settings. Many people, on receiving a diagnosis of ASC in late adolescence or adulthood, report that a diagnosis has helped them make sense of difficulties experienced in their lives to date, for example with forming social relationships, or managing jobs that require empathy.

A diagnostic label can also prevent people with ASC being misdiagnosed with a mental illness such as Schizophrenia or Personality Disorder, or becoming victim to the criminal justice system. For instance, a diagnosis might lead to a caution rather than a conviction. These sorts of scenarios can have severe impacts on peoples lives, including, for instance, inappropriate use of medication, or difficulties with employment.

How Gbc Autism Services Can Help

GBC Autism Services helps transform the lives of individuals, their families, and their communities in the Chicagoland, Peoria, Normal, Rockford, Springfield, and Dekalb areas by helping them lead the most fulfilling and independent lives possible. Owned by Board Certified Behavior Analysts, GBC creates tailored, individualized treatment plans to teach new behaviors and skills through research-based ABA techniques. We pride ourselves on creating a positive impact and improving the quality of life of those with whom we work, and we have numerous success stories to show for it. to learn more about autism, ABA therapy, and how it can help your family.

Also Check: Pivotal Response Training Videos

How Do I Find A Diagnosis

Unfortunately, at the moment in Ireland, there are no public assessment teams dedicated to adult diagnoses. Currently, the vast majority of adults who think they might be autistic can only get an assessment privately.

Most private psychologists in Ireland do not require a GP referral to access a psychological assessment for autism. You can self-refer by contacting them directly. It is very important that you undertake an assessment with a professional that is familiar with autism in adults and works in a respectful, neurodiversity affirmative way .

It also may be advisable to talk to your GP. There are many private psychiatrists who do require a GP referral. While your GP may only refer you to a private psychologist or psychiatrist, it is important that your GP understands you, and also is able to see the demand for these assessments in Ireland and advocate for them appropriately. You will need to provide your GP with a very specific list of the reason why you think you might be autistic as they may still hold outdated ideas about autism .

For Children And Young People

For people under 25, ask your council about their “local offer”.

This is the name for the support they provide for young people with special educational needs.

Every council has to have a local offer.

You can also get advice about the local offer from your local special educational needs advice service.

Also Check: Autism Motivational Quotes