I’ve been back and forth to the doctors for a year now. I’ve been given all sorts of phone numbers and leaflets. Some of the numbers they gave are only for adults. Some are no longer in use and leaflets just don’t cut it.
I went back with him this week. I told them I need an assessment. He is struggling with various things and a diagnosis would point us to the right people and get the support he needs in school growing up.
Anyway they have referred us to CAMHS (children and adult mental health services). They are the ones that can do the referral for an assessment.
The volume of autistic children these days seems staggering, honestly. Do you think it’s that there are more now, or that more are diagnosed, or a combination of the 2?
It’s good that you’re being proactive about this. Hopefully, the health services understand that timeliness of the assessment is important, especially for children so they can get the resources needed for when they start school.
i think its this one. cause im the same as i was as a kid. and it was questioned when i was 2 and 10 if i was autistic but they didnt end up diagnosing me until recently. so i think they just didnt diagnose as much back then
Yeah you’re lucky you got seen that quick! I didn’t suspect autism until the therapist pointed it out but both the psychiatrist and therapist on the team were not qualified to make the assessment so… it took forever.
One possible reason: the criteria for autism diagnosis has changed over the years, and some other diagnoses were absorbed into the autism umbrella. For example, childhood schizophrenia, aspbergers, and pervasive developmental delay disorder.
Another possible factor: these conditions are genetic. As services and treatment improve, the ability of individuals to live independently enough to reproduce also improves. If more autistic people are able to become parents, there will be more autistic children.
@Qwerty I wanted to say how much I relate to your pamphlets full of wrong numbers. When we first got Starlet, they gave us similar “resources.” I had to resign myself to 6 hours a day of aggravating phone calls as I checked off the list one by one, losing more hope each time. We did eventually find good services, but I had to do a lot of my own resource because the pamphlets were garbage.
Does qwertle have any speech or communication delays? I know that, over here, children can get free speech therapy as early as 2 even without an official diagnosis. It is covered by the school district. I am not sure if something sinilar exists over there, but that could at least be a place to start.
Hi @Ninjastar Qwertle does not have any speech delays and is meeting his milestones. He is actually very smart. This is one reason I’ve struggled to get an assessment (cause he is not delayed)
It’s just all the sensory things. Bath time for example is a nightmare. Textures of foods or the colour or smell of them. He frequently puts his hands over his ears if he hears a noise he doesn’t like……all signs of autism.