Why choose an Autism Diagnosis for your child?

Many of our clients have told us that family, friends or teachers have had a loved one or teacher prompt them to get an Autism Diagnosis for their child. Are you often hearing comments like ‘your child is not very social, they might be autistic’ or ‘they don’t respond to me when I call their name anymore’? Then you’re probably wondering what your next steps are.

Look no further because in this article we’ll discuss reasons why getting an Autism Diagnosis is important for your child.

Researchers estimate that there are approximately 750,000 undiagnosed autistic people aged 20 and above in England. This figure is probably much larger than you would most likely expect.

If you think your child may have autism, a diagnosis for them could help you, your child’s educators and your child to understand their needs and themselves a bit better. It can often also open up support for you as a family enabling you to know which services are most suited for your child’s needs. This can lead to better long-term outcomes for your child’s future such as more independence. 

Some diagnosed adults with autism believe that a diagnosis gives a person a framework to see themselves through. They believe that when you having an understanding of why you think the way that you do can lead to a better self-concept, instead of thinking negatively towards yourself or the things that make you different from others.

Intervention after an autism diagnosis is usually the next step and can also help you understand how your child works best and can then reduce anxiety and challenging behaviour. Intervention usually consists of behaviour therapy or any other work that aids in the development of your child.

We are now offering Autism Diagnosis at HeadStart for children and adults, so if you think it may be something worth looking into, please email shanay.nj@headstartaba.org.

FAQ:

Can adults get an autism diagnosis with HeadStart?

Yes, you can! ASD is a spectrum and presents differently in adults. For example, finding it hard to understand what others are thinking or feeling anxious about social situations.

If you have wondered if you may have autism, you might find an autism diagnosis can help you to have more appropriate expectations of yourself in your work, social and family life. 

It may help you to understand how your brain responds differently taking the pressure off of you and/or loved ones. Furthermore, the right support allows you to do what is actually manageable for you rather than what you have been told to expect of yourself.

Please also check out the link below to take a look at the members of our Autism Diagnosis Team:

https://www.headstartaba.org/meettheteam

Can my child access support without an ASD Diagnosis?

If you're wondering if you need an ASD diagnosis to get help for your child then the good news is your child does not need to have an autism diagnosis to start an intervention program with us.

Thanks for reading and please feel free to check out some of our other blogs via the link below!

https://www.headstartaba.org/articles

The HeadStart Team