How to get a diagnosis of autism

Related downloads:

Your doctor can refer your child for an assessment. Other health professionals may also refer you on to specialists but your general practitioner (GP) is the usual starting point. Once your child has been referred you may see just one expert or a team of professionals.

What will the assessors ask about my child?

The assessors will ask you questions about your child. You should make a note of how your child is developing and any worries you may have. Think about:

  • how they behave with you and other close family members
  • how they behave with strangers
  • their physical development
  • how they play
  • their health, including any difficulties with toileting, eating, sleeping
  • if they are speaking or making sounds
  • and anything else that has worried you.

Autism isn’t usually diagnosed until a child is at least two. The average age is about five and a half. You can read more about this in the National Autism Plan for Children (PDF 870KB). There is no single test for autism and professionals sometimes disagree with each other.

What happens when my child is referred?

Once your child is referred, different professionals may spend time watching them to check the way they behave on their own and with others. If your child is being assessed for learning difficulties and/or behaviour problems at school, they will often be observed in the classroom. Some professionals may do tests with your child to check their level of understanding. And health professionals might examine them for physical problems.

The professionals who may be involved in assessing your child include:

  • a paediatrician
  • a psychiatrist
  • a clinical psychologist
  • an educational psychologist
  • a speech and language therapist
  • an occupational therapist.

Other experts might check whether your child has a problem like epilepsy or difficulties with hearing or seeing.

Getting the right diagnosis for your child

Sometimes there’s a delay in giving your child a diagnosis because professionals are unsure and want to wait and see. An early diagnosis can speed up the process of getting help for your child, but it’s also important that you get the right diagnosis. Even if professionals aren’t sure whether your child has autism, they should be able to say what his or her difficulties are and what extra help they need.

Get a written record of your child's diagnosis

It’s a good idea to get the professionals you’re talking with to write down information about your child’s diagnosis.  Then you will have a written record of your child’s difficulties that you can follow up later if necessary.

It will help to know:

  • a clear diagnosis of your child’s difficulties
  • how your child might be affected
  • what you can do to help their development
  • what support they will need from other services
  • who to contact if you have questions.

It can take time to get answers to all your questions, but an assessment of your child’s difficulties will be the first step in getting a fuller picture of their needs. You’ll probably want to talk about how your child will be affected, now and in the future, and find out more about autism and the help available.  You can find information about organisations to turn to in the information and advice links library.

Useful links