Does my child have ASD?
We worry about our children. It is normal to be anxious about everything they do. To notice every tiny detail and, secretly, to be aware of how they compare with the other children we have or whom we know. When they are very small we know, down to the day, when they hold their heads up and look around: when they first roll over on their own, when they first crawl, first stand, first walk, first talk….
However, at the same time, we can be remarkably blind. Sometimes we don’t notice things because we think they are ‘normal’, or because others tell us not to worry. Sometimes it is that we just do not want to admit something might be ‘wrong’, even to ourselves. It might even be that a parent thinks that there is no issue because “I was like that too!”
Can a diagnosis of Autism in children and adolescents be done online?
Working with young people is always more complex than with adults. This has always led to us being very cautious as to deciding what we can and cannot do with children and adolescents when providing services over the internet. There are circumstances, and individuals, for whom online assessments are not suitable. However, on the other side of the argument, many young people, especially those with some of the traditionally well known traits of autism, are not only very comfortable online, it is how they prefer to interact with the world! We have therefore been looking at what we can do to look at what we can do to help parents who are seeking to get a better understanding of the extent and nature of their child’s autism. We need to be sure that we are doing it properly.
For further information about booking an initial appointment, please contact CAMHS@psychiatry-uk.com