Starting therapies before diagnosis

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Hi, I was just wondering if it could affect a diagnosis if some of a childs behaviours are addressed prior to a dx? Behaviours that are upsetting that could be helped without the definition of the problem.

Thanks.

I'm in Scotland and my son began speech and language therapy while waiting for his autism assessment, which was carried out by specialist speech and language therapists. To be honest, this says more about the different waiting times on the NHS for different forms of assessment and care than anything else.

The "ordinary" SLTs were involved in the assessment process as they were included in the reporting part of the assessment, and then after diagnosis the same SLT worked with my son, with the confirmed knowledge of his being autistic, whereas before the diagnosis it was simply informally assumed but couldn't be said out loud.

I'd say go for it. Needs to be met are needs to be met, and that will be taken account of during an assessment.

The only issue that I could see is if you manage to "improve" a trait to where it is not considered a "significant "problem anymore. In other words if your child is very borderline and may not get a diagnosis or help with a particular problem if your child improves to where they do not consider it a clinical impairment. Otherwise I would assume that it would if anything reinforce that professionals feel your child needs help in certain things.

My son has a proprioperceptive deficit but although he's been seen by two OTs, he doesn't qualify for services because he has adapted to it. That being said, both of the OTs could see that he HAS the deficit, they just said that therapy wouldn't help because it would be teaching him what he has learned to do on his own. (For instance, when they had him do the finger-on-the-nose thing, the therapist said she could see that he had to think very carefully before doing it, which indicates a deficit - but he can get his finger where it needs to be.)

I don't know if this would globalize to other deficits, and I think it probably depends on the individual professionals involved. I'd mention that concern when you go for the assessment.

I am going to go a little against the grain on this post.

IMHO It really depends and which behavior's and why they are being addressed.

I would not recommend not doing anything. But for example if you were to address violent outburst's or behavior's. For a Autistic child they have completely different motivating factors behind them then a typical adolescent.


Typical Children use violence or aggression to achieve social goals. Autistic children really have no interest in social goals (generally).

In short to intervene or modify behavior could have two completely different strategies and / or results. Many modifications are for sure harmless enough like speech therapy, ect. But if what your looking to modify is stemming or aggression I would advise getting more information. Both about the cause and the method.

Just my 2 cents

Hi, thanks for your answers. We are looking into EFT (type of hypnotherapy) for her teeth grinding and general anxiety, sleep problems and it is said that is could only take 2 sessions as children are more suggestable, she has her first session tomorrow and her assessment Thursday. I want to give her all the help she needs and as soon as we can, we have waited 18 months for the assessment. But on the other hand when I walk into the assessment I kind of want to let her stim and behave like she typically does but thats anxiety induced so it seems cruel!

Well the EFT session is booked and we will see how she is at the assessment. We have enough 3rd party evidence form school and ELA Senco to back us up but I just worry it might affect the diagnosis.

Thanks

Kids are famous for not doing what we expect or want during these assessments. I would tell them Chloe has freaky good balance. And she wouldn't stand on one foot. Chloe can read any word in almost any language placed in front of her. And she wouldn't read simple three letter words.

A large part of the formal assessment (I think it will be the same US or UK) is a worksheet completed by parents caregivers teachers ect. This assessment has a formal name that I cant recall at right now. I would guess the discrepancy between your worksheet and her behavior during the short time of an assessment. Would have to be extreme to counter your portion of the assessment.

I do not know how efficacious EFT is (not that this was your question) but I cannot imagine that getting her to stop grinding her teeth or making her less anxious would effect the diagnosis. That should not effect the central aspects of the diagnosis, I would not think.

Yes ha ha its very frustrating, makes you think you are imagining it! She is so good at hiding all her anxieties but thats what makes them worse when she is finally able to relax at home. Half the family dont see it, the teachers at her last school didnt either. LEA Senco just observed her in class today but the report makes out like shes fine. Oh well, we will see what the next two days bring!

Thanks.

My son is the same way; we were really worried when we signed him up for the ADOS. We knew we were going to be OK when our caseworker took one look at him and said "Oh, my - you've got a tricky one, there!" He was a little bit nervous (it's funny, it is much harder for him to hide it if he's in a roomful of autistic people) but other than that showed no outward signs that we could see!

Like I said, depends entirely on the people doing the assessment.

Thats very reassuring then

Get the therapist to report on his/her observations - could help to have another observer documenting the same issues.

Good idea!

We've been getting OT and speech along with an EI teacher while waiting on an official diagnosis and I have wondered that myself. He's come a long way but so many things happened way later than they should have and he still has a lot of behaviors. Things like meltdowns have improved not because my son has really learned to cope and not have one but because my husband and I have learned strategies to help him.

Exactly, we have been waiting 18 months to get referred to the right place. Yesterday we had our first appointment with the right people who will be able to diagnose and the woman we saw asked my background in autism..... I dont have one! Im just a frustrated Mum, Ive had to work it out myself and come up with possibilities of a dx in order to get to the right Dr, the system is a mess. I did not intend to self diagnose let alone start working on the problems before a dx but its what Ive had to do :/ We have a lot less melt downs and behaviour problems now, but anxiety and stimming is still through the roof so thats what we are working on now. Hopefully they will still recognise the signs and go on what we have said.