Who can diagnose?

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I'm sorry if this has been posted before, but I was just curious about the way assessment and diagnosis works in different countries.

I've been told conflicing things about what happens here (Australia) but it's my understand that a multidisciplinary team is recommended, including a pediatrician, speech pathologist/therapist, psychologist and psychiatrist. Some places state that at least two of these professionals are required to make a diagnosis, but other places say one is fine, and still others say that it's all done by psychologists and psychiatrists. I think it also depends on age - you normally wouldn't have a speech pathologist involved in an adult diagnosis, and I can't imagine you'd have a paediatrician, either!

So. How did you/your children get diagnosed? Is this standard for where you live?

To get a reliable diagnosis, you need a psychiatrist who is an expert on autism/Asperger's. Another AS person, which knows about his AS since many years and has met other AS people or read biographies and medical studies on AS, would probably be able to make a diagnosis as well, but he isn't licensed to give an official one, of course.

In the US, there are no actual requirements regarding number of specialists but what parents who have been through the process usually recommend is a developmental and behavioral pediatrician for younger children along with assessments in audiology, speech/language and pediatric occupational therapy to provide background date to help make an accurate diagnosis and set of recommendations.

I noticed that the area of occupational therapy was missing from your list. It's really hit or miss here but it's good to have that done up front to assess for motor skills and sensory issues. Both issues are easy to miss if you don't know what you're looking for and often don't become really apparent until school age. Early help can make it so much easier on the child that it's good to include this as part of the initial evaluation process. I've known a lot of parents who regretted not having it done early.

If the child is older or an appointment with a developmental pediatrician can't be scheduled within a reasonable time period (there's a current shortage in that specialty area making for very long waiting periods), then a pediatric neuropsychologist is recommended along with the other assessments.

Here in the states, parents these days are reporting that child psychiatrists and child and adolescent psychologists are frequently not picking up on Autistic Spectrum Disorders but are often giving partial or incorrect diagnoses and/or jumping right into treatments. I'm not saying that some don't get it right, but there's a lot of misses.

most of the dignoses in australa are done by the Autism ausoaction of australia they may insist on a letter of recomdation from a doctor tho if you ring them they can tell u (thay also some times have up to a 6 mounth wation list). for under 18 they intevue the child and the parents over 18 they dont need the parents but it is hellp full

dont kno where u are but in S.A. flinders hostiptal dose as well and i think womans and childrens do it as well. u can also go to a privet practis but as allways stated they need to be exprenced with it.

Anyone know how it works here in Canada?

For United States:

-neurologist
-psychiatrist (I recommend against going to a pdoc for dx though)
-psychologist with a PhD
-psychologist with a PsyD
-Masters of Social Work

And probably other professionals I'm not aware of. But these are the most common ones. A neurologist or a psychologist is probably the best to use.

Probably works the same way in Canada as in the US. Otherwise most certainly like in the UK.

I would almost think a neurologist would be the best of them all. Psychologists and psychiatrists seem to be full of crap, at least in my humble opinion.