2nd September 2024 • My Family Our Needs

The National Autistic Society has launched a new diagnosis hub designed to provide practical resources and advice to support people throughout their autism diagnosis. The hub is a multimedia advice portal with an easy-to-navigate design that is suitable for all.

It includes suggestions on what you can do at each step of the process from asking for a referral at the GP to post-diagnosis letters to request support. The hub may be particularly helpful for those seeking an autism assessment for themselves and family members looking for an assessment or support for children.

The hub’s home page has three areas: before diagnosis, assessment and diagnosis and after diagnosis. The ‘before diagnosis’ stage is split into four categories. This first section walks you through the steps of assessing for yourself whether you or someone else may have autism and how to go about getting a referral from your GP. The categories cover signs of autism, whether you should seek an assessment, how to request one and how to bring up to someone that you think they may be autistic.

The ‘assessment and diagnosis’ section of the hub is designed to support you through the assessment, so the person being assessed can know what to expect and be prepared for what the assessment may entail. The areas cover what you can do whilst waiting for an assessment, the criteria and tools used, what will happen during the assessment and what professionals will be involved.

The final section, ‘after diagnosis’ is split into five categories. This section discusses forms of support post-diagnosis for both the individual with autism and their family. The categories cover how it may feel after receiving the diagnosis, talking about and disclosing the diagnosis, support for family members, formal support services and what to do if that formal support isn’t enough.

Alongside the step-by-step guide leading you through referral to post-diagnosis, the diagnosis hub also signposts an online community where like-minded people can get support from one another. There are links to videos where both professionals and individuals with autism talk about the assessment process. You can also access an autism services directory from the home page, which can point towards helpful groups, services and other organisations that offer support to those with autism and their families.

The new hub is a useful resource for families with autism, whether you’re at the beginning of your diagnosis journey or are navigating the years after.

In other news, the County Councils Network (CCN) and the Local Government Association (LGA) have released a new report on the educational outcomes of SEND pupils.