My child has had an autism diagnosis, but I’m struggling to get support in place for them?
So, you’ve gone through the rigorous process of completing an autism assessment, got the diagnosis and are now thinking ‘what happens now?’ or you’re thinking ‘how can I get others to understand the support my child or I need?’.
Well, the next step would be to go to a qualified clinician (usually a psychologist) to get an autism profile completed for you or your child. An autism profile is the best way to ensure the needs of an individual with autism are recognized and understood by others so that the right support can be put in place for them. Not a lot of people are aware of this option, which is why CareGen have written this article, to inform others on what an autism profile is and how you can get one following an autism diagnosis.
Are you fed up with long waiting times for an autism assessment for you or your child? Why not check out our autism assessment services here. CareGen offers flexible and affordable online autism assessments for children and adults by trained clinicians – we assess children and adults within a few weeks.
What is an Autism Profile
In short, this is a report that outlines your/your child’s needs in relation to Autism. Everyone with Autism is different, so why would we expect a ‘one size fits all’ method when it comes to supporting a person with autism? This is where an Autism Profile comes in. The profile is a detailed clinical report designed to help education, employment and care settings to better understand how an individual’s autism affects them and outlines the strategies that may support the person better in different situations.
An Autism Profile assessment usually comprises of a meeting between a clinician and you/your child to discuss strengths and personal interests, whilst also identifying the areas where support is needed. The Autism Profile aims to highlight the different behaviors that you/your child may exhibit when distressed, to allow others to identify this early on so that certain strategies can be implemented in order to reduce this distress. If you did not receive your original diagnosis from CareGen, then we would need a copy of the autism assessment report to be sent over to us prior to the assessment, to help your clinician build a better picture of your circumstances.
The assessment is usually completed in one session and the clinician will then produce a tailored and accurate clinical report of you/your child’s capabilities, outlining your needs and recommendations on how best to support you/your child. Click here to book your Autism Profile assessment.
Why is an Autism Profile useful?
Having an Autism Profile in place allows settings such as education, work or care settings to gain a better understanding of you/your child’s needs so that the most appropriate support provision can be put in place. A formal diagnosis of autism is great to have, but it doesn’t necessarily ensure that these settings are aware of how best to support you in various circumstances. An Autism Profile allows these external environments (school and the workplace) to readily have available strategies that can be implemented if or when you/your child become distressed and require help and support.
It also allows the people that know the individual the best (such as parents) to have an input into the strategies that they have seen to work well in different scenarios. An Autism Profile can be used within EHC planning to better support you/your child in academic settings as it offers a detailed framework for schools to implement helpful strategies.
Where can I get an Autism Profile
It is often difficult and time consuming to find a clinician that is available to provide an autism profile. Our expert clinicians at CareGen have years of experience working in neurodevelopmental services completing autism profiles. You can book your autism profile assessment with us here today.
If you enjoyed this article then check out CareGen’s other helpful articles here.