Autism diagnosis support
Before you request an autism diagnosis, we recommend that you speak to:
- your child's education setting to see how they can support you
- your GP to find out if there are any health services that can help you and your family
- local groups and charities who can support you before, during and after your request
If you or someone you know has difficulty in accessing online services, you can visit one of our:
Autism parent handbook
As well as the support provided on our understanding autism page, our handbook for Kent families has been developed to help families who would like to know more about autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.
Developed with help from parents and carers of children waiting for an assessment for autism or ADHD in the Canterbury area, the handbook includes sections on where to go for help with health, education, rights and benefits, and a listing of local and national organisations.
Read and download the handbook.
NHS services
Before contacting your local NHS service you should contact your GP. They can provide you with additional guidance on who to speak to, for example children's health and wellbeing navigators.
The NHS website has a range of support and advice articles, including helping your child in their day to day life, appointment support, and moving from child to adult health services.
Making it work: Kent and Medway’s transformation of neurodiversity support
With the help of parents and carers, work is going on to transform the health and care support for neurodiverse children and young people (such as autistic children and children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder) in Kent and Medway.
A new support network for neurodiverse children and young people, their parents and carers is being developed by a range of professionals. This is in response to feedback that parents and carers have consistently reported feeling unsupported when looking for help with the health and care they need for their children and young people.
Find out more about this work and how you can contribute your views.
Request a diagnosis
Whilst your child can get most of the support they need without a diagnosis, requesting a formal autism diagnosis can mean that your child can access the right support, and get a clearer explanation for why certain things are so difficult.
If you want your child to be referred to relevant support services, we suggest you contact your GP or education setting in the first instance.
While you wait for your diagnosis, any of the above organisations can help support you and your child at home.