Once a diagnosis is made, the parents and carers will receive a copy of the assessment report. This report is used to plan a program for the child in consultation with parents and carers, educators, therapists and service providers.
The assessment report is also used by government agencies, schools, and other services to determine eligibility for funding or other support.
A diagnosis can be useful, however, to help inform families, professionals, childcare educators, teachers and other people involved in the child’s care or learning about what strategies or supports have been shown to be effective for other Autistic children and young people.
It is important to note that a diagnosis can inform developmental, educational and social outcomes at any age, no matter when the person is diagnosed.
Autism is a lifelong condition. There are many things that Autistic people and families can do to learn more about autism, connect with people who have shared experiences, and get support to live healthy, happy and fulfilling lives.
There are many support groups and carer support groups around Australia, set up by people who do a wonderful job of providing safe, supportive spaces.
There are therapies and supports that can help Autistic people develop and thrive. With the right help and support, great outcomes can be achieved.
When you’re ready to share your child’s autism diagnosis with your family and friends, it can be difficult to know where to start. You may wonder how much you should share with people, and who you should tell. These are common questions, and the answer is the same: there is no one way to talk about your child’s autism diagnosis – you just need to do what’s right for you and your family.
If your child is a teenager, it can help to involve them in conversations about their autism diagnosis. They may have preferences about how much information is shared and with whom. For example, they might want to tell their friends themselves but have you inform the school. Your teen might also prefer writing a letter rather than sharing the information verbally.
To help you to determine how and when to share a diagnosis, we have information sheets on Sharing an autism diagnosis and Sharing autism diagnosis with the school alongside other information on the Downloads and online learning page of this site.