My boy was diagnosed at 3 by a private nhs dr. He got to the top of the nhs list at 6 (so a 4 year wait) I explained who and what he had been diagnosed with and they said that he wouldn’t need an appointment with them, as they agree with the diagnosis etc. Then just sent me it all in writing. Before we went private, I met with the La etc to make sure his diagnosis could be used. We paid the dr £200 per hour but I just needed to know and didn’t want him starting school without one. I used to sit up googling all night, hoping that I could be wrong in what I was thinking. I’ll never forget the day I asked her when we would find out if he was autistic or not. She said to me that she would never have seen him if he wasn’t and everything will be explained in his report. I got his report whilst my husband was away and reading it broke my heart, of course I knew but seeing it in black and white, made it all so real I also hoped he wouldn’t be level 3, in my head I thought he would just have been slightly autistic. I know that sounds so silly and there is no such thing but back then I was so new to it all. I wouldn’t change him for the world but I just wish I could change the world for himI’m always stunned when people say that about a child of 2! My grandson waited 4 years for his diagnosis partly due to the covid backlog, partly as services are so limited.
Sorry for the trauma dump btw