Patient information from BMJ

Autism spectrum disorder: questions to ask your doctor about your child

Last published:Nov 07, 2024

If you are going to see a doctor to discuss autism and your child, you may want to think of some questions beforehand to ask them. Your doctor will be able to answer most of them, or they will refer you to someone who can answer specific questions in more detail.

Here are some questions that you may want to ask:

• What is autism? How might it impact my child’s life?

• What assessments will you do to find out if my child is autistic?

• Will my child be able to attend a mainstream school? If so, is there any help that the school can give?

• How will my child’s behaviour change as they get older?

• If my child doesn’t speak, will they ever be able to communicate?

• Will my child be seen by a specialist? Will they have to go to hospital?

• What support strategies can help my child? Can I get help where I live?

• How early should we start support strategies for my child?

• Are some support strategies harmful for my child?

• What sort of help can I get with caring for my child at home?

• Are there programmes to help me pay for child care, support strategies, or equipment?

• Are there any local support groups for families who have autistic children?

• If I'm feeling stressed and overwhelmed, where can I get help?

• How can I help my other children understand autism? And how can I support them in maintaining a good relationship with their autistic sibling?