We had suspected for years that my son had autism. Family life was very difficult every day. We were all struggling to cope with our son and to know how best to help him. The waiting list in our area was three years-plus and we felt that for his sake and ours, we couldn’t wait that long.
With St Luke’s help, we met for a consultation with a child psychiatrist, followed by a child psychologist and speech and language therapist. As a result, my child has received a diagnosis of high-functioning autism. Because NICE guidelines were used, this diagnosis is recognised by our local authority and accepted by my son’s school.
This has had a huge impact on all our family’s lives, particularly my son. He has been able to accept who he is and has made so many positive steps in life. As parents, we now feel a lot more able to understand our son and help him in life. We are so, so grateful that this was able to happen!
Sarah, Clergy spouse *
