• No babbling, doesn’t point at things or use gestures to communicate (e.g., wave goodbye);
• Doesn’t respond to their name;
• May seem deaf;
• Unlikely to imitate;
• Does little to no eye contact;
• Doesn’t show objects to others;
• Difficulty establishing contact with others, seems indifferent to others, doesn’t notice other children or doesn’t join them in play;
• Seems to prefer being alone;
• Doesn’t ask for help directly;
• Dislikes physical contact;
• Intrudes on other’s personal space without realizing it;
• Crying spells, tantrums or becomes distraught without knowing why;
• Resists changes in routine;
• Fascinated by spinning objects;
• Engages in obsessive (e.g., lining up objects) or repetitive play;
• Doesn’t seem to know how to play with certain toys;
• Doesn’t seem to fear real dangers;
• Inordinate attachment to certain objects;
• Difficulty eating certain foods (depending on texture, color, etc.).

• Difficulties in social relations;
• No/few understanding of subtext, unspoken words, and sarcasm;
• Have ingrained routines or habits that are very difficult to change (even when you want to);
• Difficulty in feeling and understanding one’s own emotions or
  experiencing them very intensely;
• Difficulty recognizing and understanding the emotions of others;
• Rational thinking;
• Feeling out of step compared to others;
• No interest in small-talk;
• Have hypersensitivities (e.g. very sensitive hearing, texture of certain garments are impossible to wear, etc.) and/or hyposensitivities (e.g. not feeling pain, needing strong physical contact to feel it, etc.);
• Procrastination/difficulty getting tasks started;
• Difficulty with administrative tasks (e.g. calling their insurance company, etc.);
• Feeling very tired, having difficulty functioning for full days.

The first step is screening. Several options are available, depending on your situation:

If your child has a family doctor: share your observations and questions with them. If your doctor observes behaviours that may resemble autism, they will request an autism screening from your CLSC. You will then be contacted by the screening team to complete the various questionnaires.

If you don’t have a family doctor and your child is between 0 and 5 years old: call your CLSC and ask to be referred to the ” Agir Tôt “ program.

If you don’t have a family doctor and your child is over 5 years old:

If your child’s name is not on the waiting list for a family doctor: apply to the Guichet d’accès à un médecin de famille (GAMF): https://www.quebec.ca/sante/trouver-une-ressource/guichet-acces-medecin-famille and write on the form that you would like a diagnostic evaluation for autism.

If your child’s name is already on the waiting list for a family doctor: report a change in health status using the form: https://www.quebec.ca/sante/trouver-une-ressource/guichet-acces-medecin-famille and request a diagnostic evaluation for autism in the form.

If the screening is positive: your child’s file will be sent to the multidisciplinary autism diagnostic evaluation team in child psychiatry at CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS. You will be contacted for the evaluation when your turn comes.

Don’t hesitate to come to the screening appointment with notes on behaviours you’ve observed that have led you to consult us. Remember, you know your child best, so you’re the expert on the situation!

You can choose to have your child’s diagnostic evaluation done at a private clinic. The choice is yours.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of clinics that perform autism assessments. However, Autisme Estrie cannot guarantee that the clinic will take on new clients or guarantee the quality of the service received. Click here for the list.

You can also consult the regularly updated directory on the “Bleuet Atypique” website by Valérie Jessica Laporte. It includes various private resources for diagnostic evaluations: https://bleuetatypique.com/diagnostic-autisme-adulte-professionnel/

A diagnosis will put into words what you may have been feeling or what you’ve been experiencing with your child.

Receiving the diagnosis will generate all kinds of emotions in the family and those around you, but don’t worry, this is perfectly normal. You’re about to begin the process of mourning the “perfect child” you imagined you’d have, which is a normal part of the diagnosis process.

Parents often feel that their parenting skills have been impaired, which is a very normal feeling at first. You may feel that you weren’t “capable” of making a child “like the others”, healthy and so on. Parents often feel guilty and responsible for their child’s difference. They feel it’s their fault, that they’ve done something wrong, for example. Children need to be recognized and accepted as they are in order to help them develop properly. Parents need to understand what autism is, how their child functions and perceives things, so they can help their child evolve through life. Understanding how their child functions can help parent feel less guilty about what’s happening, and eventually help them cope with the news.

Be kind to yourself.

Once the official diagnosis has been received there are several support options available, depending on your needs:

• CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS “DI-TSA” team: the physician who performed the diagnostic evaluation can send a request directly to them. Alternatively, you can call your city’s psychosocial reception desk and ask to be put on the waiting list to receive support from a member of this team;
• Get informed on autism: for example, by taking training courses or reading books to better understand your child’s functioning and feel more equipped. Don’t hesitate to consult the resources and tools section of our website. Please consult our program for the dates of our next training sessions;
• Ask for support: for example, from family and friends if you need respite. Please contact us if you need an individual meeting with a caregiver. Together, we can see how we can support you or refer you to the right resources;
• Inform your child’s daycare or school: so that they can take your child’s autistic condition into consideration and adapt tools and interventions for better adaptation and integration into their environment;
• Talk to other parents: at coffee meetings, on Facebook groups (e.g. Parlons – TSA). According to many parents, feeling supported and understood is very helpful. Remember, you are not alone.

State of shock

• The upheaval of life as we imagined it, of future plans;
• Grief of the perfect family we dreamed of;
• This can take the form of crying, screaming or other emotional behaviors;
• It’s a violent stress that causes disruption at every level: personal, marital, family and social.

A refusal or denial of the diagnosis

• Tendency to deny the truth, refuse to believe the diagnosis. It’s a way to cope while accepting the inevitable truth;
• Feel powerless regarding the situation: it’s sadness, despair, the low point. Parents experience depression.

Feelings of guilt, shame, anger, loneliness and marginality

• You search for reasons, causes of diagnosis;
• You look for excuses to exonerate yourself, reasons to justify your child’s condition;
• In a relationship, this can mean blaming each other for a dubious heredity, or blaming the other for your child’s diagnosis;
• Parents’ ambivalent feelings;
• You acknowledge the “difference”, but refuse to accept the diagnosis;
• You refuse offered interventions but hope for progress;
• Your negative feelings generate guilt, and sometimes develop an overprotective attitude in order to reduce this guilt.

Detachment

• Emotions subside and anxiety diminishes as parents become attached to their child and accept the diagnosis;
• It’s a transitional phase between despair and acceptance or reorganization;
• Parents are starting to adapt to reality, and the adjustment is well underway.

Reorganization

• Parents are able to accept their child as they are, as well as their child’s limits and potential;
• They participate and get involved in the educational process, and in the interventions offered to their child (if necessary);
• They do everything in their power to promote their child’s maximum development.

• If you have a family doctor: talk to them about your concerns and name the behaviours that make you think you might have autism. They can request a diagnostic evaluation from the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS. When it’s your turn, you’ll be contacted by the person in charge of screening.
• If you don’t have a family doctor: call your city’s psychosocial centre and tell them you’d like to take a screening questionnaire for ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). A counsellor will contact you to talk you through the next steps.

There are several options:

• Private, fee-based assessment clinics that do not require a physician referral. You must contact the clinic of your choice directly to book an appointment. Costs range from $1500 to $2500. Some private insurance companies may reimburse part of these costs.
• “Free” private assessment clinics have an agreement with the RAMQ (Régie d’Assurance Maladie du Québec), so the cost of the assessment is covered by your health insurance card. These clinics require a medical request from a physician (e.g., family doctor, psychiatrist, etc.) before they can offer you an appointment.

For clinics requiring a medical request for diagnostic evaluation:

• If you have a family doctor:
  Meet with your doctor and ask them to refer you for a diagnostic evaluation for an autism spectrum disorder addressed to the doctor of your choice (you must have chosen your clinic first). If necessary, we can write an autism awareness letter for you, if your doctor seems unfamiliar with autism spectrum disorder level 1 and/or the female profile.
• If you don’t have a family doctor:
  Make an appointment at a private clinic or a walk-in clinic to see a doctor. Explain your situation and request a referral for a diagnostic evaluation for an autism spectrum disorder.

Many clinics will ask someone who knew you well as a child to fill in a questionnaire. Sometimes, this same person is asked to attend the first meeting to answer certain questions about your childhood behaviors.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of clinics that perform Autism Spectrum Disorder assessments in Quebec. Please note that Autisme Estrie cannot guarantee either that the clinics mentioned in the document will take on new patients or guarantee the quality of the service received. Click here for the list.

You can also consult the regularly updated directory on Valérie Jessica Laporte’s “Bleuet Atypique” website. It includes various private resources for diagnostic evaluations: click here.

You can attach certain documents that will be taken into account with your evaluation request.

There are standardized questionnaires available online to see if the autism hypothesis seems possible. Please note that no online test is an official diagnosis. Only qualified professionals can carry out a complete and official assessment: obduino.ca/aspi/AspergerIndex

You can also use the self-assessment questionnaire developed by Dr Isabelle Hénault on the female profile: click here.

If you need support, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

A diagnosis will put into words what you may have felt or perceived for many years.

Adults often describe receiving a diagnosis as a relief. Relief at finally understanding why they function the way they do, why they experience things the way they do.

Often, the hypothesis of autism is part of a quest for identity, so when the diagnosis is official, this quest can continue: who I am, what are my interests, do I like my work or do I do it because I’ve always been told I’d be good at it, recognizing where I’m camouflaging to reduce it, recognizing my hyper- and hyposensitivities to better respect them, setting limits, etc. These are all subjects that can be discussed individually or in a group at Autisme Estrie.

Receiving your diagnosis can trigger all kinds of emotions for you and those around you. Don’t worry, it’s perfectly normal. Be kind to yourself and give yourself time to understand this new diagnosis.

Once the official diagnosis has been received several support options are available, depending on your needs:

• CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS “DI-TSA” team: you can call your city’s psychosocial reception, tell them you’ve just been diagnosed with ASD and ask to be put on the waiting list for support from a member of this team;
• Get informed about autism: for example, by taking training courses or reading books to better understand the autistic condition and feel better equipped. Please don’t hesitate to consult the resources and tools section of our website. Consult our program to find out the dates of our upcoming training courses;
• Ask for support: for example, from those around you, if you need help with certain tasks that are more difficult for you. Contact us if you need a one-to-one meeting with a counsellor. Together, we can see how we can support you or refer you to the right resources;
• Inform your school or workplace (if you wish): so they can take your autistic condition into consideration and adapt your workspace or certain tasks, for example;
• Talk to other autistic adults: during discussion evenings at Autisme Estrie or on Facebook groups, for example. According to many adults, feeling supported and understood is very helpful. Social relationships are also easier between autistic people.