{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,16]],"date-time":"2026-10-16T15:59:36Z","timestamp":1792166376988,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2016,7,9]],"date-time":"2016-07-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1468022400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Autism"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2016,10]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>To date, research exploring experiences of diagnosing autism spectrum disorder has largely focused on parental perspectives. In order to obtain a more complete account of the autism spectrum disorder diagnostic process, it is essential that the views and experiences of professionals are heard. In this study, 116 multidisciplinary professionals involved in diagnosing autism spectrum disorder in the United Kingdom completed an online questionnaire exploring their experiences and opinions of three key areas of service: accessibility, the diagnostic process and post-diagnostic support. Although professionals were largely satisfied with service accessibility, around 40% of services were failing to provide timely assessments. Standardised diagnostic tools were perceived as helpful and were used consistently, but concerns were raised about their validity in detecting atypical autism spectrum disorder presentations (e.g. females). Several challenges regarding giving autism spectrum disorder diagnoses were reported; these included making sure caregivers understood the diagnosis, pitching information at the correct level and managing distress. Furthermore, the practice of \u2018upgrading\u2019 to a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in uncertain or complex cases was reported by many, albeit infrequently, and reasons for this varied widely. Professionals expressed dissatisfaction with post-diagnostic provision, especially onward and long-term support options. They also felt that service improvements were required across populations and across the three key areas of service.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/1362361315611109","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2015,12,17]],"date-time":"2015-12-17T21:19:39Z","timestamp":1450387179000},"page":"820-831","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":82,"title":["Experiences of diagnosing autism spectrum disorder: A survey of professionals in the United Kingdom"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"20","author":[{"given":"Claire L","family":"Rogers","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Oxford, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lorna","family":"Goddard","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Goldsmiths, University of London, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elisabeth L","family":"Hill","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Goldsmiths, University of London, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lucy A","family":"Henry","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"City University London, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laura","family":"Crane","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Goldsmiths, University of London, UK"},{"name":"City University London, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2016,7,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-1362361315611109","volume-title":"Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders","author":"American Psychiatric Association","year":"2000","edition":"4"},{"key":"bibr2-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1176\/appi.books.9780890425596"},{"key":"bibr3-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/00004583-200006000-00007"},{"key":"bibr4-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/014107680009301007"},{"key":"bibr5-1362361315611109","volume-title":"The Children\u2019s Communication Checklist \u2013 Version 2 (CCC-2)","author":"Bishop DVM","year":"2003"},{"key":"bibr6-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13575279.2010.498415"},{"key":"bibr7-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1191\/1478088706qp063oa"},{"key":"bibr8-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1362361303007001004"},{"issue":"2","key":"bibr9-1362361315611109","first-page":"1","volume":"63","author":"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention","year":"2014","journal-title":"MMWR Surveillance Summaries"},{"key":"bibr10-1362361315611109","volume-title":"Social Responsiveness Scale Manual","author":"Constantino JN","year":"2012"},{"key":"bibr11-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1362361315573636"},{"key":"bibr12-1362361315611109","first-page":"310","volume-title":"New Developments in Autism: The Future is Today","author":"De Clercq H","year":"2007"},{"key":"bibr13-1362361315611109","volume-title":"Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives\u2019: The Strategy for Adults with Autism in England","author":"Department of Health","year":"2010"},{"key":"bibr14-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1469-7610.1993.tb02094.x"},{"key":"bibr15-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1023040610384"},{"key":"bibr16-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1212\/WNL.55.4.468"},{"key":"bibr17-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1469-7610.1989.tb00275.x"},{"key":"bibr18-1362361315611109","volume-title":"Gilliam Autism Rating Scale","author":"Gilliam JE","year":"1995"},{"key":"bibr19-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/01.IYC.0000336539.52627.e4"},{"key":"bibr20-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1362361397012003"},{"key":"bibr21-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10803-014-2161-3"},{"key":"bibr22-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1468-3148.2010.00555.x"},{"key":"bibr23-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/1469-7610.00024"},{"key":"bibr24-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/9780470939352.ch2"},{"key":"bibr25-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF02172145"},{"key":"bibr26-1362361315611109","volume-title":"The ADOS-G (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule\u2013Generic","author":"Lord C","year":"1999"},{"key":"bibr27-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1362361310373369"},{"key":"bibr28-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1362361315586136"},{"key":"bibr29-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1362361314538131"},{"key":"bibr30-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1362361304045213"},{"key":"bibr31-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10882-009-9184-2"},{"key":"bibr32-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1362361399003003005"},{"key":"bibr33-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1155\/2011\/601979"},{"key":"bibr34-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rasd.2011.05.011"},{"key":"bibr35-1362361315611109","volume-title":"Autism: Recognition, Referral and Diagnosis of Children and Young People on the Autism Spectrum","author":"National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE)","year":"2011"},{"key":"bibr36-1362361315611109","volume-title":"Autism: Recognition, Referral, Diagnosis and Management of Adults on the Autism Spectrum","author":"National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE)","year":"2012"},{"key":"bibr37-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1362361314529627"},{"key":"bibr38-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1010738829569"},{"key":"bibr39-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rushton J, Felt B, Roberts M (2002) Coding of pediatric behavioural and mental disorders. American Academy of Pediatrics 10(1): e8. Available at: http:\/\/pediatrics.aappublications.org\/content\/110\/1\/e8.long","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.110.1.e8"},{"key":"bibr40-1362361315611109","volume-title":"Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ)","author":"Rutter M","year":"2003"},{"key":"bibr41-1362361315611109","volume-title":"Childhood Autism Rating Scale","author":"Schopler E","year":"2010","edition":"2"},{"key":"bibr42-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1440-1754.2005.00634.x"},{"key":"bibr43-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/00004583-200405000-00008"},{"key":"bibr44-1362361315611109","volume-title":"The Autism Act","author":"UK Parliament","year":"2009"},{"key":"bibr45-1362361315611109","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1440-1754.2007.01232.x"},{"key":"bibr46-1362361315611109","volume-title":"ICD-10 International Statistical Classifications of Diseases and Related Health Problems\u201310th Revision (ICD-10)","author":"World Health Organisation","year":"1992"}],"container-title":["Autism"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/1362361315611109","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/1362361315611109","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/1362361315611109","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,28]],"date-time":"2026-04-28T12:48:02Z","timestamp":1777380482000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/1362361315611109"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2016,7,9]]},"references-count":46,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2016,10]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1177\/1362361315611109"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1362361315611109","relation":{},"ISSN":["1362-3613","1461-7005"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1362-3613","type":"print"},{"value":"1461-7005","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2016,7,9]]}}}