Parents Perspectives of an Autistic Spectrum Disorder Diagnostic Process in Ireland.

Background amp; Objective: The study aimed to explore parents perspectives of an autism diagnostic service in Ireland. Method: A qualitative research design was chosen for the study. Eleven parents of children with autism spectrum disorders took part in semi-structured interviews. They talked about their experiences and perceptions of the service they received. The data was analyzed using the framework approach. Results amp; Conclusion: Parents expressed satisfaction and dissatisfaction with the service. Parents expressed satisfaction with the time taken to receive a diagnosis and the age at which the diagnosis was made. However, parents expressed dissatisfaction with the location of the disclosure interview, lack of information, lack of support following the diagnosis and with the disjointed nature of services. Conclusion:The findings provide evidence to prove that parental satisfaction would be increased by improvements in the diagnostic process such as providing counselling support through the diagnostic process and following the diagnosis, increasing collaboration between professionals, reducing the length of the process and involving parents in the process to facilitate their understanding and awareness. This study provides an example of giving parents a voice to inform changes in practice and to understand parents perspectives of a service in the Irish context. Key words: autism spectrum disorders, parents experiences, collaboration, qualitative study.