Diagnostic assessment

A diagnostic assessment is the event itself: the appointment, or series of appointments, where a specialist team gathers evidence and decides whether your child meets the criteria for a particular diagnosis. What it involves varies by condition and by area, but it usually includes talking with you and your child, watching how your child plays or communicates, questionnaires, reports from school or nursery, and a developmental history Developmental history A long conversation about your child's early years, from pregnancy and birth to first words and first steps. It is a normal part of most assessments. Read the full definition of Developmental history .

Only a diagnostic assessment can lead to a diagnosis. Assembly's profile is not one: it helps you describe what you are seeing and decide what to raise, but it cannot diagnose anything.