ATN/AIR-P Guide to Providing Feedback to Families Affected by Autism

For parents, receiving an autism diagnosis for their child can be an overwhelming experience. Healthcare professionals can play a significant role in making this process more comfortable and positive.

This guide provides healthcare professionals with tools to lead productive and positive diagnostic feedback sessions

The guide and accompanying videos focus on all aspects of providing information about a diagnosis - verbal, written and body language.

While the materials primarily target psychology trainees who are giving an autism diagnosis, the principles involved apply to all clinicians who deliver evaluation results, diagnoses and/or treatment recommendations to their clients.

Videos on delivering diagnostic feedback

The videos below show parents and clinicians discussing their positive and negative experiences with feedback sessions. They can be shown in class or viewed online to illustrate key concepts and best practices. 

• Chapter 1: The Importance of Feedback
• Chapter 2: Preparing for the Feedback Session
• Chapter 3: Providing the Diagnosis
• Chapter 4: Recommendations and Next Steps

"These materials are the product of on-going activities of the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network, a funded program of Autism Speaks. It is supported by cooperative agreement UA3 MC 11054 through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Research Program to the Massachusetts General Hospital. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the MCHB, HRSA, HHS, or Autism Speaks."