How Families Make Sense of Their Child's Behaviour When on an Autism Assessment and Diagnosis Waiting List.

The team talked with families who were stuck on an autism wait list.

They recorded how parents and children spoke about the child’s puzzling behaviors.

The goal was to see why families can’t agree on a simple story before diagnosis.

Three roadblocks kept popping up.

Conversations were cut off, parents saved face, or they simply ran out of words.

These small breaks stopped the family from building one clear explanation of the child’s actions.

McKenzie et al. (2015) show that more paperwork before the clinic shortens the wait.

Wolfe et al. (2016) add the missing piece: even with short waits, talk inside the home can still stall.

Bradford et al. (2018) prove a two-visit triage in primary care can drop the wait to 55 days.

Together the papers say: fix the system speed AND coach family talk, or families stay confused.

Sicherman et al. (2021) find that parents who avoid information wait longer for answers.

That sounds opposite, but it matches—avoiding info is one way the conversation breaks down.

You can speed up service, yet families may still feel lost.

Use the three roadblocks as a quick checklist during intake.

Ask open questions, give language like “sensory overload,” and keep the talk going.

A clear family story makes later therapy goals stick faster.