Looking for Diagnosis Support Advice

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My younger sister contacted me yesterday in a bit of a panic - her daughter, who's eleven, has just been referred for a likely autism diagnosis by the pediatrician and she's turned to me for advice.

This puts me in an odd-ish position, as I was diagnosed at 27...over two decades ago. I'm not by any means up to speed with the way a girl her age is evaluated.

I'm doing a fair bit of reading up on it, and I've at least been able to reassure her that the place she'll be going (UW Autism Center) is well-regarded.

My question seems to come down to: am I better-advised to try to help my sister understand this process, which I don't really understand myself? Or is my best bet simply to let her know I'm ready and willing to talk with my niece to reassure her that this is a positive thing and not something to be feared?

...I'm just not much good at emotional reassurance, and my sister is a high-strung emotional individual.

Hi Chess,

It is true that the diagnostic process is probably somewhat different for kids than it is for adults. The diagnostician will observe her more in her environment than an adult being assessed, and will rely strongly upon what is revealed in an interview with her parents. She's 11----so I'm not sure if they'll watch her while she plays with toys, like they would with a 3-year-old, say.

Of course, she will be interviewed, both with and without her parents.

An IQ test will be administered, as well as academic achievement tests. The parents will be given a questionnaire to fill out. She will be asked to tell a story based upon a picture; this tests her "social awareness."

The parents should try to obtain as much school records as possible. The diagnostician wants to find out how she functions in class.

Everything will take at least a few hours.

I am sure others here will elaborate upon what I stated.