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Table 1 Interview guide

From: Parents’ multi-layered expectations when requesting an Autism Spectrum Disorder assessment of their young child: an in-depth interview study

Research questions:

How do parents understand and experience a possible ASD diagnosis of their child?

What do parents think and feel when they ask for a diagnostic ASD assessment of their child?

During this interview, we are going to talk about possibly receiving an ASD diagnosis for your child. We would like to understand what thoughts and feelings you experience personally prior to your child’s diagnostic ASD assessment.

Do you have any questions or comments regarding the information and consent forms?

1. Can you describe how you view an ASD diagnosis? What does an ASD diagnosis mean to you?

- Thoughts/feelings, before/during application phone call

- Worries, child-rearing experiences, parent-child relational experiences

- What request for help

- What expectations

2. Can you describe what ‘receiving an ASD diagnosis’ would mean to you and your child?

- How do you understand the idea of your child getting an ASD diagnosis?

- What do you feel to be the (wanted and less wanted) implications of a possible ASD diagnosis?

- Impact of a possible ASD diagnosis on your life and that of your child

° Would your life be different?

° Would your child’s life be different?

° What exactly would change?

- Impact of a possible ASD diagnosis on how you view your child

° How do you view your child, how do you talk to and interact with your child?

° The child’s view of himself (i.e. later in life)

° Would anything change with an ASD diagnosis, and what exactly?

Are there things that are important to you which have not yet been addressed or things that I have forgotten to ask? Would you like to add something or change an answer?