This is a mixed-methods study investigating parental satisfaction and wait times as parents inquire about an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis for their child in a Northern Ontario community. Satisfaction and wait times of those diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by a single practitioner were compared to satisfaction and wait times of those diagnosed by the multidisciplinary assessment team in the Sudbury/Manitoulin region (the Autism Diagnostic Team; ADT). No significant differences were noted between groups on satisfaction or wait times. However, ADT group received much more consistent service, with less variation in wait times between clients, and more consistent provision of comprehensive services prior to the diagnostic meeting. Points of interest are noted for practitioners including increased wait times for parents of children with milder forms of ASD and for girls. No differences in wait time or satisfaction were noted between language groups. Content analysis of the qualitative interviews representing mainly single practitioners saw the emergence of themes including difficulty activating the assessment process, concerns regarding the wait, and appointment demands. The importance of professional expertise, empathy, and respectful communication also emerged. Parents felt the experience was deeply distressing and they often experienced abandonment following the diagnostic process. Additionally, parents whose children did not receive a diagnosis often felt confusion about what to do next. Reducing wait times, increasing professional expertise, completing comprehensive assessments, and using truly interdisciplinary teams should continue to be the focus of service improvements that may translate into improved satisfaction.

<p>Appendices include current drafts of the Hamilton Inventory for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and the associated user manual for the assessment tool.</p> / <p>Complex regional pain syndrome is a neurological condition characterized by a constellation of variable and seemingly disparate signs and symptoms for which there is presently no definitive diagnostic test. The opportunity exists for development of a condition-specific outcome measure for complex regional pain syndrome affecting any limb(s) that could be used by therapists, physicians and researchers to evaluate their patients, make treatment decisions, and monitor the changes in both impairments and quality of life experienced by those affected individuals. This thesis addresses outcome assessment in complex regional pain syndrome, incorporating 2 papers. The first is a systematic review of the current scope and psychometric rigor of outcome assessments available to health professionals to guide their management of this condition. The second paper describes the preliminary development steps of a new measurement tool for complex regional pain syndrome, with a focus on a cognitive debriefing study of current assessment practices and preferences of a cross-section of health professionals used to inform the definitions and user manual for a multi-disciplinary assessment. Finally, the thesis addresses areas for future refinement and testing of the proposed outcome measure.</p> / Master of Science (MSc)