Not much time but thought I'd pipe-in...you sound to be very appropriately sensitive and understanding of the difficulty parents face in learning that their child does not "fit the mold". i suppose I would just initiate the contact by saying that "we do have some concerns re...". Then ask the parent whether they've noticed at home "x, y or z". You may find in most cases that the parents are truly aware or suspect the defiicits, but have not yet pursued professional evaluations. Let them talk; be a good listener. Eplain what options are available and feel them out for their readiness to address the concerns. Some parents will not want to act right away. Give them time and do not push. Must go, but i hope this helps and best wishes to you!

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Hi. My suggestion would be to just tell them using language that is as simple as possible. Don't sugarcoat things or make it seem like the child is never going to get better.

We always knew that my son was "different" in some way and the OT and SLP who first diagnosed him put words to what we struggled to describe. They gave us a name and reason for why he did some of the things he did that we just considered quirky.

Tell them what the plan is to improve the child's everyday function. I was never interested in a label or diagnosis for the sake of just getting my son identified, but rather I wanted to know what we could do to improve his situation and make life easier for him. If there are books you know about that give a good overview of the child's particular issues, share that information with the parents. There is nothing scarier than not knowing what you can do to tell your child. Being able to take action right away without having the wait for the next session to get some answers is empowering. Encourage the parents to ask questions and then do your best to get answers. If you don't know something right away, tell the parents that you will look into it and get back to them.

It is hard to hear someone tell you something about your child that you don't want to face, but the reality is, when the diagnosis is right, it simply resonates with the parent in the gut.

Good Luck in your new career.

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