What happens in a genetic evaluation or a genetic counseling session?
That depends a lot on the kind of genetic condition a person has, what questions an individual wants answered, and who is providing services. In general, a session or series of sessions will include: • Diagnosis. In some cases, the goal of a genetic evaluation is to make a diagnosis of a particular genetic condition or syndrome. This is commonly the case when a child is born with multiple birth defects or problems with growth and development. In other cases, the diagnosis already is known, and the genetic counselor or geneticist probably will want to have documentation (such as lab test results or doctors notes) that state the diagnosis. Having documentation assures that the information you receive in your session is accurate. • Prognosis. Once a diagnosis is made, the next step is for a family to understand what the diagnosis means on a practical level. The geneticist or genetic counselor will explain how this condition has affected other people with the same diagnosis. Then they will
