Hi all,
I just joined this group to try and find some help and resources for my older daughter. We've not had a formal diagnosis for yet, but she's 18, and as a family, we have long suspected she may be on the spectrum. She is gifted academically and has always felt more developmentally advanced than her peers, which is where the problems come in. From primary school onwards she has struggled to make and maintain friendships and has low self-esteem as a result. She has self-harmed in the past.
We were really hoping that university might bring about a change and that she would 'find her people'. She started uni in September and this has not been the case. She has been through about 4 different 'friend' groups, with the same result: it starts well enough, then after a week or two, she gets ditched: they start making arrangements without her and ignoring her messages. Currently, she goes to classes, goes to the gym, then back to her room, alone. It's heartbreaking.
I've searched up the uni's autism support services this morning and it looks like they have some good resources that may help. But if anyone can give me some advice about what next steps we should take, I'd be most grateful. If you have any questions about our daughter that you feel might add context please ask.
TIA!