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Pros/Cons of Diagnosis

ASC Professional

I am SENCo and teacher who specialises in ASC and have undertaken specialist training in Autism.  My brother has Asperger's Syndrome. I am certain that my 3 and a half year old daughter has Asperger's Syndrime. I work closely enough with paediatricians to know that if she walked into a paediatrician's office, she'd walk out with a diagnosis.  My dilemma however, is whether or not a diagnosis would help or hinder her as an adult. I know that a diagnosis would definitely benefit her during her school years.  I see first hand on a daily basis how beneficial it would be.  However I worry about when she is older, with her job prospects and social prospects. Would a such a label impact on her ability to find a job or a partner? She is incredibly bright and I can see already that she would be able (providing the correct social support was in place) to be employed, but would employers be put off by a diagnosis? Equally, if she found she was able to have a relationship, would prospective partners be put off? I am certain that diagnosis is 100% beneficial at school age. What are your thoughts surrounding the helpfulness of diagnosis for and adult, particularly when they are so high functioning? 

Parents

  • This depends on the perceived risks of not getting a diagnosis, which are different for each person. Also, even if the person does not have significant issues or mental health problems at the moment, these could develop as an adult, and a diagnosis might provide some protection.

    I wish that I was diagnosed as a child. As soon as I started primary school, the teachers noticed my observable difficulties: problems interacting with the other kids, marked discrepancies in academic skills, and emotional immaturity. My year one teacher called me an 'enigma' at a parent evening, and told my mum to meet other mothers to encourage social skills!. My mum was very upset by this as it implied that she was not a good mother.

    My problems only got worse as I grew up, and I developed OCD and chronic anxiety from the age of 8 onwards - there were warning signs before this.

    I was not diagnosed until I was 21, and only because, by this point, I was not leaving the house.

Reply

  • This depends on the perceived risks of not getting a diagnosis, which are different for each person. Also, even if the person does not have significant issues or mental health problems at the moment, these could develop as an adult, and a diagnosis might provide some protection.

    I wish that I was diagnosed as a child. As soon as I started primary school, the teachers noticed my observable difficulties: problems interacting with the other kids, marked discrepancies in academic skills, and emotional immaturity. My year one teacher called me an 'enigma' at a parent evening, and told my mum to meet other mothers to encourage social skills!. My mum was very upset by this as it implied that she was not a good mother.

    My problems only got worse as I grew up, and I developed OCD and chronic anxiety from the age of 8 onwards - there were warning signs before this.

    I was not diagnosed until I was 21, and only because, by this point, I was not leaving the house.

Children
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