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Diagnose or not?

Bluejen

My 15 year old daughter behaves like a 'normal' teen at home, however she suffers social anxiety at school and is unable to sustain relationships with peers, which causes great distress -Behavours such as self harming and talking of suicide. She has managed to sit 7 national 5's (Scottish equivalent to GCSE's) and has coped well with limited support. She has been at CAMHS for several weeks and they're now suggesting ASD, which I can now see why.

Our concern is what are the benefits of getting a late diagnosis?

All we can see are negatives: labelling, stigma and limitations being placed on her if she goes ahead with this. We've let her know it's her decision and at the moment she's adamant she doesn't want this. We want to know the benefits for her, we've been told she'll get a free laptop for university!!! Is that it?

I want her decision to be an informed one yet at the moment I can't disagree with what she says.....Please help!

Parents
  • Former Member
    Former Member

    It sounds as though she is understandably scared of what a diagnosis might mean. It may take time to come to terms with this and it needs to be presented as a potential positive i.e. as a potential solution for her anxieties etc. Ignoring the issue is not a good strategy, people on the spectrum can be resistant to a new idea and may put up a brick wall and refuse to engage with the help that is available.

    One thing that is worth mentioning is that there is a good chance that other family members may also be on the spectrum. Autism is frequently an inherited condition. There is a free and reliable test at aspergerstest.net/.../ that I would recommend any parents, of someone who might be on the spectrum. The test is not a diagnosis but it does an extremely good job of identifying people with traits of autism.

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  • Former Member
    Former Member

    It sounds as though she is understandably scared of what a diagnosis might mean. It may take time to come to terms with this and it needs to be presented as a potential positive i.e. as a potential solution for her anxieties etc. Ignoring the issue is not a good strategy, people on the spectrum can be resistant to a new idea and may put up a brick wall and refuse to engage with the help that is available.

    One thing that is worth mentioning is that there is a good chance that other family members may also be on the spectrum. Autism is frequently an inherited condition. There is a free and reliable test at aspergerstest.net/.../ that I would recommend any parents, of someone who might be on the spectrum. The test is not a diagnosis but it does an extremely good job of identifying people with traits of autism.

Children
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