Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi, I am a mother to a 14 year old girl. I have always thought there could have been something different as what I believed about her behaviour was her just being difficult seems more to her being on the autism spectrum. I have recently found it Impossible to get her to go to school when I am working from home. She suffers from anxiety which has definitely got worse since covid, we have also been through a lot as a family due to me being diagnosed with cancer 2 years ago. She doesn’t talk to me or hubby about how she is feeling. Recently what I can get out of her is she can’t explain how she feels as she doesn’t know how she feels. The only thing I have managed to get from the GP is a mental health assessment through Healios which is being used due to the waiting lists for young people on NHS waiting lists. The school she goes to has the facilities she would need but I know she will need to be assessed before she can access these resources. She is able to use the health and well-being room for lessons she has issues with regarding classes being noisy due to supplies teaching and obviously music she can’t tolerate. She dislikes going to our town centre due to crowds etc. I always thought her to be selfish as when we would go in for her when we had done that but I want to go somewhere for me or my older daughter she would become difficult and her personality would change. She has never been able to keep still and will watch videos and will dance whilst sitting down. School have been supportive but I am worried if she takes any more time off I will be fined etc.
Hi, I can sympathise totally. It took 2 years to get my 15 year old daughter diagnosed. She refused to go to high school totally and it took 18 months to get her initially assessed by CAMHS who then eventually gave her CBT which was useless. She refuses to engage in education now and spends every day almost in her room. She has outreach teaching which she won't engage in and won't attend without me. It does sound like your daughter has something going on. The referral time where I live is ridiculous. To be honest, since my daughter was diagnosed, there hasn't been that much help made available to her and she's regressed alot since the lockdown. I hope you manage to get some help soon.
I have been told that it will take some time. The high school she goes to is well equipped for autism and ADHD. So when she does eventually get diagnosed she will get the help she needs. It feels like a constant battle just to get her up to go to school when I am working from home. She spends all day on her phone editing videos of shows she likes to watch. I have now started to limit her phone time and will let her have the television on after that time for an hour to unwind. I get the whole I hate school it’s boring etc. I’ve said to her to enjoy being in school as going into the world of work isn’t fun and taking a lot of time off work can result in losing a job.