• Replies 1 reply
  • Subscribers 5 subscribers
  • Views 31 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Is getting a diagnosis worth it?

Nikita88

Hi, I'm new here but I don't know where else to talk about this.

My son is 7 years old, I have had a feeling since he was 2 that he was autistic or something similar but everyone I spoke to about him just shrugged me off with some reason or another for not listening. It hasn't helped that I couldn't really explain why I felt he is but over the last 12-18 months, and so much researching, I feel like this is the only explanation.

Lately I have noticed more signs and feel like they are becoming more noticeable if that makes sense, but also I question if I'm just seeing what I want to see because of my belief that he is autistic.

I have spoken to his school and they told me that before an assessment referral, we basically have to do a checklist of other options to see if he can be supported. They are being amazing with him and are supporting him in education, he was behind in English during the first couple of years but they have said they are now reducing the support he receives because he is within the range of his peers. He is getting constant emotional support because he has extreme highs and lows which does seem to have helped at school and home.

He is verbal with no physical restrictions and I am happy with how his school are supporting him but I just don't know if I should push them more to get an assessment or not or even go down another route for one. I don't want him going to high school in a couple more years and we have to start from scratch trying to get him support so he falls behind again, but also if he received a diagnosis then what would that look like for the rest of his education if he doesn't need constant support in a classroom.

Then I also keep thinking about the rest of his life and how that will look since education is just a small part in the grand scheme of things. Would a diagnosis help him advocate more for himself as he grows and make sure he can access what he needs to handle adult life or can he still learn these kind of skills without one? (I haven't told him I think he is autistic but he is aware of meetings and support and is beginning to feel different from others)

Probably sounds like a lot of rambling so I'm sorry if that's the case.

Thanks for reading.

Parents

  • Hey good morning from America, Nikita88!

    My personal opinion is to go ahead and try to get an assessment done, but again, I’m from America. So that might not be the best advice since education looks a little different over here. My thought, though, is that it could help him with advocating for himself a little more, especially when he gets into the workforce. It is difficult to get workplace adjustments even with a diagnosis, so having one could be a benefit.

    As for letting him know, I’d recommend breaking it to him slowly. When we told our daughter, we basically explained what Autism is and introduced her to characters (ex. Bruno from Thomas the Train Engine All Engines Go!, but that example might be a little young for your son’s age? I’m not sure) and people with Autism. We had the benefit of having a family member already diagnosed with ASD (me), so that was pretty easy for us to point out ways in which Autistic people function a little differently. Once you make it clear that Autism isn’t a bad thing, but just a different way of processing the world, then you are ready to let him know that you think he might be (or is) Autistic.

    I hope that helps!

Reply

  • Hey good morning from America, Nikita88!

    My personal opinion is to go ahead and try to get an assessment done, but again, I’m from America. So that might not be the best advice since education looks a little different over here. My thought, though, is that it could help him with advocating for himself a little more, especially when he gets into the workforce. It is difficult to get workplace adjustments even with a diagnosis, so having one could be a benefit.

    As for letting him know, I’d recommend breaking it to him slowly. When we told our daughter, we basically explained what Autism is and introduced her to characters (ex. Bruno from Thomas the Train Engine All Engines Go!, but that example might be a little young for your son’s age? I’m not sure) and people with Autism. We had the benefit of having a family member already diagnosed with ASD (me), so that was pretty easy for us to point out ways in which Autistic people function a little differently. Once you make it clear that Autism isn’t a bad thing, but just a different way of processing the world, then you are ready to let him know that you think he might be (or is) Autistic.

    I hope that helps!

Children
No Data