Could my daughter have asd? Can anyone relate?

Hi everyone

I am am the mother of 3 children, my eldest daughter is 10, I have another whom is 8 and a son who is 5. My concerns are with my 8 year old daughter. She is very intelligent, a few years ahead of herself at school and I know if I discussed any of my concerns with her school they would think I'm crazy, she is the perfect student at school.

At home however is a different. I remember her starting Nursery and them telling me that they had to move her down the zone board briefly for insisting on finishing what she was doing before tidying up. They said they moved her straight back up but she sobbed for the whole day about it. At that point, I told them she has ocd with things like that & has to finish what she's doing. Many other concerns have just got worse as the years have gone on. She has always been extremely picky about her clothes, most things I buy her, even if she chooses them she refuses to wear, saying they hurt or are uncomfortable, they itch. I have insisted she wear things on occasions lately telling her she's just going to have to get used to it but as soon as I have got them on her she has a meltdown, screaming in a panic, almost like a chlostrphobic person in a confined space. She has to fold her socks everyday so they are identical, this can take 2-3 minutes to get them perfect! If I try and adjust them (sometimes they just look silly with outfits) she will again freak out and scream, shout, panic.

Her teacher that taught her the previous year recently left the school for a new job. My daughter cried herself to sleep at night for weeks. I couldn't understand it, she was besotted with him. We have been talking about moving recently out of area, my other two children welcome the move as an adventure but my middle child get hysterical every time I mention that we are thinking about it. I know children can struggle with moves sometimes but this is extreme.

She has been getting more and more aggressive as the years have gone by and the last 12 months have been a real struggle. She regularly punches my other two children, has become very spiteful. Screams and shouts at her dad and I, refuses to listen to reason.

She finds it impossible to choose between things, for example if there are lots of activities to do and I told her we only had time for 1 she would panic, cry, sulk, basically have a tantrum but almost like she has no control over it, it makes her anxious. The same situation when she has pocket money to buy something, she can't choose between things, it always end in a countdown and me telling her she will have to leave without anything (which makes matters worse!)

The thing is, my daughter is quite confident and outgoing which I understand to be the opposite to children with asd. Although she tends to stick with the same group of friends. She has started to say she's nervous about making friends and she doesn't know what to say or how to do it. She has also started to develop irrational fears, on a recent holiday she had a panic at the top of an escalator and refused to go down it & now panics every time although has never been scared before.

Do you think I need to see my gp or do I just have a naughty child? I hate the thought of taking her and they just think she's naughty. Maybe I'm worrying about nothing. I have 5 nephews and nieces, 4 of which have asd or aspergers. As do my cousins. I have family who tell me there's nothing wrong with her and it's just personality. I just don't know what to do.

Any advise or comparisons greatfully appreciated!

Parents
  • Hi, if you are concerned then you shd tell your GP.  Taking a list of things with you can be helpful to concentrate your mind + the GPs.  There is a strong genetic inclination to autism + you mention it runs in your extended family.  It's also well known that it can appear different in girls.  It is also well known that our children sometimes hold all their stresses + anxieties in whilst at school + let it all out in the safety of home.

Reply
  • Hi, if you are concerned then you shd tell your GP.  Taking a list of things with you can be helpful to concentrate your mind + the GPs.  There is a strong genetic inclination to autism + you mention it runs in your extended family.  It's also well known that it can appear different in girls.  It is also well known that our children sometimes hold all their stresses + anxieties in whilst at school + let it all out in the safety of home.

Children
No Data