Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi I am new to this site but just wanted to know if anyone could help me. My daughter is 17 and has shown signs of autism from being very young. I just thought she would grow out of these quirky patterns. I have been to the doctors over the years with my concerns but been told all is well. Last year she started a job which was going well with just a few little hiccups along the way. Things are getting a lot more challenging now and she seems to be really struggling so I returned back to the doctors. They have now said my daughter has autism and we are waiting to be referred. My big worry is I have been to the doctors on my own as I would never get her to come with me as she doesn’t think there is anything wrong with her. I am wanting to know how do you tell your child who struggles with things to start off with that you think she has autism. I feel it’s time to try and explain as everyone around her seems to know but I’m so scared of having to approach the subject. I would be very grateful if anyone could help. Thanks xx
Be careful. Suddenly finding out you're autistic can cause an unexpected and profound loss of self, as you start to question everything you thought you knew about the world and yourself. Effectively, all your foundations are suddenly knocked out from under you.
Have a plan (and the confidence to change the plan if needed) regarding your support of your daughter after realisation hits home.
Don't just take her to one side and ask her, quite out of the blue, to take the AQ test (which is what happened to me, aged 40+...)