Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello everyone, I’d like some advice regarding my niece.
She is seven. My sister and I suspect that she might be on the spectrum due to some issues in her behavior. She gets very confused and overwhelmed when meeting anyone, including children considerably younger than her. She’s been in nursery then school since she was 3, but has not made a single friend to date. She does not respond to her name being called sometimes, she refuses to talk sometimes, she prefers to play alone rather than with her 5 year old sister, and recently her teacher complained about her sitting under the table in class rather than on her chair. When asked why she remains silent and doesn’t give an answer. There are other things that we noticed.
Our main problem is with our brother, her father. To him she is perfect and there is nothing wrong with her and we are interfering in the child’s life.
Now he is her father and we have no say in it, but we love her and worry, so what I need to know is: how important is it for a child like her to be diagnosed? Will it make a huge difference? Will she still be OK without being diagnosed? Considering the hiding under the table for most of the class time, and an incident on the bus only a week ago when she turned red, got very confused, look at her feet and pushed her body as far back as she could because a child (my guess is he was 2) smiled at her and waved his hand, considering this, can she manage without help?
Is it worth interfering in my brother’s decisions or should I just leave them alone?
I appreciate any input on this, especially with regards to the girl’s well being that is the main issue here.
Welcome to the forum, I am a 50 something with the condition as yet undiagnosed but awaiting the full suite of tests.
Can you chat with your sister-in-law about any School support (This is much more recognised now since the 90's than for us older "unknown then", Diagnosed as an Adult or as yet undiagnosed) and/or GP referral?
NAS39248 - I am afraid that, from my network of friends (School teachers too) then it is up to the Parents to broach the subject with the school first, not ideal but that is the current situation.
Diagnosis is so much easier to then be able to help with knowledge, trigger identification, coping mechanisms, recognised support and the ability to identify the unique strengths the person can provide to everyone.
Yes, people view their child as perfect, the apple of their eye, yet the simple things (glasses, etc) are allowed but hidden conditions (mind, allergies, intolerances, flaws like heart, lung and/or bowel disease) seem to be a mix of accepted/ignored.
Hi, eccentric1 was not aware that a school could not highlight symptomatic behaviour.
Schools generally raise any concerns with parents just my experience, (I work in a primary school)