Help re: stim (older child)

Hi! I am new here so please bear with me. 

I have a very beautiful and intellectual 11 year old daughter who has always shown traits of autism and has recently been diagnosed. Unfortunately, she is pretty much a recluse and doesn't like to leave the house at all. This has become an issue in regards to school where she is only attending 2 days per week. She has lost all of her friends - which she is not bothered about - but this really affects me because I just feel at her age she needs her own friends. 

The reason for this post is.. I feel very alone in all of this, and none of my own friends seem to understand. Are there any sort of people I can speak to on here that shares the same thing, with a child of the similar age. Long story short: she lives in her own fantasy world in her head, of her own making. She believes her only friend is a character and when she goes into her fantasy world, she stims through clapping, jumping, clicking, pacing for hours and hours per day. If there is anyone else out there that is living through this aswell?

I've tried groups for children with autism but she is terrified of the social expectation. CAMHS are no use at all. Private therapy was useless because she is mute/non-verbal.. only with me can she speak but at rare times she is not able to. It's quite draining! I love her to bits and just want to find some support for her.

Any ideas or help.. please do get in contact or reply. I'll be so grateful. Feel quite lost and alone in all of this

Thanks x

Parents
  • Hi, my daughter is 10 next month and I feel exactly the same. Around may time she started refusing school and I had to home school until they broke up for summer holidays. She hasn’t been diagnosed yet but her assessments start in September. My daughter had mainly 1 best friend and a few associates but since the school refusal she’s became more isolated, blocked the girls from school numbers, including her best friend and just spends every minute of the day sitting with me, I’m a single parent so things are tough at the minute. It breaks my heart seeing how isolated she’s became, she actually tells me ‘I hate them’ she spends her days sitting with me and on TikTok or YouTube just watching videos. Doesn’t want to go anywhere or be around anyone I have to force her to get ready, some days it doesn’t work and she spends the day in her pyjamas upset and very anxious.

Reply
  • Hi, my daughter is 10 next month and I feel exactly the same. Around may time she started refusing school and I had to home school until they broke up for summer holidays. She hasn’t been diagnosed yet but her assessments start in September. My daughter had mainly 1 best friend and a few associates but since the school refusal she’s became more isolated, blocked the girls from school numbers, including her best friend and just spends every minute of the day sitting with me, I’m a single parent so things are tough at the minute. It breaks my heart seeing how isolated she’s became, she actually tells me ‘I hate them’ she spends her days sitting with me and on TikTok or YouTube just watching videos. Doesn’t want to go anywhere or be around anyone I have to force her to get ready, some days it doesn’t work and she spends the day in her pyjamas upset and very anxious.

Children