Getting a diagnosis

I'm pretty sure that my 18 yr old son is on the autistic spectrum, but he doesn't want to discuss this or try to seek help at all. I have tried to address this but I think he doesn't want to be seen as 'different'. He really needs some help and support in order to cope with his anxiety as do we his parents.

Is there anyone who has come across this before and has any advice?

Many thanks!

NAS74910 over 4 years ago in reply to moon

Hi

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and experience - really helpful!

If I can try and persuade him to get some support for his anxiety - that would be good too.

Best wishes
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NAS74910 over 4 years ago in reply to Eunice Mod

Thank you for replying!
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moon over 4 years ago

Hi. No direct experience to share with you.

A few thoughts though...

There are many famous &/or successfull autists in the world from Einstien to Elon Musk. Not sure what your son is in to, but perhaps you could find some examples that he would appreciate.

If he doesn't want to be seen as different, he should learn about his autistic strengths and weaknesses so he can fit into the NT world better. He doesn't have to tell anyone if he doesn't want to. Many autistic people "mask" so they can fit in. I went undiagnosed for decades - I didn't realise that my internal thought processes are significantly different from most NT people. No-one realised the internal struggles I had.

There are many videos on Youtube etc. of real people discussing their autism - they are all ages and backgrounds.

Best wishes to you both.
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Eunice Mod over 4 years ago

Hi NAS74910,

Thank you for sharing this with our community. While we are waiting for the community to respond, you may like to look at our information about autism spectrum disorders:

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/what-is-autism

If you were interested in finding out if your son is on the autism spectrum, he would need to have a formal diagnostic assessment. You may find it useful to have a look at the following link for further information about diagnosis and the benefits of getting one:

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/diagnosis

Furthermore, it is important the professional your son sees has experience of autism spectrum disorders. You can find details of diagnostic services on our Autism Services Directory in the Assessment and diagnosis section:

https://www.autism.org.uk/directory

Hope this helps.

Kind regards,

Eunice Mod
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