Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi,
I would like my ten yer old daughter ( high functioning ASD) to have a couple of sessions with a clinical psychologist to help identify the ways that ASD affects her and in particular help her with anxiety.
Every time I try to ask her "what is it about X that you finds difficult/anxious ", she says "she does not know but she just is". If I ask her about noise and sensory stuff she looks at me as though I m an idiot.
She does not seem to want to talk about ASD with me but then suddenly gets upset because she is worried about how she will cope with high school and how to manage job etc.
Unless I know, then it is very difficult to come up with strategies to help her.
A friend whose step daughter is ASD thinks that these sessions will not help my daughter as she is too young to put into words what the matter is.
Do you agree - I would very much like to start getting help as I feel I am very fortunate to have got this diagnosis now rather than later.
Putting anyone into a clinical therapy setting can be more damaging than good, you obviously have good intentions, and are definitely not doing it with any malicious intentions and it is clear that you want to understand a lot more about your daughter, which is understandable.
You have known her for 10 years, so in that time, is there anything you have noticed that sets her off into a meltdown or shutdown?
I don't think a clinical therapist is going to be able to allay any of the concerns she has.
Have you considered speaking to the Secondary/High School and asking if it is possible to get a meeting with the aim to see if it is possible for your daughter maybe to have a taster day or a tour of the school with the teaching staff that she is likely to encounter in her first year and what they can provide to her when she needs to get away from it all?
Also, does she have a diary or journal? If not, it might be a good idea, so she can express herself in writing, I find it easier to write what I am wanting to say instead of conveying it in words.