Mild Autism? Teenager

Hi,

I am autistic, but I was actually diagnosed quite late at age 25. Like your daughter I actually did very well at school academically though I didn’t have any friends at school and struggled to fit in. I did make some friends at uni and fit in better there and also did well but I did increasingly struggle. I wish I had know I was autistic sooner- I think it could have avoided some of issues I face now and just helped me understand myself better. 
It is perfectly fine to self identify of course but it can also be good to have a diagnosis especially if at later stage some reasonable adjustments at university or work are needed. even if at moment your daughter doesn’t require any (i didn’t at that age ) she might benefit from them in future- Life does become more complicated as we get older and there are more and more demands and I think as an autistic individual a lot of the smaller stressors and masking etc can add up over time. Mostly for me though the diagnosis has helped me understand myself better and figure out a way of living that works better for me. I didn’t have any adjustments at university or school - only now in my PhD my supervisor is aware and I am able to actually work more flexibly and can also work from home for any desk work as I cannot focus in the open plan office.

in terms of approaching the GP (if you and your daughter decide to go ahead), I would suggest coming prepared- take some of the online autism tests (i can’t remember the names of the relevant ones now but it was mentioned in previous posts) and print out results and maybe also make a list of traits- the more evidence the better. Sadly a lot of professionals still aren’t very well trained about autism and especially about how it can manifest in women. 

I’m not sure if any of this is helpful. I do think it is positive that your daughter is exploring this and whether you decide to pursue a diagnosis or not I think it is extremely helpful to better understand yourself 

Hi and welcome to the community.

In short, yes - people with autism that might previously have been classified as Asperger Syndrome are fully entitled to be assessed.

Despite the misleading sound of those unofficial terms, so-called "mild" or "high-functioning" autism can still extract a heavy toll in terms of mental health consequences - especially cumulatively, over time. Similarly, autistic people's struggles can increase as we progress through childhood and into adulthood, including due to the increased social and environmental demands that are placed on us as we grow up.

Your daughter might find this resource helpful in helping her to note down various things that support her suspicions. This list, along with a screening questionnaire (more on this below) would typically be what a GP would require when assessing suitability for referral:

NAS - Signs that a child or adult may be autistic

If you and your daughter would like to learn more about getting assessed, these articles are perhaps a good place to start:

NAS - Deciding whether to seek an autism assessment

NAS - How to request an autism assessment

They are from the NAS's diagnosis hub, which covers all stages of the process.

For those who live in England, it also includes information about requesting an assessment via Right to Choose, which enables access to private providers who might have much shorter waiting lists than the NHS, but with the referral and assessment still fully funded by the NHS (so there is no need to go, or pay, privately).

The NAS articles do include links to screening questionnaires that GPs would require - and that your daughter can complete first, to get a better idea of whether her suspicions are correct. But she might prefer to use the website below for this. It provides a useful commentary for each questionnaire, and enables them to be completed online (with scores calculated for her), saved as PDFs and - if the results support her suspicions and she decides to seek a formal diagnosis - printed off to take with her to the GP.

The AQ-10 or AQ-50 are the most frequently used / required by GPs in support of NHS referrals. (RAADS-R might also be helpful, but recent research has thrown doubt on its validity as a screening tool).

Embrace Autism - screening tests

Hello Crisps!

Crisps said:

My teenager daughter has recently expressed that she would like an autism assessment.

That’s exciting! Assessments can be costly and take a long time, but they can help with self-validation and potentially pay off for getting accommodations.

Crisps said:

She has done a lot of research herself and strongly suspects she has. She is not necessarily looking for additional support as such but thinks that by knowing she may be able to access/learn more to support herself. 

So an interesting thing to consider is self-diagnosis. In short, your daughter does not need a doctor’s permission to identify as Autistic. If she is certain herself that she is, she certainly can identify as such. There is also the scary specter of “what if I get misdiagnosed?” Loads of women get improperly diagnosed with a different disorder (such as BPD) or are undiagnosed altogether because they don’t “act as Autistic” as male counterparts. However, without a formal diagnosis it could be harder to get accommodations at school or work if that is ever needed.

Crisps said:

She has taught herself coping mechanisms to her social and emotional barriers, and does incredibly well at school. I think recently it has been mostly bothering her as she doesn't understand when she appears rude and it is frustrating her.

This is great to hear that she has adapted well! I think either self-identifying or getting a diagnosis would definitely help her, as knowing that you are Autistic can certainly aid in her understanding why some things are more difficult for her.

Crisps said:

Given that its likely mild and shes high-functioning (apologies again I understand these are outdated phrases)

So some people in the community still use mild and high-functioning as descriptors for Autism. I personally prefer low or high support needs. Ex. Your daughter would be low-support, since she needs supports but not as much as some others. I appreciate your apology, but you are doing well!

I don't know what the minimum criteria to be referred are.

You would need to talk to the GP.

They would form their own opinion and may use some screening tests, such as the AQ with 50 questions, or the shorter 10 question version. This can be found online, such as at embrace-autism.com

I expect they will be interested in social communication and interaction difficulties in everyday life, along with repetitive or restricted behaviours, so would want to see your daughter.

Assuming you get referred the process may not be very quick though.

If you go privately you don't need a referral, they will decide themselves. It can be done faster, e.g. in 6-8 weeks, from initial contact to report if they are not too busy.