woodstock246

I think Sally44 verbalised my thoughts better than I put them across. I was not suggesting that the OP's daughter does not need a diagnosis, just that perhaps it would not be a cure all. Justine1 I have bounced between the need to get a dx and not for years. You say 'if indeed he does have AS' Bearing in mind his father has AS, and that I work with youngsters with AS and autism, and I have been advised, without having asked for advice or even mentioning the subject, to seek a diagnosis, I hope I would have some idea (though I do not claim to be an expert). Part of me would love to get a dx, but at the moment I don't think it would be a good thing for him. Things as they are, we don't need one, educationally things are good. I am aware, through his father, how difficult it can be as an adult to have it confirmed. I apologise for appearing so opinionated.

Don't mean to sound negative, but will a lable for the behaviours make them any different? Many of them sound like my AS son. I have had teachers and others encouraging me to get a diagnosis but he is does very well at school so I really don't see the benefit of giving him a lable that means others make opinions about him before they've met him. He is a quirky soul and I love him for it. Others can take him for who he is, or not. The good teachers have and will get the best out of him, those who don't 'get' him will not magically become able to teach him better because they are told he has AS. I am not going to have any more success in making him believe that basic hygiene matters (don't ask!), that he can look at and answer the neighbours when they speak to him, etc, etc, because he has a lable. (Though perhaps if I'm entirely honest I sometimes wish he had a tee-shirt telling the world,so people don't assume he's just rude). The physical, fidgety side though sounds more like my (NT) daughter. She is not still until she has run, swum, jumped, cycled off more energy than I have in a week! I guess what I'm trying to say is that IMHO behaviours that are not typical of the majority don't always need to be viewed as a problem if they are not really causing one. As for the questions again and again, after explaining clearly why or what and making sure it is understood, I have always answered that " Last time you asked the answer was ......Every time you ask (?timescale) the answer will be ............." It does not make it any less frustrating but at least it stops me having to explain everything every time the question comes. Just about to hit post, then thought, and I am probably creating a peculiar theory! But I kind of get the caring more about animals than people; Children that like animals 'like dogs' and or 'like cats' or whatever, but even as adults we rarely 'like people'. So a random person with no emotional attachment being ill/dead is not as sad as a random animal. Sorry, that made sense in my head, hope you understand what I'm getting at!