How is autism diagnosed ? Help !

[Jo.t]

My daugher is 11 & I have been sure since a very early age she is autistic.

She is 1 of 6 children & is totally different.
I work with autistic children & have done a degree level autistic course (a few yrs ago)

She was seen by CAHMS when she was around 5 but dismissed.

As she has got older her behaviour is worse, CAHMS refuse to see her - she has been refered several times - as they keep putting it down to the domestic violence I went through with her Dad a few years ago (Dad now out of the picture)

She refuses to go to school & we are being taken to court.

We have a CAFF meeting next week.

Without going into too much detail these are her symptoms .....

She talks ok but no eye contact, head down eyes look away
She dont see anything wrong with insulting people
obsessed about washing / bathing
has no empathy for others

If CAHMS wont see her who else can I see ?

prefers bei g on her own

 

[mummy2o]

Having autism doesn't mean you refuse going to school. My son loves going to school, my sister loved going to school and even my dad and they all have autism in some shape or forum. I however, who has aspergers I didn't really have a problem until year 9. My mum then use to take me to school. In my defence I found the work to easy and apparently it bore me so when they switched it to more difficult work I apparently was more content. I am rubbish at exams and the work level was based on how well you did that day, which didn't suit me apparently. So try working out the reason why she doesn't want to go to school. Your daughter you said is 11? Are you in the UK if so did she refuse to go to school when she changed to secondary school? As autistic people are reluctant to change.

Nearly every autistic person I have met has a special interest. Does you daughter have a thing she would prefer to do than anything else in the world?

Did she reach her other milestones later than normal? Like talking, walking, feeding herself or have a problem with feeding? These could all be signs of autism with very early children with most having trouble with feeding. If she could talk was it like a normal child or was it more mature and based around what she enjoyed as a child and not a lot else.

If she is obsessed with washing\bathing does she do it more than once a day and always washing her hands? Maybe she has an OCD and the school is too dirty for her as well as possibly having autism.

Do you have the funding to get a private test done? They are about £800 last time I looked a couple of years ago, but since then I had my diagnoses. They might be cheaper for children, I'm not sure. A good place to look would the national autistic society website.

Anyway good luck and carry on fighting to get the help your daughter needs.

 

[Jo.t]

Thankyou - it was the secondary school change she does not like - she was ok with primary.

She reached her milestones ok, even speach was ok - its the way she communicates is the problem

She speaks at you more than to you !

The bathing is at least twice a day, she will change her clothes several times because they have a speck of dirt on them.
There are lots of thing she dont like to touch ig. cardboard.

She does not like a family friend as his last name sounds a bit like pedo & thats what she thinks he is.

Another friend as a slight odour problem - she is quite happy to tell her to go away because she smells.

She will call people fat / ugly / point out birthmarks ect

when I try to explain it is not nice to say these things she will look confused & say "well he is fat & has a massive mole on his nose"

As for a intrest / obsession - no, not anything really. She does line all her things up though !

Many things point to her being on the autistic spectrum, most likel aspergers.

I just cant get her seen by anyone

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

If you have the money hun, I think I would have to go private xx

 

[mommy2lilmen]

Hmm she may of been autistic at a young age but now it appears, by what you have written here, Aspergers AND ODD Oppositional Defiant Disorder. It is in the Autistic spectrum symptoms but not totally,. my 5th son is one of 7 and he is different and appears to attribute ODD many times. He was diagnosed with PDDNOS, I do think with therapy he will go to Aspergers.

There isnt anyone you can go to to talk to about her symptoms, perhaps someone at the courts ? THere has to be someone out there willing to hear you. Im not saying you havent exhausted all measures, just there is ONE person out there willing to listen, wonder if someone at the courts will hear.

HUGS. at 11, I cant imagine having this for so long. Be thinking about you.