Could dds behaviour be sign of Aspergers - sorry bit long

[mangochutney]

DD ticks lots of boxes I suspect but not others (not that I know much about it!) and I am not really sure of the benefit of an assessment - would appreciate thoughts of others with similar dcs.

dd is very confident and outgoing and talks not stop (very pedantic). She does now socialise with other kids but never did when she was younger (sat facing wall reading book all through nursery). She used to have sensory issues - better now although still hates strip lighting in class or groups of noisy kids. Cries easily and can be v defeatest/negative. Seems to say what she thinks is appropriate but doesn't quite get it right which makes her sound a bit quirky/formal (and hilarious at times). Obsessive about "research" and has "library" of books ordered by fiction/reference then subject then height!! Loves adult company and no problems with empathy (although used to be).

My problem is that I think if we took her to be assessed people would think I am crazy as most of time she is a happy outgoing little girl with no problems however I have a lot of history of mental ilness/depression in my family and so would want to know if she might be predisosed to this so I can perhaps put strategies in place to help her - I also think we may have problems when she hits teenage years

Maybe I should do nothing, stop being doom and gloom and just enjoy her! What do people think?

[lljkk]

I arrange books by height (sometimes ). They just look tidier on the shelf (and I do NOT have ASD).

Sorry I don't have experience to help, some of the best parenting tips I ever heard came from parents of Autistic DC, though. I sometimes think that DS2 is at the Asperger's end of Normal. But I don't need to know for sure.

[nellie12]

Have you tried autistic society webpage? they have a lot of information there that may be useful. you dont say how old dd is. A lot of what you describe is also normal behaviour and development however Aspergers is dificult to diagnose and does need a specialist opinion so if you are concerned I would start with GP and ask for referral.

I would also suggest that if she is asd then she will be having problems at school as this environment is very challenging for kids with asd. (they just dont get it) There is no harm having a chat wit someone if you are concerned

[mangochutney]

dd is 8. School is OK although took few years - very small primary which helps i think. I like neat bookshelves also lljk but dd is a bit extreme - the other day she had bought a book about English Villages??? and then got in an absolute state because she didn't know wether to put it on the History and Religion ot the Geography and Astronomy shelf - I go into her bedroom and find her sobbing over her desk making a England and the UK sign and then saying it was rubbish and no one would want to come to her library??? I know it sounds funny really but her upset is genuine!

I will have a look at the website thanks nellie 12

[SofiaAmes]

I think that you need to consider the point of an assessment. Is your daughter having trouble at school? Is she having significant trouble socially (no friends)? Are her eating habits so poor that she's not getting enough nutrition? Are you concerned that she may not be able to be a independent productive member of society when she is an adult. If she is having some or all of these issues to a significant degree, then an Aspergers diagnosis will help you to get the support and assistance you and your dd need to be happy, healthy and productive. Otherwise, if you and her can cope on your own, why let the government (and others) have control over a significant part of your life.

(I am currently questioning myself about these issues in relationship to my ds, so have spent a lot of time thinking about it and consulting experts).

[mangochutney]

Sofiaames - that's exactly how I feel - we do manage and she is coping fine with most things so I can't really see the point of an assessment as a way to get support - we don't really need anymore than she gets already -

People just have mentioned it a few times that's all and I wondered if it would be helpful for dd to explain why she might struggle with certain things or be seen as different.

Having said that moving to a larger school may help as she is bound to come across a few more kids who are a similarly quirky and then perhaps won't feel like she stands out so much and if there are problems then, then that might be a better time to think about seeing GP.

Thanks for advice and letting me think aloud!! .

[aprilflowers]

In the past Asperger's syndrome has been misdiagnosed as mental illness in some individuals.
Although your daughter is obviously doing really well and is a happy little girl

[MaryBS]

Moving to a larger school might cause more problems - more kids equals noisier.

I have Asperger's and have only recently been diagnosed (I'm 42). But I WILL say that in my teens, things got a lot worse, I believe as a result of hormone changes and I was put on tranquillisers for anxiety at 14.

I am pedantic, love books, can empathise, prefer the company of others who aren't my peers (I get on well with kids and people older than me). I have problems with strip lighting, even more so now I'm older, when a flickering light can trigger a migraine in the blink of an eye.

You don't have to make a decision now, remember. You might want to take a look at the Wrong Planet website, I found it really helpful when DS was diagnosed and I considered whether a dx would help for myself (it does).

[ScarletBear]

My nephew has aspergers (although it is very mild) and sounds exactly like this. He is what I would call 'old fashioned' in that he likes to talk to adults, and has quite a wide vocabulary, which he uses to talk all the time. Before the diagnosis, my sister just noticed that he 'didn't fit in' - he'd rather talk to the teachers at his school, and would listen to classical music, obsessively sorting his CDs like your DD's books. He does socialise, although it's not his priority, and I don't think he'd every dream of inviting any friends back to the house.
His ASD isn't a problem, however, and my sister only had his assessed because the way he speaks makes him appear rather forward, and therefore a little rude sometimes, and she didn't want him to be in trouble at secondary school, where not all the teachers knew him/what he was like, as had been the case at Primary.