Autism diagnosis -necessary?

[gabsdot45]

I have a 15 year old daughter. She was adopted at age 2.5 and has a few issues stemming from that. She is developmentally delayed in most areas, academically, socially, intellectually. She has dyspraxia and dyslexia.
She's doing well in school on a special program. She has friends and is generally a happy kid.
She has always had some autistic tendencies stimming, obsessional behaviour around various fictional characters, general social difficulties.
I'm wondering if it's worth pursuing a diagnosis.
If she is autistic (as well as everything else) will it make a difference to her. She and w have learned to manage her behaviour and like I said before she is happy and positive.
Should we leave it alone. Is it better as an autistic person to know.

In my opinion as an autistic person, yes, I'm very glad I found out I was autistic aged 32 and got my formal diagnosis.

BUT I was miserable at school as I didn't fit it and had next to no friends for a large part of it. A diagnosis would have been beneficial to me as a child as I think it would have helped explain to teachers and other pupils why I was socially awkward and constantly seemed on edge and frightened.

If you daughter seems happy enough as she is and is already getting help in school for her learning disabilities, then perhaps a diagnosis isn't necessary for the time being. It might be something to consider for the future though when she enters the world of work and requires specific accommodations from an employer.

It's better to know so you can adapt with better ways of living with it.

I've just had a parents evening for DS who's gone up to secondary school. One teacher had difficulties with DS's defensive body language in the autumn, but as more information has gone out to the staff about DS and how his autism affects the way he presents himself, the teacher now finds it much easier to work with DS and discount some of the signals that DS gives off and the teaching/ learning experience is much more positive for it.

Knowledge facilitates reasonable adjustments, but also to the person helps them understand why they tend to be out of sync with their peers and eases the social pressure.

This applies beyond schooling into workplaces and social groups.

I'd be inclined to to do it. My son is now 25 and was diagnosed with HFA at 11. At that point he desperately need the support that came with a diagnosis, mainly at school.
He now has a degree, mortgage, partner and a good job. Although he still has his quirks he functions perfectly well in life and doesn't need the 'label', but having it has not held him back in anyway.
My nephew on the other hand is clearly autistic, but managed at school and was never been diagnosed. Now at uni he's having all sorts of issues. He needs some sort of supported accomodation which would be available with a diagnosis, but he can't access.
I do understand the caution not to label unnecessarily, but from my experience I would.

It sounds like she's doing really well.

Personally, if all is going well then I'm not sure what an ASD diagnosis will actually add. It's likely to take a long time and other than confirming what you already suspect, there's not likely to be any additional support.

We are currently getting an ASD diagnosis for our DD14. She's not coping in school at all and her attendance is very low. She's already diagnosed ADHD. The ASD diagnosis is really just to help us with the EHCP process as far as I can see. It's just a tick box exercise and CAMHs really don't provide anything at all.

If you don't have an EHCP yet and think you might need one then that would be a potential reason to pursue diagnosis. She'll be likely to be at the point of leaving school though before the process is complete.

It's WAY better for autistic people to know. I wasn't diagnosed until I was almost 40, the lack of diagnosis held me back and made me suicidal for years. Do this for your daughter, it's not too late.

I thought similar in the past, my daughter managed well with my support through school, although she did always struggled socially. Now she is at university and my support is from a distance, she's finding it very difficult. She does have coping techniques and strategies that we have developed over the years but is finding it hard to implement them due to the massive adjustment that come with going away to university; if she had a diagnosis there would have been support in place from the uni and also potentially some allowances made.

So if I was in your position, knowing what I know now, I'd pursue an assessment. It might seem unnecessary to have a formal diagnosis right now but that might change in the future.

Is it better as an autistic person to know.

It absolutely is!

Just because things are going well now, doesn't mean that accommodations/reasonable adjustments may not be required in the future.

There a huge sense of self-validation that comes along with a diagnosis - not a label, labels are for jars/bottles not people, and it can and often does lead to a better understanding and being kinder to oneself.

Yes, I think so. The teenage years can be difficult enough without not understanding what if there’s other stuff going on with you that you’re unaware of.

So a resounding yes. A diagnosis is necessary.
Thank you for your responses.
I and going to do some more research and talk to the SNA manager at the school.

Appreciate you all