Anyone with Asperger's girl wish they'd not diagnosed? Did it help or hinder?

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I suspect my DD 8 has Asperger's or similar. She is bright, popular but tricky and definitely quirky.
Manages to hold it all together at school (mostly) but it exhausts her, she brings the meltdowns home at the moment.
Super literal, appalling handwriting but greater depth in nearly everything.
Extremely oppositional, extremely anxious and fixed in behaviours, food, sleep etc.
I work in the SEND field.
Has anyone any personal advice about whether a GP visit and / or waiting list for diagnosis of the problem would be a help or a hindrance? She's Y3.
Thank you

You’ve basically described my 7 year old daughter. I am seeking a diagnosis. For now it’s not having a huge impact on schooling and friendships (home life is a different story but I have SEN experience and feel able to cope for now), however it would be nice if the school could put some things in place to help her reduce her stress and anxiety levels while at school.
My main reason is that I have concerns for when she’s older and going to secondary school. Eating disorders, depression and self harm are well documented among ASD girls during the teenage years, the school environment is also very different and possibly overwhelming and peer relationships are far more complicated. I do not want to be trying to get a diagnosis and support when she is older and could really need it.
I feel it’s better to get everything in place now so things are hopefully easier if she needs additional support in the future.

My dd was recently diagnosed with ASD. She's 6. I'll be honest I never really understand these "will it help or be hindrance" questions. If she is then she is, whether or she has a diagnosis.

A diagnosis opens doors to access support. Not tonnes, as the resources are so stretched. But some. It was the thing we needed to get school on board (long way to go there still).

I know ASD adults say it's a relief, it explains the behaviour, helps them understand themselves. It certainly has for my daughter.

I have a diagnosed mental illness and my diagnosis in my 20s was such a relief. It wasn't me, there was something to explain it.

How do you see it to be a hindrance?

My dd, aged 9 has been recently diagnosed with autism, dyspraxia and anxiety. I am not sure that the autism diagnosis is correct. She was diagnosed on basis of screening questionnaires completed by myself and school sendco and 2 short (20min) appointments with a community paediatrician.

I am unsure at the moment whether the diagnosis will be helpful to her. She is aware of it and I am worried that in her mind it will become a big part of who she is (especially as I am unsure of the accuracy of the diagnosis).

I was under the impression that it would be very difficult to get a diagnosis, and that it would involve thorough assessment so my head is spinning about it all at the moment!

My tuppence worth (with a spectrumy year 6 literal poor handwriter) is to get her touch typing at home using TTTS website (touch type read spell - designed with a nod to SN and with the superb side effect of really boosting spelling). We did this in year 5 on the advice of our Ed Pysch as typing uses a different neural pathway to handwriting, freeing my son up to concentrate on trying to be non literal now that creative writing has become important with a view to secondary school application. Doesn't specifically answer your question but I wish we'd done this earlier. It's really been so free-ing.

TTRS!

Thanks for your reply User19991999, I think you are right, I need to challenge my dd's diagnosis. From your description, your dd sounds pretty similar to mine.

The paediatrician made the diagnosis unexpectedly and in front of dd ('I am diagnosing with autism, dyspraxia and anxiety and will be discharging her today') so I had not opportunity to prevent her hearing it. She said 'Am I autistic then?' and he said 'Yes, but that is not a word for you to use, just professionals and teachers. It is not for you to go and tell your friends' !

The comment he made about discharging made me think that the diagnosis was being made quickly to clear her off his books.

I am going to look into what I need to do to challenge the diagnosis, or at least get some proper assessment done for her.

Mine needed the diagnosis so she could understand why she has differences.