My daughter is 8 and currently undergoing an assessment for autism. I would love to know where to find good resources for ND girls - particularly about masking and what this looks like. I would also appreciate your experiences of girls and how well they mask. School are insistent that they don’t think she autistic - I’m really not as sure.
What we experience - significant worry and general anxiety and worry, sensory issues (refusal to take medicine, inability to cope with loud noise including parties, plays - she cries involuntary if someone shouts), emetaphobia, social challenges and difficulty fitting in (though she does have friends - she is cooled weird on occasion), significant fear of school and getting her in the door, carrying a comfort toy everywhere, challenges making eye contact or chatting to adults or unknown children, a slightly strange conversation pattern, and needing significant reassurance around trips / holidays etc, significant attachment to parent.
What we don’t see are meltdowns, significant repetitive behaviours, issues with food, rigidity of routine. She attends clubs and is fine, though school is a huge issue.
She’s bright, sweet, compliant, emotionally intelligent.
Does anyone else have a child that has presented like this? Were they diagnosed? What support do you get? She’s been ‘different’ to her peers in subtle ways since she was about three months old. Such a tough journey and my heart is with anyone who has a child with mild or unseen challenges.