Worth getting a diagnosis?

[AreYouAGod]

My 8 year old boy shows signs of being autistic and ADHD but is generally very high functioning.

He is extremely bright and is able to perform well at school, but has the benefit of being in an extremely small private school ( just 4 in his maths set for example). In an environment like this he has almost constant attention and I’m aware of how lucky he is.

I’m wondering if it is worth getting him a diagnosis when he currently isn’t struggling at all.

My concern is that he might struggle in the future so it might be worth looking into a potential diagnosis to help him in his teen years and at secondary school.

For example, he hyper fixates on things but as one of the elder boys in his year the other children seem to go along with his latest obsessions. An example is when he was obsessed with the Titanic and his classmates played Titanic in the playground for the best part of the year. I appreciate that children might not be as easy going or willing to engage with his interests as he gets older. Especially as some of them are a bit ‘out there’.

I guess I’m after advice on whether I will regret not getting a diagnosis further down the line when he is hitting puberty, is at a bigger and less supportive school etc

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Support in school doesn’t rely on having a diagnosis. It is dependent upon need. So, if he needs some adjustments when he moves to a larger school, that should be provided.

Do you think that a diagnosis would make a difference to him?

Have you spoken to the school? The vast majority of support is based on needs rather than diagnosis, but I would seek an assessment if you suspect ASD &/or ADHD.

I’m not seeing any need atm but I think he is just incredibly privileged with his school environment.

I guess it would be useful to understand if people feel it has helped their child for them to have a diagnosis or understanding of how they work.

The school seem aware but I know from other parents they are reluctant to push for diagnosis. They are quite traditional. And I guess it makes little difference to them re funding.

I’m in the exact same boat with my 8 year old. I really don’t know what to do for the best.

Like you say they are OK at the moment but it’s not to say that won’t change as they get older and getting a diagnosis in a few years time might be even harder.

I've been back and forth for my 7 year old also.
he gets all the help and support he needs so I suppose I'm just feeling is it even needed right now, but then I think about as he gets older it will probably help in terms of any questions he has etc