Is there a diagnostic questionnaire or similar to diagnose aspergers in a 8yo girl?

[PiedWagtail]

I have been concerned on and off for years about the possibility of Aspergers in my dd, who is age 8, re poor eye contact, odd/lacking social skills, bizarre behaviour and odd phrasing/wording. She often seems to miss the point of conversations, and lives on Planet Daydream a lot of the time - although she is able at school, behaves well there, has friends and is a model pupil.

Can anyone help?

ASD can be much harder to spot in girls because they seem to be better social mimics or at least have more drive to try and 'fit in'.

Silk - yes, I've read that. Thanks.

Hi pied sorry just saw thread again. Dd is nearly 8 and diagnosed with predominantly impulsive/hyper ADHD age 6.5. However she's always had a few oddities. She's very fussy about clothing being comfortable, eats her dinner one food group at a time, started reading at 2 yrs old, speaks at people not to them and is very literal. She is fun and lovable and has many friends who are boys due to her boisterous nature. However she struggles to interact with girls. She is very bossy and controlling, talks endlessly constantly on and on. Defiant!!

Update - saw GP today and she basically said there was nothing wrong with dd - though I ahd my list of concerns and her completed questionnaire. GP has asked me to bring dd along for a 20-min appt and she will assess her. I asked her how she planned to assess her in a 10-min appt and she told me that was her problem .... then she said, book her in for a double appt. Hey ho.

Why do I tell dd we are going to the doctor?? The truth? Or something else?? Help.

Does she think that she is at all different? Ds did so I told him that we were going to the paed as some people have their brain wired a bit differenty and we were going to see if he thought that DS's was....

When we first went to the GP, I just told him that all children of X years have to have a check up!

Hi ben 10 - no, am sure she doesn't think she is different.

I'd go with something like my second option then.

What is the most problematic symptom that she is aware of? Could you use that as a reason, suggesting brain wiring issues?

Also, do you have anyone else in the family who might be on the spectrum? Their eccentricities could be a point of reference for her and the GP should not ignore possibility of genetic history of ASD.

Hi Silk - yes, her stepbrother has AS (he's 18 adn was dx when he was 6-7 iirc) and imo her paternal uncle does! Is ASD genetic?

There is no one main problematic symptom, more a collection of little odd things.

Oh God yes in many many cases! It can be a symptom of brain trauma or part of a different condition but I think most people will find there's been an oddball or two in the family at least. I'm pretty sure my kids have it on both sides! Another reason why DX is on the increase - Aspie women are getting out more (as opposed to being bundled away to a loony bin 70yrs ago, even less), using their talents and interestes for work, consequently meeting Aspie men. Backs up my theory that it's the next phase in human evolution - ever watched X-Men? Might be a bit far but I do think there will be some sort of social revolution in the next century or two as the nerds inherit the earth, maybe a segregation if they have the power to completely opt out of the NT world and all its irritations.

X-men

DS would love that analogy being a huge Marvel obsessive :)

Maybe avoiding eye contact will become fashionable in the C21st and making it as rude as showing your ankles in Victorian times.