Advice / Book recommendation needed please

[CwtchesAndCuddles]

My friend has a year 10 dd who has been under CAHMS for a few years - initially due to severe anorexia nervosa. She was hospitalised and very poorly but is now managing to maintain a healthy weight, although she still has issues with food and can't eat in front of anyone outside the family.

It was suggested due to other behaviour that she may have aspergers, she went through lots of assessments but in the end it has been left that she has no diagnosis other than "autistic traits". I saw her mum today after a review meeting at CAHMS - they want to discharge her now and have implied that this is as good as it's going to get for her. They have agreed to review her in six months as mum was not happy especailly as dd will be in her GCSE year.

Mum accepts that her dd is different but without a dx other people find it hard to realise the extent of the problems and the dd herself knows she is different. I offer as much support as i can, my ds is only 4 and has asd and learning dificulties so I'm a bit out of my depth..........

Can anyone suggest a book that could help her dd understand some of her quirks and come to terms with them?

Thanks

I like Tony Attwood books. Either the complete guide to Aspergers or the guide for parents.

Also she could look at some of the sensory books, I am not sure if it is "out of Sync child" or "Sensational Kids" talks about children for whom their sensory issues effect there ability to eat....sorry DS sensory issues in diff area, so didn't pay a lot of attention, but remember thinking how hard that would be to deal with.

Lots of children on the Autistic spectrum have sensory issues, but not all children who have sensory issues are on the autistic spectrum... children who have sensory issues are often described (in my experience) as having autistic traits

Actually I am pretty sure it is in Out of Sync Child

Thanks for the tips - her eating issues are not sensory but due to the anorexia, I've read the out of sync child and although it's a good book it's not appropriate here.

I will look at Aspergirls and Tony Attwood as they sound more the kind of thing.

Thanks

Mum should demand a second opinion. "Traits" mean sod all in terms of accessing help, as I learned the hard way. Given her other issues the Autism unit at the Maudlsley hospital, London would be the ideal place as their cahms service is probably the best in the UK.

bochead I agree with you but the parents have had years of CAHMS hospitals and dealing with the anorexia - they are drained. One of their close family friends is a paed specialising in neuro disability (dx my ds) so they tend to listen to her rather than me!

Parents are very private about dd, they talk to me because of ds, we have a shared social interest and very few of the members have any understanding of the needs of their dd and just find her odd, many think parents pander to her too much and that she is attention seeking. I'm sure she has AS.