My DD is 12 and has been in and out of the system with various things: speech therapy, toilet training issues, sensory issues. She's had a couple of IEPs through being behind at school, too, but she always ends up being discharged. I spoke to Young Minds who reckoned that there was an issue but she's very borderline.
Finally, I got a referral recently to CAMHS, which she had had at 5 then was swiftly discharged. This was on the back of having some very bad thoughts that she might kill someone and having all these counting rituals and superstitions to stop herself. She also talks about her obsessions telling her to do stuff and not do stuff. I notice this increases and decreases with stress. She'd also stopped eating over the summer through a vomiting phobia but thankfully the not eating element of the fear has passed.
She has an awful temper where she smashes things, sometimes stuff that is expensive and we really care about and also her own stuff, which she is nonchalant about because it's hers.
Over Xmas, she'd had some proper meltdowns then settled into a routine and was relatively calm. She's back at school tomorrow, cried sick today but turned out to be fine. She was extremely difficult to get to bed, messing about, refusing to get changed, being disruptive, annoying her younger brother who was trying to sleep and, when she finally gets in the bathroom, she just stands there refusing to do anything at all. This can go on for over 30 mins. It's got to the point where I'm so distressed at how we are having to live now because, by and large, the difficult behaviour, after a very brief respite over Xmas, is practically on a daily basis and I must admit, I am not good at disguising my feelings now and keep lamenting the fact that my life is 100x more difficult than anyone else's and I'm having to follow her around like a 2 yr old. Tonight, even her tone of voice and facial expressions weren't the same - manic on both levels - and seemed to be getting a kick out of the performance.
She is on the waiting list for an assessment. I've been told over the phone that it may look like autism but it's hard to tell until they see her. I've also been told by a duty worker that the rituals sound like OCD, not schizophrenia, as I'd feared. She is perfectly normal at school and around friends though the mask is starting to slip around family. The autism doesn't quite fit for me as she is social, if very immature, both physically and mentally (she looks like a nine year old).
Her behaviour prior to secondary school was better. Not perfect and but manageable. We certainly did not have major problems every day. I try talking to her when calm and she agrees her behaviour is wrong but, in the heat of the moment, it doesn't compute. I am wondering more ADHD? She is starting to have issues with friends, which she didn't previously. From what I can see, they are ahead of her in maturity and find her a bit annoying, which, of course, is compounding things.
Anyone with similar experiences who can help or share?