Can a child have mild Autism?

[BestIntentions80]

Hello everyone. First post here. My daughter is 10, nearly 11. I'm concerned about whether or not she may have some ADD traits or may have mild autism if that is a thing. My daughter still stims when she plays on her own. We call it waggling! She'll have a toy in one hand and talk, talk, talk. When she's with us or other adults she doesn't say a great amount despite encouraging conversation. She seems ok with her small circle of friends and according to teachers they want to work on her communication. She can also jump up and down when excited about something. When she was younger she was late to walk and talk. When she reads she sounds very clear but in conversation she pauses quite a bit, speaks very quietly and sometimes mixes up words. Can be shy mostly but will surprise us by being confident on stage doing a play or singing. She also had echolalia a little when younger and doesn't always grasp instruction but getting better. Most people think she's fine but I know something isn't quite right. I love her to bits obvs but as she gets older I feel she will struggle more as feel like she hasn't been diagnosed. I haven't spoken to doctor much about it and teachers have implied that some things are normal and they can grow out of it. I feel like like it could be ADD or has some ASD traits. She can also be ok one minute and zone out the next which makes it hard to communicate at times. She also has minor coordination problems. She physically looks older but mentally seems a bit younger than her years. I'm I worrying about nothing? I can't talk to people I know as she comes across as well behaved, if not a little shy, when out. I've heard girls can go under the radar a bit but as she's getting older I see more and wonder. I obvs want to know if she does struggle with certain things because of something else. How do I approach a potential diagnosis, if there is anything? She'll be starting secondary soon and my anxiety is through the roof about it. Thank you all.

Hi,
autism is a spectrum so you can have those that are ‘high functioning’ and those that have quite severe learning disabilities.
I can’t comment on your daughter as my DD is 4 but walked late and still non verbal.

Do you know if she needs much more support than her peers? Has the school identified what they can do to help with her commutation? You can look into obtaining an EHCP if you feel that she has support needs that cannot be met without additional help. If you’re right that girls do present differently and are often diagnosed later. If she’s also not displaying any problematic behaviour at school, school may not be as aware as they would be with a child who is disrupted and causing havoc on a daily basis

There’s no such thing as mild autism. In order to be diagnosed one must have “persistent difficulties” in the triad of impairments that “limit and impair everyday functioning”.

The spectrum isn’t a linear scale from mild to severe. This explains it well. As does this.

All high functioning means is there isn’t a comorbid learning disability i.e. the person’s IQ is more than 70.

It’s worth seeking an assessment. In some areas you can self refer, if not you can ask the GP. Do speak to the school’s SENCO too.