by Emmeline Foster

Created on: August 01, 2010   Last Updated: August 02, 2010

How can anyone suggest that autism is overdiagnosed.  No non-autistic people are diagnosed as being autistic.  If you knew what we as parents had to go through to get a diagnosis then this question would never be asked.  Unless your children are severely affected then you have to fight with tooth and nail to get a diagnosis.  With one of my children it was evident from the day he was born that there was something different about him and I had a diagnosis by the time he was three.  With my other son I hoped he wouldn’t show any signs, he did though.  Although he seemed to be developing normally there were a few traits showing through. 

My cousin first mentioned that she though he might have Aspergers when he was four.  By this time health professionals had started asking about my youngest son’s development and I had been referred to various consultants.  When I mentioned to my health visitor what my cousin had said she just chuckled and said I was probably paranoid because of my youngest son.  I didn’t want to ask again but over the next six months I saw more and more of what my cousin meant and was convinced that he had Aspergers.  I began asking for him to be diagnosed.  My youngest had his diagnosis and was placed part time in a special needs nursery.  It took me a year of fighting and getting in touch with various official at local and national government level for my son to be assessed. 

Meanwhile my eldest son was constantly in trouble at school.  The teacher wouldn’t say officially that she thought he was on the spectrum but a teaching assistant told me that they school didn’t try and get children assessed if they think they can cope in the school as it took up more of their budget.  Two years later I have finally got his diagnosis and extra help for him at school.  He has only had it for the last two months but his teacher has commented on his improved attention and behaviour.  You wouldn’t believe how much I had to fight every day of these last two years to get him diagnosed and that’s not just me, most parents have to fight for a diagnosis and for the help that they need if their child is higher functioning.  If you had to go through this for your children, you wouldn’t even entertain the idea of autism being overdiagnosed!

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