Older Teen that may need a diagnosis

[Help Needed]

Has anyone here had a child who had a diagnosis in later life. My child is 17 and in Leaving Cert. I found a note this morning of how they are feeling and need to speak to someone about it but I don't know where I should go. I don't even know how to approach my child when they come home from school about it. Has anyone any advice of what to do. If someone has been through this I'd be grateful if they might post here and I will PM from my usual name. Am on here a long time since the MM days.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

[angrybird]

Bump.

[tel]

Hi my DD was late being diagnosed. She got a DCD diagnosis when she was 15
The OT then advised psychology assessment for ASD and she was diagnosed late last year aged almost 16.5

[MrsPotatoHead]

Diagnosis of what? DD1 was diagnosed with ADHD at 18, halfway through 6th year.

[Rita]

If you haven't spoken to your teen yet would you write a letter back saying you will help and you are glad they asked for help?

Depending on what you need would you start with your gp for advice?

[Penny]

Do you have the option of going to a local HSE centre to a drop in psychologist? We have that option locally. One of my children left me a note one night about how they needed to talk to someone. In the morning I said I saw the note, I am taking it seriously but need to find the right person to talk to. I asked did they want to talk to me, they didn't that day but later on they came and spoke to me. I said I was so happy that they felt they could speak to me and that I wasn't sure where to go for help but I would find someone. I went to see our GP and had a good chat, they advised me to go to the see the HSE psychologist and we took it from there.

It depends on what the issue is - you could need to see an occupational therapist, a psychologist or an appointment with CAMHS (which aren't easy to get).

But acknowledge the note and say how you will try to find the help that they need but it may take time.

[mcmammy2]

Like others have said your message doesn't give enough info as to what the problem is.

If you suspect ASD or ADHD then I know a handful of people who got late diagnosis and it did help them understand why they felt different and it helped them accept themselves as they were.

However if they are depressed etc then Penny's advice is very good.

Hope it all works out for your DD.

[Mom of two]

Did you find the note by accident or was the note left out for you to find - that will change the direction you should take with this? First step then would be GP and/or school counsellor if teen is on board. Plenty of people get diagnosis ltr on - I know quite a few that get a diagnosis in college and it has changed them for the better to understand that they are not 'weird', just have a diagnosis of x or y.

[AIBU]

Stefanie Preissner has been writing recently about being diagnosed with autism at 34. She also did one of her Basically podcasts recently with a p/therapist Jane Hehir about late diagnosis in girls with ADHD, it's on Spotify. Interesting listening. They might be of interest to your/your child.

[Deeda]

Stefanie Preissner has been writing recently about being diagnosed with autism at 34. She also did one of her Basically podcasts recently with a p/therapist Jane Hehir about late diagnosis in girls with ADHD, it's on Spotify. Interesting listening. They might be of interest to your/your child.

OP hope you have found help in the last month.
I agree that this podcast is very useful in terms of discussing ADHD diagnosis in girls especially (and Jane has a lovely voice, I could listen to more of her), also Stefanie did a piece on Anton Savage, Newstalk, last week on her own ASD diagnosis and how she went about that. Might be of some use if these are the types of possible diagnoses at play here.