I was cautioned by more than one person about 'labeling' my son during the diagnosis process. Having him properly evaluated and diagnosed has brought nothing but positives to our family. He is now engaged in productive therapies, and receiving necessary supports at school. He's growing and learning amazingly quickly. My only regret is not having him evaluated sooner!
We aren't dealing with autism, but fwiw, have had the sam experience re our ds' and dd's challenges. I just would add one thing (also very positive) - the "label" my children have received (and the understanding of what it means) has meant a ton of relief for my children. Before they had a diagnosis, they had internalized that the "it" that was different about them was something inherently their fault or something that they should be magically able to get past since their peers didn't have the same issue. Understanding that they had a particular diagnosis and challenge helped them understand themselves better and helped them regain their self-esteem, which had taken a real hit when they were struggling and none of us understood why.
polarbear
