Doug and his wife had been trying to help their daughter Rosemary for years. They didn’t understand why she was so anxious, struggled so much to relate to other people, and found the world to be such a scary and overwhelming place. Neither did her teachers and doctors. 

Eventually, things became so bad that at the age of 14, Doug and his wife made the difficult decision to send Rosie  to residential treatment. Rosie thrived there and learned new coping skills and how to regulate her emotions. But most importantly, a psychologist associated with the residential treatment center diagnosed her with high-functioning autism. Finally, Rosie and her parents had an answer for her difficulties. 

It is common for girls and women with high-functioning autism to remain undiagnosed much longer than their male counterparts in part to stereotypes about autism being a male condition. There is also a lack of understanding among medical professionals, educators, and the general public on how autism presents in high-functioning girls and women. In Rosie’s case, as in many others, the lack of an early diagnosis led to years of struggle and misunderstanding without the resources that she needed to help her thrive. 

Rosie’s residential treatment program referred Doug and his wife to the Washington Autism Alliance, and our family navigator was able to refer him to local programs that could help Rosie. WAA also referred him to an education attorney that helped them to get an appropriate IEP for Rosie so that she could return to school at her local school district. 

Most importantly, WAA has provided this family with emotional support. Doug describes WAA as an “oasis of understanding.” Doug feels connected to the WAA community and appreciates that our community understands his family situation when most people do not.

Rosie, now 15, has completed her residential treatment program and is back at home, attending her local school. Her diagnosis was a relief to her, as it explained years of difficulty. She’s not ashamed of being autistic, as that is part of what makes her who she is. Thanks in part to WAA, she now has access to the tools and resources that she needs to grow into a happy, thriving autistic adult. 

*pseudonym used to protect privacy