Sal, I'm so sorry you have been told the wrong thing. B absolutely needs a dx to prove he needs an aide. Aides need to be trained and they need to be paid and unless you can privately fund one, you need to show the Gvt what help he needs and how much. WHO told you this? They need to be set straight and fast, imagine who else they are telling this to. Aides need to be sorted NOW for next year, so although you don't want the label...you kinda DO or else he will have a hard time at school and no one wants that.

YOu have to get used to the label thing. It only lasts long enough to get funding etc. Other than that it's just a word..or a jumble of letters

One thing is for sure - if he test positive for autism he should get an aide. If it's Aspergers he certainly IS NOT certain, because it depends on the level of blah blah blah. If he has speech issues that is actually a good thing when it comes to funding. My DS cannot get an aide on the basis of Aspergers because he has no speech/verbal issues. He still needs heaps of help transitioning from activity to activity.....so we have to go for funding based on "severe behaviour issues" which was a kick in the guts at one point but now I don't give a rats as long as he gets help. He won't need it forever but we need it at the start.

GL with everything, I hope you do get a dx because it;s the best thing in the long run. When he starts school you will notice how many Aides are in the classrooms these days and it's no big deal to anyone else. Kinda run of the mill really. I don't expect you to be cheering about it just yet. Classroom aides are the new black

Clare - it is probable your friends daughter has been given a dx of PDD-NOS which means Pervasive (I think) Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified. This dx ensures funding under the Autism umbrella.