Diagnosis helpful or not?

What is your opinion on telling a child they are on the spectrum (high functioning)? Is it helpful or not?

Our daughter was recently diagnosed at 14 (have had her evaluated several times and told she wasn’t but that her cerebral palsy causes similar symptoms because of brain trauma).

She has had a VERY difficult time since her therapist told her (my daughter asked outright so she didn’t want to lie since she thought she was very obviously on spectrum). Her self esteem has plummeted and knowing has been very difficult for her in many ways.

Want to stress that we as parents in no way think it is a negative thing to be on the spectrum—quite the contrary—it is a super power in many ways (and have been very vocal about this). But of course she doesn’t care what her parents think about it.