• Replies 9 replies
  • Subscribers 85 subscribers
  • Views 590 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Seeking advice

GNickley

Just a little bit of context first. My step daughter is 19 and currently a University student, she has recently been diagnosed as being autistic. 

This is something we have both suspected for a couple of years and the road to a diagnosis has been difficult. Following her diagnosis she found it hard to accept and starting doubting, it has been a longer journey however we are getting there. She is being offered support in Uni but can’t do anything until her DSA meeting in January, she has also asked for support from doctors but they have said there isn’t really much more they can do. 

She is currently having trouble with speaking when she is overwhelmed and this makes her feel very angry at herself and she can lash out at others. She doesn’t like how this makes her feel and always thinks she is a burden to everyone around her. 

does anyone please have any advice on thing s that can help her to speak or deal with things when she is overwhelmed. We currently have loops to reduce the noise and she also uses sunglasses on ocasino to reduce the lighting impact. But the not being able to talk has resulted in multiple meltdowns and she finds it difficult to recover afterwards. 

Thank you in advance 

Parents

  • Welcome to the forum, and I'm sorry to hear about your step daughter's struggles.

    I understand how she feels, I know what it's like to become virtually mute and just want to get away to somewhere that feels safe. 

    It may help to work out how she can avoid becoming overwhelmed. As well as noise and lighting causing sensory issues, there are other things that can cause overwhelm - just being in a crowd of people, or a supermarket queue, may cause it. Autistic people get tired very quickly because of the mental overload, which can lead to a lack of patience and meltdowns too.

    These things might help while she is waiting for the meeting at uni to discuss support:

    - To make sure she is getting enough sleep. If she has trouble sleeping, it's a good idea to use blue screen on devices in the evening, and a warm bath and then a hot drink and reading a book she enjoys (not a uni textbook!) could help her get off to sleep. 

    - To leave lectures if she feels herself becoming overwhelmed, and go and rest in a quiet place - perhaps she could arrange with a friend on her course for them to let her have notes afterwards, so she can catch up in her own room?

    - To minimise socialising, and only go to parties and events if she really wants to, not just because she feels she should go.

    - If she is in halls or a student house, to arrange to go grocery shopping with a friend and to go to smaller shops rather than a large supermarket.

    As she is over 18, she could also join this community forum - it's often easier to communicate in writing when you're autistic, and it might help her feel less alone.

    I hope things improve soon.

  • in reply to Lotus

    Thank you, some of the things you have mentioned we have also put in place like leaving lectures and things like that. 

    She is in halls and has a good flat mates but finds it difficult coming home for the holidays. I will see if she is interested in joining, she finds it difficult to get down her feelings too as finds text can be taken the wrong way sometimes or she overthinks them. although I will speak to her about it as I think it could be really helpful for her. 

  • in reply to GNickley

    Some people "lurk" on the forum and just read other posts for a while until they feel ready to join in with conversations or ask a question. I don't do social media, but I have found this community to be generally helpful and usually supportive.

Reply Children
No Data