hi you all you yummy mummies and daddies too 
i have just joined on here to get some tips really to deal with my daughter who is 8 and we have thought for years now that things are not quite right, you will have to forgive me but i was totally naive about autism and forgive me again 
but used to think quite negatively about it until a few years back when someone close we knew was diagnosed with ASD and i must admit it has really opened my eyes about what parents have to deal with on a daily basis, think you all deserve medals!! Over the years i have quite literally been tearing my hair out with my beatiful little girl, she is increbidly bright but just lacks so much in the way of any social skills, coping mechasims, has always played very solitary and prefers her own company, always has, she has always had her most favourite toys such as dinosaurs and her horses/animals which until she was 5 i payed it no attention, but still she will sit in her bedroom with them all around her and she seems totally transfixed almost in a world of her own and she bangs her legs up and down in pure excitement which is quite sweet but for a girl of her age, it worries me as she is incredibly shy and she gets quite hysterical over the littliest things, ie, she picked a coat for her birthday which is really pretty but she refuses to wear it as she says its all scratchy?? and this includes her hat also, we are having real isues with her in general now as she has been ill with one thing or another over the last year which has made things so much worse, she can't bare her hair being brushed or screams at the slightest touch, the pre-school got involved 3 years ago and unfortunately i missed an appointment with Dr Higgs due to me giving birth to my youngest son on that very same day so we have got on with things and out of the blue we got another appointment, it seems like fate trying to tell me to get her seen but maybe its coincidence due to her illnesses, its with Dr Higgs again and i know i probably wont get to see her, im just relieved to tell someone who may understand whats going on with her, i could go on forever about her little odd ways, her dress sense ect but i would be here all day, just would love someone to give maybe a bit of advice or maybe an insight to what i could be dealing with and how on earth do i explain it all to the doctor without going overboard and them thinking im a complete nutjob who thinks there is problems that aren't there, little confused tbh
thanks so much in advance xx
