hi, im new and could really do with some info

Hi Emma I'm in the same position you are. My son has just got diagnosedwithautism and have no idea where to start its quite overwhelming I've been trying to find groups in my area to see if there's meeting so I can get to know more about it instead of reading pages and pages of writing.

I was told the same with everything you have wrote but my son his coming on a lot more since starting school he would interact with adults but not children hes slowly doing it now his speech is coming on more he can say 3-4 words in a sentence but not a full sentence yet. 

Him being diagnosed was a shock but I'm hoping I canwork with him as much as I can and get to understand it more.

your son will come on in his own time he will talk again I've had it all with my son and flash cards work a treat. 

hope to hear more from you it would be nice to know and talk to other mums about this :)

omg that must be so hard for you! knowing she needs help but cant get it. have you had no help at all??

ive been reading through the forum and have seen a few people struggling to get a diognosis. i know im lucky in the sence its all happened so fast but i must admit its been a bit of a fireball and hit us hard coz we really didnt have a clue. i really do hope you finally get some help for your daughter.

im new to this but can you keep getting your daughter referred?? or do they just re-assess? my sister has a boy and he is very noticeibly diffrent to his sisters and all they keep saying is he is delayed but wont actually offer much help for him. its sooo frustrating because he defo needs help. keep trying hun, ill keep my fingers crossed for you xxx

i think you are lucky in some repects it took 12 years for my daughter to be diagnosed i fought so hard i always knew there was something not quiet right my daughter was always being discribed as naughty cheeky or diruptive she doesnt make friends she likes smaller children but get very stressed and frustrated and seems like your child to interact better with adults though does not know her boundries i wonder how she has got through life so long without the help she needs i hope you get the support you and your child needs 

hi again - my son didn't bother with children either.  My theory was that adults understood him better so he went to them for practical help, such as a drink.  He had a few people he had a liking for, the majority he wasn't bothered about either way + a few he disliked.  As far as real interaction went with other children, then no, I don't think he did.  He could find some things they did amusing but he didn't form emotional attachments to them.   He was educated at a school for children with autism.  I was there around lunchtime one day + a boy in my son's class was getting agitated because he cdn't find him.  It wasn't that he was his friend, it was just that they all sat on the same table at lunch + he cdn't rest until that routine was complete.  It may be difficult to explain about not kissing some of the adults.  He may think this is what he should do because he kisses adult family members.  With language I always tried to keep words to a minimum.  I didn't use any more than I had to as I reasoned I might confuse my son.  Everything was in summary form, pleasantly put.   Sometimes 1 word + at most a short phrase.  I don't think there's any harm at all in you saying a word + showing him what it is at the same time.  That's what flash cards are, really.  Try not to worry too much about his speech, he spoke before so he cd decide to again.

omg so fast. we didnt notice anything untill he went to nursury in september. the leader pulled me aside after his first day and said she was refering him as soon as she could. when she started listing all these things that he did i felt bad because to me he was just normal and was quiet so didnt really see any of the things she was seeing. its just been an imense amount of appointments since october.

im sure ill find out loads at his feedback meeting. i know im trying to run before i walk here but i just want to get a head start so to speak and i must admit this forum and website has been amazing.

personally i think my son can understand but she says she dosnt think he knows much at all. she thinks im giving him to many clues ie pointing etc etc. if i said can you get the red ball he wouldnt. shes saying we need to start from scratch and she thinks i will need to use flash cards with him. its hard becuase ive always talked to him about anything and everything but im not sure how much he has taken in or understood.

its difficult to hear all this about him as i honestly didnt think i had a problem to begin with but all the drs etc are saying its obvious. i guess it is if you know what your looking for. ive always known he hasnt liked interacting with children so because he is my only son i just kept his social interaction to a minimum.

is it common that he loves adult attention but not interact with children at all?? thats the bit thats so confusing. he is very happy to sit with adults an even people he dosnt know. and he quite happily gives kisses etc to any adult. thats also scary because i really do think he would just go off with anyone. no danger at all.

he did used to talk. he used single words like ball, car, mum, dad, etc but he lost the lot about 4-5 months ago. if he did talk do you think he might possibly talk again one day??

thankyou xx

hi emma - sounds like things have moved very quickly for you all.  Getting a diagnosis takes getting used to, so give yourself + family a bit of time to adjust.  There are posts on here about parents + how a diagnosis affected them, so have a look.  A diagnosis will pave the way for a statement of educational needs.  This is important as it enables extra support to be given to your child in an educational setting.  Ask the professionals about 1 if they haven't mentioned it.  The diagnosis should inform you of how autism affects your son, to what degree etc.  So that  should be your starting point.  You can tell your family what the diagnosis says. They also need to learn so they can be helpful/understanding with your son.  Ask any questions you want of the professionals if something isn't clear.  Also have a look around the nas site.  There's stacks of info which will be helpful to you.  The posters on this forum will always try to help as well, so stick around!  What's the speech therapist saying about his communication?  My son didn't speak till he was 5.  He understood some single words + phrases, such as "get your coat".  Does your son understand some things you say?  Remember he's certainly got enough time to start talking!  bw