hi all, i am 31, called sam, i have a son age 8 who is autistic, lower end of the scale.
we had a diagnosis 2 years ago, only now have a got my head around it all. and decided to join here, as advised by my doctor.
i look forward to talking with you all and helping each other xxx
sam xx
Hi All,
Just joining the newbie community. I have never done anything like this before, but it is so reassuring to hear that other people are experiencing the same issues.
My son was diagnosed with Aspergers in December, just weeks after his 7th birthday, after a traumatic year at school. I have worried about his tantrums and aggressive behaviour since he was 3 but it never occurred to me that it might be an ASD. No hand-flapping, just an infatuation with dinosaurs and animals an inability to lose at anything ( major tantrums if he couldn't co something correctly or lost a game ) and very aggressive tantrums requiring a long recovery period. Also a dislike of being touched /comforted during a tantrum.
The school suggested at the start of year 1 that we refer him and it has taken over a year to reach a clear diagnosis. When AS was first mentioned I knew very little about it but it terrified me. As advised by the paediatrician we went away and read all the usual books etc and realised that I wasn't just a bad mother who couldn't communicate with her son - which is how I felt a lot of the time - and, actually, my partner and I were doing a lot of the right things ( more by luck than design, it has to be said !).
He is my eldest son so I had no point of reference. His Dad and I split up when he was only a few months old, so I was a single mum for the first couple of years, and since reading the books his Dad and I actually agree that his dad was probably on the spectrum too. I now have a new partner and a second son and when I watch him playing I realise just how different their imagination and social interaction is - it is almost comical they are so far apart.
The hardest part is dealing with the meltdowns. He is the most loving and affectionate little boy one minute and extremely intelligent, then a few mnutes later is tearing pictures off the walls and throwing books at my head telling me he hates me ! He hits, kicks and throws things. We haven't worked out all of the triggers yet and I suspect we never will - it is emotionally draining.
My partner is great with him ( has more patience than I do ! ) but we don't have any family support nearby so it can get pretty stressful when he is going through a bad patch. I am hoping that this community will give me a bit of perspective and stop me going insane !
We are just about to start the formal process of Statementing so I may be posting abeit more in the coming months.
In the meantoime, if anyone knows of a support group for parents in the Worcestershire area - formal or informal - please let me know. It would be so nice to meet other parents who are experiencing the same issues.
We haven't told my son about his condition because we were advised by the CCD team that it was best to wait until he was older. I have mixed feelings about this because it also means we cannot explain to other parents in case it gets back to him via the playground. He knows he is different because he has 1:1 support and is on a separte curriculum ..... he asked me last night why it was that he was "cleverer than the other children in his class". Am thinking we may need to reconsider.
Hi All,
Just joining the newbie community. I have never done anything like this before, but it is so reassuring to hear that other people are experiencing the same issues.
My son was diagnosed with Aspergers in December, just weeks after his 7th birthday, after a traumatic year at school. I have worried about his tantrums and aggressive behaviour since he was 3 but it never occurred to me that it might be an ASD. No hand-flapping, just an infatuation with dinosaurs and animals an inability to lose at anything ( major tantrums if he couldn't co something correctly or lost a game ) and very aggressive tantrums requiring a long recovery period. Also a dislike of being touched /comforted during a tantrum.
The school suggested at the start of year 1 that we refer him and it has taken over a year to reach a clear diagnosis. When AS was first mentioned I knew very little about it but it terrified me. As advised by the paediatrician we went away and read all the usual books etc and realised that I wasn't just a bad mother who couldn't communicate with her son - which is how I felt a lot of the time - and, actually, my partner and I were doing a lot of the right things ( more by luck than design, it has to be said !).
He is my eldest son so I had no point of reference. His Dad and I split up when he was only a few months old, so I was a single mum for the first couple of years, and since reading the books his Dad and I actually agree that his dad was probably on the spectrum too. I now have a new partner and a second son and when I watch him playing I realise just how different their imagination and social interaction is - it is almost comical they are so far apart.
The hardest part is dealing with the meltdowns. He is the most loving and affectionate little boy one minute and extremely intelligent, then a few mnutes later is tearing pictures off the walls and throwing books at my head telling me he hates me ! He hits, kicks and throws things. We haven't worked out all of the triggers yet and I suspect we never will - it is emotionally draining.
My partner is great with him ( has more patience than I do ! ) but we don't have any family support nearby so it can get pretty stressful when he is going through a bad patch. I am hoping that this community will give me a bit of perspective and stop me going insane !
We are just about to start the formal process of Statementing so I may be posting abeit more in the coming months.
In the meantoime, if anyone knows of a support group for parents in the Worcestershire area - formal or informal - please let me know. It would be so nice to meet other parents who are experiencing the same issues.
We haven't told my son about his condition because we were advised by the CCD team that it was best to wait until he was older. I have mixed feelings about this because it also means we cannot explain to other parents in case it gets back to him via the playground. He knows he is different because he has 1:1 support and is on a separte curriculum ..... he asked me last night why it was that he was "cleverer than the other children in his class". Am thinking we may need to reconsider.
