Support Groups in Worcestershire

Hi everyone,

Does anyone know of any parental support groups in the Worcester area - formal or informal !

My son was finally diagnosed with Aspergers in December, just weeks after his 7th birthday, following 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.  

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 we are very close ,ost of the time. Since reading the books his Dad and I actually agree that his dad was probably on the spectrum too, which explains a lot.  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. I sometimes wonder how I didn't spot it before.

The hardest part is dealing with the aggressive outbursts. He is the most loving and affectionate little boy one minute and extremely intelligent, then a few minutes later he 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.

I don't know any other families with autistic children, and it would be so nice to meet other parents who are experiencing the same issues.