Published on 12, July, 2020
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.
your situation sounds incredibly similar to my own. I have a 9 year old who was diagnosed last year with Aspergers. His father and I split up when he was 18 months old and he has had nothing to do with us since. I have since married a wonderful man and had another child, who is the exact opposite of my eldest son in every way!
I have found it extremely hard to get any support within Worcestershire. There seem to be adult AS groups but not children. I really think its time that we as parents got together and form our own group to exchange ideas and experiences.