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.
Hi, my son was formally diagnosed last year after a referral from his school and the CASBAT team. When we got the diagnosis ( it was a mixture of sadness and relief!), I asked "so what now?" and was told well that's it! There's no support for parents or advice on how to deal with it. Luckily my son is at a fantastic school who have gone out of their way to support him. He is on school action plus, dyslexia pathway (even though he's not dyslexic- the methods used help him) and now school have referred us to occupational health.
It's really hard sometimes when he is playing up and other parents look at you as if to say 'why can't you control your child' and you don't always want to tell everyone that he's got Aspergers. I've read some really good books which help you to see the positive side of the situation, and have picked up useful tips like how to use their special interest as a way to teach them other things.
My sons school have mentioned the idea of a support group to me, and I know a few other parents who would benefit rom talking to others in the same situation. The only group I did find was in Alvechurch and they were for children on the Autistic spectrum, and I know that my son would stick out like a sore thumb! Aspergers is a tricky one because they look 'normal' but struggle socially.