Published on 12, July, 2020
Good morning everyone!
I’m new to this community and I would really appreciate it if I can get any advice or tip as what to do/ what help is available. I’m reading as many post as possible and picking up some tips and seeing answers to the many questions I have.
My 3 yr old son who will be 4 in Nov has been recently diagnosed with autism he is at pre-school that was a bit of a struggle in the beginning because most of the nurseries was telling me that they do not have extra staff so was turned down from most of them until I read that they’re not allowed to do that and that they should have a SEND department which I knew nothing about.
I asked the nursery if he could have a one to one to begin with because when he’s in a new or unknown environment he takes a while to settle and can be disruptive. His current nursery took him on after I asked who was there SEND person, initially they refused him but when I asked them about it they said they would take him on.
With his diagnosis the doctor did recommend for him to attend a school that specialised with autism which I wasn’t expecting he’s verbal but has delayed speech, the potty training is a absolute disaster most days so any tips on potty training is welcomed because I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Does children with autism have to go to a specialist school?
my 2 yr old is non- verbal, he had his first assessment and was referred to the autism doctor. He understands everything, he knows his colours, numbers and abc the only issue with him is that he takes really really long to calm down and can hit out when he’s upset. ( which I’m sure is typical of a 2 yr old he just can verbally explain himself). He will be attending the same pre school as his brother.
And if anyone has any tips or recommendations to help with housing, the doctor that did the diagnosis said that he needs a lot of space, I also have a 17 yr old daughter and I live in a 2 bedroom group floor flat I lost my job after my maternity leave with my 2yr old because I couldn’t get a nursery for my son so I couldn’t return to work which was quite depressing for me. With no work I cannot rent privately and the rental price in London for a 3 bedroom is out of this world.
it took me a really long time to build up the courage to join this group but I’m really struggling and what is the next step after diagnosis and where to get help.
thank you all in advance for any advice and tips given
Hi and welcome to the community and for sharing your situation. I have listed out a few links that you may find useful:
https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-andw-guidance/topics/diagnosis/post-diagnosis-support
To find out about the support available for autistic adults and children, parents and carers, how to request an assessment or find out about funding for social care please visit: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/social-care
The following page contains a lot of helpful information about education for a child with an autism: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/education This includes information regarding getting extra support for your child in their education setting.
You can search for schools that cater for children with an autism spectrum disorder on our Autism Services Directory: https://www.autism.org.uk/directory
You may want to contact our Education Rights Service who provides information, support and advice on educational provision and entitlements. Please see the following link for further information: https://www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/help-and-support/education-advice-line
If you need support with an appeal against a decision about a child or young person’s educational needs, you might want to contact our Educational Tribunal Support Helpline: https://www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/help-and-support/tribunal-support-line
You may be interested in contacting our School Exclusions service. The School Exclusions Service offers advice and information to parents of children and young people on the autism spectrum on all aspects of school exclusion in England. If you would like to access this service, you can find more information and an online enquiry form here: https://www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/help-and-support/school-exclusion-service
You may be interested in contacting a local National Autistic Society branch. Our branches offer support to local autistic people and their families. If you interesting in checking if there is a local branch near to you, please follow the link below: https://www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/local-branches . Our branches are volunteer-led, and as such every branch and group is different. Some are parent support groups, some provide support and information to autistic adults, while others have office premises and run their own a drop-in service. You will need to check with a branch directly for more information on whether they are able to provide a particular service that you are interested in.
Hope something in there is of use
SarahMod