Published on 12, July, 2020
I've been searching for such communities for several days now and I’m hoping to find some support here.
My cousin's son was diagnosed with autism, but she sort of refuses to accept it. He is almost 3 and hasn't received any care from specialists yet. He doesn't say a word, and he doesn't even respond to his name. The only thing he eats is milk and pasta. The worst part is that his mother works a lot, so the only person who takes care of him is his grandmother.
We are really worried because the situation is out of control.
Oh, I forgot to mention that his father doesn't participate in his life.
Any advice or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Lana Apeg said:We are really worried because the situation is out of control.
If there is no abuse then I don't think there is anything you can do about this.
Once the child reaches school age then they should be assessed by the school and have a Special Educational Needs CoOrdinator work with the child and parent if needed.
Until then the child is the responsibility of the mother.
It is tricky as you can see the child not being given the best care but it is also none of your business so long as their needs are being met.
If you believe there is neglect worth intervention then contact someone like the NSPCC and they can offer advice on how to go through the official channels.
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-abuse-and-neglect
There will inevitably be fallout within the family as a result of this so you would need to prepare for that.
It really is a difficult call to make but it is worth noting that a lot of autists can develop quite late compared to other children so it could just be this at play.
If there is malnutrition then the GP should pick up on this, but that of course depends on whether the GP has seen the child.
Thanks a lot for the response and recommendations. I'm just thinking of how to make it to his mother's mind.