Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello there,
I am completely new to this site and not really sure how it works or if this is the right place to post?
Our 32 month old son was diagnosed last week. As is the same for everyone life is very busy and full of stress and now this. So just trying to get my head around it all and understand and educate myself. I was wondering if anyone can advise on how to find local support groups so one can meet people going through the same thing as you. I am also wondering how other parents cope, small example is my son ACTUALLY had a full nights sleep last night , this is rare for him and yet woke up ballistic and I could not figure out why. I went in to see to him and he just starts lashing out hitting me. :-( Due to other stress going on I am just a bit teary today and wondering what coping mechanism other parents use. Also once you had your diagnosis what did you do? As far as learing about it and how to best cope for all involved. Is there any professionals one can see that can specifically help with the behavioural side of things ?
I have enquired about a swapp course but we are waitlisted and the wait is quite long apparently.
Is there a section on this website for local groups in ones area?
I look forward to any tips and advice. Thank you.
Hi - welcome . Check out the home pg for info on lots of things + also the posts. You'll find lots of posts from parents about how they felt when their child was diagnosed. If you can tell us a bit more about your son, ie: is he verbal, has he got sensory issues, does he got to nursery, if so how autism aware are they, things like that? Then posters can chip in with advice. I would start by learning how autism affects your son as an individual - we are all different with our own strengths + weaknesses. You're right when you identify that there's a lot to learn, so take it easy - bite size chunks are best. Try to stick to a routine. If he has problems understanding the spoken word then use a pictoral timetable so he knows what's going to happen nxt. Observe his reactions closely as little things can mean a lot. When he becomes distressed there will be a reason. It's just it can be difficult to identify + difficult for him as to communicate. It may seem a small trigger to us, but it won't be to him. Don't rush things - he's the same little boy he always was.
My daughter slept through from four years old, so you have my sympathy. She just didn't seem to need sleep when she was small. Standard advice from the 80s was have a nap when they sleep in the day. Could be a problem if you work. White noise can help to settle them and strict routine. Minimum contact in the night. I did not speak to mine in the night, if avoidable, just a reasuring touch, or stayed quietly by their bed. No drinks or play.
Re the ballistic behaviour, maybe he had a bad dream, or was not quite awake and thought you were someone/something else.
I approached a Dr. when I had problems with my daughter. He told me she needed TLC. So I used to talk to other mothers. Swapping horror stories does get it out of your system. If you have any recurring issues, then people here may have advice.
Make a note of the good days/ moments and focus on those, if you have a bad day.
Best wishes
The little pink maps of britain in one corner of the Home and Community pages of the NAS website are there for you to search for local services. They seem to be a bit 'hit and miss' depending on what you write in search.
Also the list often comes up with London stuff first. Bizarrely even if you live on Benbecula NAS thinks you might want to know about London facilities first. So you may have to scroll down the page a bit to find something useful.
If the nearest group is in another town or county, contact them nevertheless. They may be able to direct you to local groups that are off the NAS radar, or failing that, their membership may include people from your area.