My son, aged 19, now has a formal ASD diagnosis by a Clinical Psychiatrist and is receiving continued support from Speech & Language (a year in now) Occupational Therapy, and a support worker over the last year also - all specialised in the field of Autism. Getting the diagnosis has been a journey for the whole family and a huge learning curve. We chose the private route because we were struggling so much to support our son. He is high functioning, with particular sensory needs. We have learned so much and the strategies we now have in place, thanks to the help of the specialists, has been transformational for family life. What we weren't prepared for was the cynicism and prejudice, from school staff, friends and extended family who "don't believe in labels", or "don't believe what you hear about him having Autism - it's all the mother's neurosis", or "Significant Communication Disorder? He speaks fine to me!". How common is this sort of lack of Autism awareness generally, and how do you deal with cynicism, despite a robust nationally recognised diagnosis (which this was, with 4 specialists involved and who all concurred)? It's bewildering.
