Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi everyone,
We thought we'd create a discussion where people can say hello and introduce themselves.
You don't have to say something here but it'd be nice to get a chance to say hello
Please remember that you should not share personal details (such as emails or phone numbers) to protect your privacy.
And don't feel you have to introduce yourself, it's entirely up to you and please only share what you're comfortable with.
Hello everybody. I'm Sharron, aged 36, single mum to Daniel aged 4 who has high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Dan has many of the classic symptoms of ASD: irrational fears (narrators on TV programmes, talking toys, and noisy appliances being the worst of them); unusual body movements (flapping when excited); inability to voice his needs and worries (often phrases talk as we would, we have to flip our speech round now as if he is saying it to teach him stock phrases); generally becoming overwhelmed in unfamiliar, busy or noisy situations (we went through a terrible time when he started school and had to cope within a class of nursery children).
I have an incredible support system, namely my mum, Dan's official daytime carer, who we live with; and my wonderful new partner Shaun, who works with students with learning disabilities and brings his experience into the fantastic relationship he's building with Dan. Not to forget Dan's father who has him each Saturday and gives us a rest!
I'm also a student currently on Edge Hill's Return to Teaching course (seeking to return to primary teaching) so have access to a wonderful education library with some very interesting books on ASD. It's taken a long hard journey to get to where we are now, with support from school and the paediatrician, so I hope I'll be able to support others but also connect with other parents of ASD children and learn from them.
Dan and I are looking forward to meeting you all!