I just need to share

Pluh! What a stressful month. Our son was diagnosed over the summer aged 5. Although it was no surprise it is only now that I coming to realise the enormity of 'forever'. We had a hellish half term - he defied me at every opportunity, used quotes from movies at inappropriate times calling people 'hey fishface' after watching Scooby Doo, fought with his brother and lashed out at all around him. Back at school I hoped the routing would help him and then realised I had forgotten his ballet kit needed for his lesson that day. Of course we had massive melt down about it and I had to take him home - feel so guilty, it was probably an avoidable incident if only I had remembered the kit. His emotional highs and lows are exhausting, he ranges from anger to frustration to inconsolable upset to happiness, joviality and joking around i nthe space of five minutes. I am running out of parenting ideas and feel ever so lonely. My husband is lovely but just doesn't really get it and I just really needed to share this with people that might understand what I am feeling - am I totally alone, is it this hard with a child with ASD, what can I do to make it easier for him and his brother who, bless him, is struggling to adapt too. AAAAAARGH, I am so exhausted and upset by this all and I just dread that it is just going to get harder as he is already standing out more and more amongst his peers. Need some reassurance or help, please!

Parents
  • Hi there - the calendar idea is brilliant - also building up a schedule works well.  Do-to-learn has lots of brilliant simple pictures that you can cut out and laminate, then velcro on.... it is a fiddle but it really works.  There are weekly templates on there as well.  It's about £28 for a year's membership but worth it.  If he takes to it and you always make it accessible, he'll probably end up telling you what he needs each day!

    Don't beat yourself up for not remembering everything - I sometimes completely forget to make my son's pack lunch and have to drop it back in half an hour later!  He may well become a bit more flexible as he gets older.

    Best of luck x

Reply
  • Hi there - the calendar idea is brilliant - also building up a schedule works well.  Do-to-learn has lots of brilliant simple pictures that you can cut out and laminate, then velcro on.... it is a fiddle but it really works.  There are weekly templates on there as well.  It's about £28 for a year's membership but worth it.  If he takes to it and you always make it accessible, he'll probably end up telling you what he needs each day!

    Don't beat yourself up for not remembering everything - I sometimes completely forget to make my son's pack lunch and have to drop it back in half an hour later!  He may well become a bit more flexible as he gets older.

    Best of luck x

Children
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