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New to all of this and it's all a bit daunting

MrsP

I have been saying for years to the school, family members and GP that I thought my son was on the spectrum but I just kept being fobbed off. 

Due to mental health issues (which I put down to struggling at school and life for so long with no help) he is now an inpatient trying to get support for his mental health, suffering depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. 

Well finally at 15 he has had an ASD assessment and although we are waiting the official report the doctor has confirmed he has ASD.  There was a huge sense of relief that finally someone had listened to me and a feeling of wanting to shout from the roof tops "I told you he wasn't a naughty child, he does have ASD!!"

Now there is a sense of anger that he has missed out on so much support over the years, struggled so much at school and is behind and is now suffering terribly with his mental health.

There is so much information out there I just don't know where to start, I would appreciate any advice from parents who have had late diagnosis and what support and advice is available and anybody who has experience with their child in an inpatient unit.

Parents

  • yeah hes pretty lucky to have been found at 15, if you read the forums people on here only being diagnosed  at like 40 and so on and have already lost their chances in life and love and career.

    i cant really understand how they keep tacking on that were naughty though, generally we get done for the naughtiness of everyone else around us while we try to stick to the rules as much as possible and are usually afraid of getting told off lol but yet we always get the *** for the bad others do around us instead. its odd, almost as if being good and trying to stick to the rules is naughty and rioting and causing disruption is good.

Reply

  • yeah hes pretty lucky to have been found at 15, if you read the forums people on here only being diagnosed  at like 40 and so on and have already lost their chances in life and love and career.

    i cant really understand how they keep tacking on that were naughty though, generally we get done for the naughtiness of everyone else around us while we try to stick to the rules as much as possible and are usually afraid of getting told off lol but yet we always get the *** for the bad others do around us instead. its odd, almost as if being good and trying to stick to the rules is naughty and rioting and causing disruption is good.

Children
  • in reply to Caelus

    The 'naughty bit comes from having meltdowns, things not being at they 'should be and reacting to it, etc. Many undiagnosed autistic children are seen as naughty due to that. My granddaughter was forever having meltdowns, throwing chairs, shouting and crying, or hitting other kids because they had dared to move her carefully arranged pencils on her desk, or touched her book, etc. Luckily the school accepted that she was autistic long before she got her diagnosis (it was a long battle due to her being female and not presenting 'typically', that is, like a male) and made lots of adjustments for her so she was never labelled as simply 'naughty'. A friend's granddaughter was exactly the same but her school didn't accept that she was autistic and so WAS labelled 'naughty', and eventually permanently excluded. She was diagnosed when she was 13. Having spoken to lots of other mothers, this is a common problem, and not just with girls. Pre-diagnosis, kids that can't cope and are consequently disruptive in class, are simply classed as naughty.