• Replies 7 replies
  • Subscribers 70 subscribers
  • Views 459 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Hello I’m new here and looking for some advice/support

Rara

Hi Wave I’m mother to the most wonderful teen who was diagnosed with ASD last year. I’m a single parent with an ex who is probably on the spectrum as well.

We are really struggling with school attendance, its been a few years now. They are bright and enjoy learning and when feeling well actually want to go to school!! They experience dizziness and limb pain and brain fog and I just wondered if anyone else here has experienced the same/similar? We’ve been to many different doctors and psychologists but so far not much has helped. My gut feeling is that this is sensory overload.

id love to hear any idea of ways to help, any would be greatly appreciated

 thanks for reading! Pray 

  • My son ASD, 19 now and was only fairly recently diagnosed with dysautonomia (postural hypotension & vasovagal syncope). Presumed it was sensory for years but was getting worse in the mornings as being dehydrated can make it worse. Was confirmed by a tilt table test. Was sent to psychologist first just like yourself. Might be worth checking his blood pressure from laying to standing. There are some instructions how youtube on how to do as well as checking for POTS. Some just generally have low blood pressure. It's not talked about enough really, made a lot of sense when he finally got diagnosis. He now feels more in control, it's the not knowing that's scarier than anything. Hope that helps.

  • in reply to $parentForumReply.Author.DisplayName

    Please do not post personal links as per community rule 12.  Thank you

  • in reply to Rara

    Happy to have been able to give some support.

    I am autistic myself, diagnosed at 59. I can say that. although I was reasonably high achiever academically, school caused me great anxiety. I never enjoyed school, though 6th form was the least unpleasant. When I started school at four and a half I reacted with three months of selective mutism while at school. I was obviously overwhelmed and it seems that silence was my way of coping. I know from personal experience that school can be extremely stressful for an autistic child, even one that is doing well academically. 

  • in reply to Larissa

    Hi   thank you for your advice. It’s really helpful. It’s good to know we’re not alone too. Pray 

  • in reply to Martin

       that’s really helpful. It’s good to know someone else has experienced such physical symptoms and been through all the craziness of doctors and tests like we have. Your daughter sounds a lot like my child! We are trying a therapist at the moment and he is definitely helping. Thanks so much for taking the time to share

  • School is a challenging environment for autistic children. My daughter's anxiety about school was expressed in nausea and vomiting. We went to the GP and were referred to specialists for investigations for physical problems, batteries of tests and nothing was found. The problem with autism is that associated alexithymia and lack of interoception often means that a child is unable to give much information, either about 'where it hurts' or why they are feeling the way they are. We eventually recognised that underlying anxiety was the cause of the symptoms and cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) helped to an appreciable degree. My daughter is very bright, the learning and being taught came easily to her, it was a combination of social pressures and sensory difficulties at school that were the problem.

  • Hello! I'm in my late teens and I understand this all too well. Attendance was and still is my biggest issue, but with the right support it can be made a lot easier for your daughter. For me, I had extra time, a smaller room for example. I experience all of these and I think you're completely right because dizziness is one of the main symptoms of sensory overload for me, and for a lot of other people with autism. It's different for everyone, but I'd figure out what your daughters triggers are (loud noises for example) and try to avoid/minimise them. If nothing can be done, there are other things she can do, if loud noises is a trigger, she can use earplugs for example or use breathing exercises to decrease her stress/anxiety. I hope this helps!