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

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 

Parents
  • 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.

  •    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

Reply
  •    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

Children
  • 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.