Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi , my five year old daughter was recently diagnosed with autism , her speech is very delayed and she has many sensory and social issues ,it seems that my daughter is displaying more behavioral issues and (ticks) everyday !! Is this commen at all ? She won't sleep till past 1am and seems to never be tired she has trouble falling to sleep and will keep going until her body physically is drained only then will she drop off.
I haven't had any support since her being diagnosed so would be grateful on any tips on the following issues , sleeping , toileting and also trips to public places, she generally will have a melt down and lie on the pavement and not move for ages when we are out( she does also have hypermobility syndrome which causes pain's in feet and difficulties walking) , wind and rain seems to be a big problem for her also, she's also been screaming and hand flapping a lot lately.
When your children was first diagnosed where did you seek support and what helped you?
Thanks in advance.
From my personal experience there are two answers to this. Yes and no.
Yes the gap between 'normal' children and autistics does get wider because we don't learn the social skills that our NT pick up naturally. And we get left behind. Socially I am still very backward unable to process non verbal cues and sarcasm etc.
No, because as people get older they get into a rut and slow down learning new skills. But for autistics there is so much to learn and as adults we discover what NTs knew years ago and we start to catch up and the gap narrows.
That is just my personal experience. For others it may be different.
Hello,
Firstly well done for being proactive and seeking help for your daughter!
Sadly there doesn't seem to be much support from the health service after diagnosis. I would suggest looking for your local support groups. In Hertfordshire we have SPACE who have been brilliant in supporting us. Your school nurse should also be able to help you with toileting etc.
I would say for my boys its not that their ASD gets worse over time but more that it changes depending on their anxieties and what is happening etc. or instance they struggle more at transition times, christmas and birthdays etc. I also feel it becomes more noticeable as they get older. My boys also have MLD so I see the gap between them and their peers widening.
Hi NAS24549,
The links I have provided below will direct you to parts of the National Autistic Society's website which focus around the areas you suggested you'd like information about:
Sleeping: http://www.autism.org.uk/about/health/child-sleep.aspx
Toileting: http://www.autism.org.uk/about/health/toilet-training.aspx
Trips to public places: http://www.autism.org.uk/about/family-life.aspx and http://www.autism.org.uk/about/behaviour.aspx
In terms of looking for support, it may be worth using the NAS's Autism Services directory, which you can use to search for services in your local area: http://www.autism.org.uk/directory.aspx.
Finally, if you'd like to speak to someone one-to-one about your situation, you may wish to ring the team at our Helpline. You can call them on 0808 800 4104 (Monday to Thursday 10am to 4pm, Friday 9am to 3pm), although please note that the Helpline is experiencing increasingly high demand, and you may not reach them straight away.
Please see the following link for further information:
http://www.autism.org.uk/services/helplines/main.aspx
I hope the above is useful. Please don't hesitate to post again if you have any more questions
Best wishes,
Nellie-Mod
Hello I am sorry I don't have any suggestions for you,I am an older man,still not diagnosed, I just felt I had to reply to you and say! Your daughter may have all these issues but with a loving mum like you she will blossom into a fine young individual. Take care somebody who knows will hopefully replie soon.