I became a sahm (out of choice) when my DD was born. Ever since she arrived I struggled to socialise with her. As a baby, she used to scream and scream but I just put that down to being a baby (and she had silent reflux etc so she was generally a difficult baby).
As a toddler she would never play with other children. If I took her to a group she'd stay with me, only playing if I was by her side. If I tried to have coffee with a friend for example she'd sit on me and create unless I was giving her pretty much my full attention, playing and talking with her.
I could never deviate from her routine, missing a nap for most is no big deal you just get a grumpy baby. For us it meant disaster for days. So, further isolation for me and everything even if I did try to do something had to be around her schedule.
She's 3.5 now, and was recently diagnosed with ASD, after I put her into preschool for her funded 15 hours with the aim of preparing her for school and it became apparent that she just couldn't cope with the transitions, was highly anxious, massively sensitive to noise, couldn't cope with groups of children etc etc. We had her assessed and yep, it's autism. It was like a light switched on and all of the difficulties I'd had with her made sense. She currently does about 9 hours a week and has 1-1 support all of the time.
She's generally highly intelligent (not bragging, she is extremely cognitively advanced, but her social development is way behind), her vocabulary is huge (though she is very repetitive) and she converses and generally behaves like a little adult. The doctor who assessed her explained to me that she feels more on a level with adults then her peers because 1) she doesn't understand the concept of authority or treating adults differently/with more respect etc and 2) because adults are more predictable than children she feels safer with them.
Normally she's ok with family and I had my in laws around to see us today who she spends a lot of time with and adores. Something seemed to set her off and she behaved in the way she normally does when I'm with friends - ie wouldn't let me hold a conversation without interrupting or being in the middle of it/on me. It's not like when a NT 3 year old is just acting out, it's much more intense than that and I can see her distress building and building.
I handled it like I usually do (by explaining that it's rude to interrupt, Mummy is talking with Grandma, trying to distract her with an activity etc etc) but she was out of sorts all afternoon. In the end, she actually asked her grandparents to go home because she needed peace and quiet (her words) which is 1) mortifying (though they won't take any offence they are fab and very understanding) and 2) unheard of. She loves them.
It wasn't until after they'd left (they were going anyway) and my MIL messaged me to see if I was ok and asked if that had happened before that it dawned on me that it always does. Never with family, but always if I try to do anything that resembles socialising - even if it's a child related activity - I literally cannot remember ever being able to see anyone socially with DD in tow and it not being awful. I didn't realise just how isolated I've become. I only see friends now if it's of an evening (rare as we all have young families) or I've been able to leave DD with a grandparent (also rare but which she is usually happy to do)
I also have a second DD who is just one year old and the polar opposite of her sister, the most sociable child around. I'm determined that she won't miss out but honestly I don't know how I'm going to get her to things until next year when my older DD starts school.
How do you do it? How do you manage to have a child like mine and stay sane, manage to see people, not take it to heart if you do see people and they just think your child is bratty and that you're a shit parent?
Thanks if you got to the end of that, it was way longer than I intended. This is all so new to me, I don't know anyone else with autism, and as far as I know there's no family history.