Neurodiversity thread - for all MNetters who are neurodiverse - ASD, ADHD, Dyspraxia and more.

[FaithAscending]

Welcome one and all to the new thread. A safe haven for MNetters who identify as neurodiverse, diagnosis or not, and those waiting for assessment. Links available in recent threads. Newbies welcome. We just ask that you introduce yourself

How long does it take for referrals (on average) I went to the GP beginning of October. Still nothing through yet and I forgot to ask him when I was there.

Mine was August to March for screening paperwork..(so 6 months). 1 month procrastination over said paperwork, then another 9 months to assessment. However they changed the assessment process in that time which slowed it down more.

DD is acting up. Give me strength (or send gin?!).

I saw someone in the mental health team 3 months after the original referral, then 5 months to an initial ASD screening assessment, then a month to full assessment (was supposed to be 6 months, but they had a massive shuffle around and brought some appointments forwards).

Faith 🍸

I plan on double checking woth the doctor. .

When I eventually get around to making an appointment as I need to see him to get a new referral to physio. (They said I had to get a new referral because I cancelled last minute. The kids were really unwell and I had no one to look after them)

Yes! I won!! 3 times in time out before she'd let me finish brushing her teeth. She finally caved! Made worse by the fact that she's tired but I think if I give on that once it'll keep happening!

HRF funnily enough, it was a week after I chased my assessment I got a call to arrange it!

faith my dd is stubborn as hell. She once spent 2 hours in the naughty corner because she refused to say sorry for hitting. She's 2. She's my little demon. I'm fairly convinced she has autism too. She's like me. In every way.

It's always at the back of my mind. DD is so very like me at that age. Bright, questioning, oh so stubborn. Sensory issues - won't wear certain clothes because of labels or because they're 'itchy scratchy'...it was my only real question at the school open days - how do they recognise SEN and what support do they have in place? I've applied for her school place today! Had a Where has my baby gone? moment.

I see it in all my boys, but not dd, even though she has some traits.
Ds1 is so like me it's unreal, and ds3 is very like him but not as demand avoidant, unless it's us who are parenting in a way that suits him better.

I do get fed up of the assumption that being diagnosed autistic is a negative thing, those people have no idea what it's like growing up and not knowing who you are.

Thank you for the link, Polter.

I've been told it's a 12 month waiting list AFTER they've accepted your pre-screening documents. I have no idea how long it will take them to send me the pre-assessment pack.

I'm feeling very flat tonight - I know that the pre-assessment pack includes something for a family "informer" - a parent or sibling. It says without this they may not be able to diagnose. I don't think my dad or brother will be able to do it. so I suspect they won't accept me for referral.

on a positive note, I'm a massive scotland rugby fan and we beat argentina with the last kick of the game.

rugby and excel are my two very favourite (non human/animal) things

dancing is not my thing. This would be what I'm like

I figure with DD, even if she does have ASD, she won't experience things like I did. I would hope to get her diagnosed early if she is. I already feel like I work to meet her needs, to understand how she feels so she's better off than people like me growing up in the 80s.

I see it in DS1 too but because he's intelligent the school just have him down as "over sensitive"

I sent the form back to DS1s school to say I'm interested in a place in the nursery for DD in January. Just waiting to hear back. She turns 3 in December. She's too little! She wears 18-24 month clothing. A uniform would drown her! She's tiny.

I don't think being diagnosed as autistic is a bad thing. it would help me reconcile a lot of things from my childhood and adolescence. I would also like to be able to find coping mechanisms for everyday life, especially work, and then the transition from work to home, which I'm finding really hard. but i think i'm maybe expecting too much.

I told my friend yesterday that I was being referred to be pre-assessed for assessment. she was brilliant and just said jokingly that it would mean i was her "special" friend (really not meant in a pejorative way). it made me feel happy.

polter sainsburys do some age 2 stuff, but it will still be too big. I'm thinking a pinafore would be best. And the smallest the shirt and jumper/Cardigan they do is age 3!

My favourite responses to disclosure were 'congratulations!' 'and you needed a doctor to tell you that?' (From 2 people who knew I had just got the diagnosis).

My other favourite was 'and?' (from someone I had just met but it was necessary to disclose)

I generally like when people are comfortable enough to make slightly edgy jokes about autism or me being weird, as it means they're not bothered (if they were bothered by it they would take great care to either avoid the subject in case of upsetting me, or to use person first terminology and be very positive about the whole thing, and it ends up more awkward than if they just said what they were thinking!)

Example off the top of my head, when I'm moving a poster on the wall by minute amounts to ensure it looks exactly central and straight, someone saying 'you're so autistic!' vs someone saying 'well, it does seem that people on the autism spectrum tend to have an eye for detail, not that I want to stereotype or anything, I haven't offended you by saying that, have I...'

None of the fireplaces in my childhood home (about eight of them, I think?) were quite in the centre of the chimney breast. You probably wouldn't have noticed, until you wanted to hang a poster or a mirror or something. It drove me in-fucking-sane - no matter where I put my much-loved teenage print of The Scream, it was off-centre against something.

The whole house had been built like that, even the front of the house; some kind of deliberate visual-illusion mind-fuckery where everything looked symmetrical… at first.

That's why I said looks exactly central- there's no point measuring and using a spirit level etc if the room you're putting it in isn't perfectly level and straight!

My mums fireplace was deliberately wider one side of the fire than the other to 'balance' an odd shaped room. Actually it looked fine except some of the half bricks used didn't line up properly, some were central to the fire, others to the surround.

Meanwhile I live in a house with 2 little lights above the fireplace. Again, it's an odd shaped room, so the lights are central to one wall and the fireplace is central to the back wall. Meaning one light is further off to the side than the other. I really want to hang a picture above the fireplace but can't because wherever you put it, it doesn't look right!

My walls are crooked. So when my dad was hanging the stripy wallpaper in my living room I made him re do it 3 times before I was happy with how the stripes sat on the wall.

It's enough to drive you to architecture.

rat I would. If I ever win the lottery I will design and build a house. So that everything is perfect. No wonky walls.

DH works in the building trade and says house building is an art not a science!