GP has just diagnosed Littlemad with Autism, on an appt about sinusitis

[LizaTarbucksAuntie]

Littlemad is down with a virus.

Against my better judgement I took him to the Doctors this morning (recently a doctor at this practice refused to accept me saying I was stressed not depressed and sent me away to ask my husband what he thought)

Anyway, GP pokes a digital thermometer at littlemad who rightly (in my opinion) goes 'what are you doing with that?'

Gp says: Does he ALWAYS behave like this? I say no, he's poorly this is out of character...he says hmm and he made a fuss about having his eyes tested didn't he? Have you had any tests done on him? His implication was littlemad has behavioural problems although he then refused to say what sort of test he meant...

I bristle a little to be fair and say no Gpd says, but he's very 'difficult' isnt he. Now Littlemad is a darling and fairly quirky, he's very bright and gets quite focused on things.

Neither he nor I have slept much for the best part of a week.

Now I'm not going 'he's so perfect he can't possibly be autistic' but there is a time and a place for having a conversation of that kind and it's not:

1. the first time you have met us
2. During a consultation about SOMETHING else
3. APPROPRIATE UNLESS I'VE ASKED FOR YOUR ADVICE

Am very cross.

really, very cross, if I wasn't so tired I'd be dangerous me :)

by strange do you mean not in the way you refer to your child/ren?

He is quirky, he has a quirky personality, not sure I described him as 'unusual' did I? that would be odd.

He enjoys different things to his contemporaries at school, however this doesn't seem to cause him any problems with his close firendships with his class mates.

I'm sorry that my personal turn of phrase has caused such confusion.

As mentioned I'm going back next week to talk to a sensible GP rather than a locum without him with me and hopefully that will help me get to the bottom of why this has been raised seemingly out of nowhere when the school have not complaints.

ladyintheradiator - never made an ill judged comment? really? I'm baffled too to be fair, not my normal style at all, hence my repeated apologies.

I'm not sure what you want to achieve by making the point you're making?

Why the personal abuse, Ladyintheradiator? What purpose does that serve?

Yes, you're right about getting off MN.

Possibly the most bizarre thread I've ever read and I've been here years...hope your son feels better soon OP.

There's nothing wrong with Littlemad! Stop taking him to the GP!! For goodness sake why do people have to medicalise every little thing?! Gah!

This thread has taken several very weird directions led by various posters...

I know you've apologised OP for the thread title but I think one of the reasons it gets such frustration is because we have entered an era where the government propaganda/daily Fail are reporting inaccurate accounts of diagnosis and subsequent illegitimate benefit claims.

To post that there coukd be GP's out there that could dx Autism on whim adds to that and makes our lives just a little bit more misunderstood and harder.

Oh my God, he went to the GP for the first time since he had chicken pox at the age of 2.5 - slight assumption there ArgyMargy....

Gloria - I get it, I've apologised, not sure what else you all want unless it's a public resignation from Mumsnet?

The fact that people are now coming onto this thread to tell me off whilst saying 'i know you've apologised' is just astonishing

Ladyintheradiator, that comment was really unecessary, your assessment is totally inaccurate of my expectations, and you don't know the first thing about me so I'll take your input with a pinch of salt.

Talk about you all being so critical for me jumping to conclusions....wow double standards all over this thread.

Thanks leninGrad, that's really helpful to know.

I was explaining. Trying to help. Were you this defensive at the GP!

I don't know what happened with this thread, but heyho.

The doctor is an idiot imo, who thinks everyone he sees needs reminding that he is a doctor.

If I had a penny for every time my DCs bit the tongue depressor and refused to let it go, snatched the doctor's glasses off him and broke them , smacked away the little ear examining thingy, refused to stop screeching so the doctor could listen to breathing, heartbeat, etc., and refused point blank even at age 6ish to answer any questions, make eye contact, respond to playful comments, co-operate with instructions of even the most reasonable kind ('stand here against the wall so we can see how big you've grown') then I'd be on a cruise right now.

Oh and I also had one idiot doctor prescribe expensive eyedrops for DD2 when she was about 2.5 -- the little bottle was knocked out of my hand by the flailing arms and feet and rolled under the cooker somewhere, never to be retrieved, when I tried administering the drops. I phoned to see what I could do and was told by another doctor at the practice not to worry as the ABs she had also been prescribed would probably do the trick (she was right).

5 DCs with 'quirky personalities' makes for interesting trips to the doctors. It must run in the family -- my Dsis once kicked an A&E doctor in the shin when he tried to touch her nose (suspected broken).

Hide the thread, sweetheart. It is just gone a bit daft now.

Fwiw, I don't give my DC names, but know a lot of posters/bloggers who do. I don't think it is used as much as it used to be, think that there used to be many more who did so.

i suspect there are a few under-bridge-dwellers (naming no names) stirring the shit on this thread...

mathanxiety, thanks.

I just don't get the big deal with the word quirky...have I stumbled on a secret code for something?

MmmeLindor, thanks, graceful as ever.

Fanjo, thanks for that, the fact that I've woken up stressing about this shows I hadn't even thought of that

A GP is in no way qualified to diagnose autism.

you are right Lenin, but also there were some posters just posting to inflame and wind up, methinks, such as saying "why are you always taking him to the GP" when they knew nothing about how often the child had been to GP.

yes..have fallen foul of it myself and got really riled by the needling. Have never seen it happen to someone else so clearly though, quite shocking.

Don't go being bloody nice, it will not make me feel better...

I had a point, I made it badly, I made a poor choice of words and didn't get flamed, I got badgered.

Actually wish I'd left mn on the previous occasions I have seen this happen to other people because (and again I'm not dodging my misjudgement I was upset and freaked out and I messed up and I've offended people) this has been badgering, the difference as far as I can see is there are people who are prepared to go, you big daft arse (insert choice of insult here) yes that was stupid and insensitive, but look this is what you need to think about.... or the other people who have just gone on and on and on about what a crap person I must be and how I'm obviously lying about the whole situation and how defensive and hysterical I am, with nothing constructive to add or contribute.

The thing that has actually hurt is the implication that I'm poking fun at my son with the nn I use for him on here, I've used that nn for 2 years and I have used it since I changed to this nn this year, not once has it ever been mentioned and I've talked about how bonkers and quirky he is without anyone taking offence.

Hey ho, I'm certainly keeping a low profile for the time being.