Hi
Tree, chef and 120 thanks for all the dietary advice. You have all given me food for thought (if you'll pardon the pun). The oats vs wheat thing is interesting, we automatically put him straight back onto fruit porridge rather than muesli when he first became constipated, as we thought that would help. He currently drinks 750 ml of water, just on the mugs of water I give him with breakfast, after school and at tea time. (Just got dh to measure it for me.) He also has 2 350 ml bottles of water a day at school, but probably only manages to drink about half, so that would be approx another 300 ml, sometimes more. Hehas his breakfast made with milk, a 250ml carton of milk at break and a mug of milk before bed as well. So, overall he is probably getting at least 1.5 l of fluid (but not all water) per day. Some days he has more, as he will come and ask if he is thirsty.
Its really interesting isn't it. Our generation (apologies to all those much younger than myself on the thread) was taught that wholegrain was best and the more the better, but it would now seem that that's not always the case. I felt awful when I realised ds1 was wheat intolerant, as we had extra wholegrain everything, from bread to pasta to cakes up until then. Now both boys have gluten free pasta and maybe I should be giving ds2 some white bread instead of granary as well.
So onto today:
Ds1 went to the GP - 1 hour's delay to be seen! 
She listened to what we had to say, said she didn't think his episodes sounded like absence seizures, but she wasn't sure what else they could be either. Then she tested his reflexes etc and said all seemed ok.
Twas quite funny, as she was asking him to do all these weird things to test his reflexes etc and then she said 'jump on the examination bench for me' - so he did. He took his shoes off, climbed up and started jumping up and down! 
Should've seen her face. I had to remind her that he has ASD and takes things very literally and she had to admit that she did actually tell him to jump on the bench. 
Anyway, she says she doesn't think there is cause for alarm, but as ds has had a couple of episodes that he wasn't aware of himself, she will write to his Paed (the one he was referred to for the ASD dx and has now been referred back to for his stomach problems) and ask him to look into it further. She did say that he might say its not his area of expertise and would rather he was seen by a neuro though.
Raced from the GPs' to get ds1 back to school and then to dd's fracture clinic appointment and arrived with only 2 minutes to spare.
She had her cast removed, then went in to see the consultant, who didn't even look at her, just signed the discharge paper as we walked through the door and said "she is using hand - is ok, she doesn't use hand is not ok - she is ok - take this to reception". I was furious, I could have taken her flipping cast off myself at home without the 40 minute race to the hospital and 40 minutes back the other way to pick the boys up on time. What a waste of space that Dr was.
Anyway, all's well that ends well, as she is using her hand and hasn't cried out at all since we got home, so it would seem she is ok.
Bizarrely, my sister found out at her fracture clinic appointment today, that despite being xrayed and placed in a cast by two different hospitals (she damaged the first cast) she hasn't actually broken her ankle after all! Apparently she has sprained it and because its been immobilised in plaster for just over a week, this has affected the healing process and she is going to need physio to correct it. Honestly, A&E doctors, are they all such a waste of space or do we just have bad luck?
I am absolutely shattered after all that. Fortunately dh is home and in the process of cooking everyone fajitas.
Tree, am glad you managed to get some space and sleep before tonight. Hope you wake refreshed and ready for anything, but wish you a lovely easy shift anyway.