Could this be Autism

[Louisa111]

My ds 5 has never been an easy child but it's only recently I'm starting to wonder if he could be in the spectrum.

He gets very upset if things don't go his way.. he lines up cars on the table or floor and gets upset and angry if we move them , has to be the first one to open front door / back door ( again gets upset if it doesn't go his way)

Huge meltdowns if things don't go his way , Can hit and lash out me in temper or anger and at his older sibling. The list is endless sometimes yet others we will have a good day no issues .

He's scared of the dark , has took us a long time to get him to stay in his bed even though we have lots of nightlights , also won't go to the toilet on his own.

School hasn't picked anything up all they tell me is he's very quiet and shy and behaviour wise very good yet he can be so different at home , I also had concerns he was t mixing as he should be but again school have said he's fine.

Where do I go from here? For years I just put his behaviour down to toddler / child behaviour but he's older now and seems to be getting worse. Things are definitely not easy most days.

Grandparents tend to blame me and say I let him get away with things .. maybe I do but I know the outcome !! So I just compromise with him otherwise it just makes things worse and he gets more angry .. where do I go from here? Gp ??

Could be. I would start with your GP. They can refer you to CAMHS, but be warned waitlists are huge (why it's a good reason to get referred even if you have concerns rather then wait, you can always leave the list if things improve in a year or so).

Your alternative is private. You can go directly to them without a referral.

Sounds similar to be son that's just been diagnosed. It's always worth going on the waiting list. A diagnosis won't change him but it will allow more support and understanding and also take away the label of being a naughty child!

Have you spoken to school, it's worth asking senco to observe him. In some areas the route is gp others it's through school so it's worth asking school what policy is regarding Sen referral. It is a long process though but school can (and should) put support in place if needed. With regards to parenting it's not about 'giving in' it's about managing what your child is capable of. So creating a environment that is suitable for your child and putting measures in place do they don't go into overwhelm is the right thing to do. There is support groups on Facebook or it might be helpful to read books on parenting and asd as a lot of the strategies may help regardless of wether your child is autistic or not. There may also be a local support group in your area that could help.