Please tell me feeling like this is normal!

[Tiggles]

6 weeks ago DS1 (8) went to a CAMHS appointment about his anxiety, where they decided they think he has Aspergers so they re-referred him to the school age autism team, who have at least a 16wk waiting list.
This morning letter arrived to say he has appointment at beginning of September. I wasn't expecting appointment until at least end of October/beginning of November, so maybe that is part of it, but I felt like I was going to be sick when I read it, and still feel a bit shakey now. Please tell me that feeling is normal, I thought I had everything under control. Plainly not :(

It is all normal; it would NOT be normal if you didn't feel like this. It's good news that you got the appt early, so hopefully the right support strategy will be kick-started too

Thanks :)

Starlight, thanks, DS was originally seen by a community paed about 3 years ago who decided that he didn't have Aspergers (turns out that her diagnostic criteria were slightly, how shall I put it, odd) but had a school related anxiety making him look like he had Aspergers, but she thought it would disappear if he started at a new school. So I have been on a real rollercoaster of emotions for a long time regarding DS. The one thing I am really hoping for if DS does get a dx is that DH becomes a little more accepting of the way that DS is, and that some of the things he does he really can't help.

Ive been an emotional wreck...and still am...for waiting since feb. Our dx this week has been a big relief, emotional, the beginning of help for dd and DH has become more accepting. Its easier to say to others....though still hard to explain. Your feelings are exactly how I felt. Not long to wait now. :)

Know exactly how you feel. My ds (10) has suspected AS/HFA and also suffers with anxiety. I have just been given ADOS test appointment for early September and am nervous but also relieved. Hopefully a dx will help him get the right support and understanding. Good luck - let us know how you get on.

It is normal, absolutely, but I can also tell you that it will get easier.

It's nearly 3 years since the possibility of J having autism was first raised and I felt sick and scared for weeks. Reading about it made me feel even more fear initially, but then I guess I decided that knowledge was power and knowing more made me less scared.

Now, autism isn't the worst thing in my life. I'm not scared of it and I don't get upset...very often. I get upset when someone treats J badly, or throws up beurocratic barriers to him having a happy life. I suspect that there are more challenges ahead as he runs quickly towards puberty and secondary school, but autism is just part of J now and part of our lives, as though this was always the case. He's still my boy, not my autistic boy, if that makes sense.

I did argue for weeks that he didn't have autism and it took a long time for me to accept it, which I think is also normal if you weren't expecting it and thought it was something else .

The waiting is the hard part so I'm really pleased your appointment is soon. Once you know, it's devastating but dealable with iyswim.