Newly diagnosed ASD - anyone else?

[devilinside]

Just got back from the hospital where my five year old son has received an official diagnosis of ASD (they decided not to diagnose him with aspergers as there is still a question mark over his speech development).

No word at the hospital about aspergers no longer being used as a diagnosis - so not sure when that comes into place

that is good new devil

i'm still waiting for the written results of DDs SALT, but we know some of the outcome as the SENCO told us - she's more nosey than helpful i reckon.

how are YOU feeling now?

That's good news, devilinside. DS also had a speech delay but his last assessment showed he was now within normal ranges. He is also now ignoring us less and less.

Hope you are ready for the eice long weekend. I bailed out to my parents house with the kids so having a lovely day today

bump as i've spotted another thread about very recent dx in young DC

welcome aboard

Thank you unchartered. New recruit here

Hi Mama :) for later

glad you found us Mama welcome and hope you feel at home here , was going to bump this thread later for a bit of a catch up - so how is everyone doing?

Tues we had yet another Psych appt (with the DXing Dr) and he's prescribed Melatonin, have the bottle in my hand right now. I can't have another night like last night - it took DD 2hrs to settle last night then she shrieked for me at 2am, she couldn't fold a tissue 'correctly' to blow her nose then a half hour later 'why aren't the birds singing, do they stay asleep all night then?'

We're off to trampolining now, be back later

hope the will be flowing by then

unchartered I hope she sleeps better tonight. Not got sleep issues with ds2 tho we still cosleep.

I'm in denial, thinking perhaps dx is wrong. He is very loving and cuddly, has made good friends at preschool, will talk to people, smiles and shows some empathy.

Mama, I have moments of denial every day. Then reality hits me and the ASD behaviours come out. Like just now - 45 minutes of screaming because I dared to brush his teeth, kicking, hitting, snarling, etc. THat's after I watched him "socialising" of sorts at Beavers.

Do you want to share what your DS's issues are Mama

Where's the [Strongbow] emoticon?

Hope the Melatonin works UC

Speech delay and now has very wide advanced vocabulary but not always clear and strangers can't understand him always.

Has very fixed interests and will incorporate these into games and endless "conversation" (him
Telling me or repeating it many many times)

Has sensory issues with the noise of handdryers and airplanes

When scared hides under tables or runs blindly

Bangs head on floor/table/me etc when told no

Things like cucumber must be prepared in certain way

Takes rules seriously and doesn't understand them changing

Very very bright, numerically and can also read, spell and organise alphabet. Knows upper and lower case, phonics etc. reads 3 digit numbers with ease, adds ad subtracts. Knows a lot about spaces, names entire solar system, moons of planets, what they are like, order and types of stars etc. latest is constellations.

Loves Lego and making mazes

Tries to leave anywhere he doesn't feel happy like drs office

i don't want to speak too soon but miniUnC was asleep in 40 mins tonight!

she was really fractious (sp?) today at trampolining, no co-ordination, found it hard to follow verbal instructions and very forgetful, i hope a settled night will change this for the better

we have huge food issues with DD, she will only eat food in the same 'state' as it was introduced to her or is mixed ie apples are fine raw, but won't touch apple pie/crumble., she will eat raspberry jam but not raspberries but will eat strawberries but not strawberry jam. it's all part of the package though smiles through gritted teeth

how are YOU, Mama?

Yes I definitely recognise some of those issues Mama. Does he start school in Sept? Are the school on board?

UC I found trampolining club was too much for DS to cope with. It got him really hyped up and like your DD was unable to follow the isntructions. I realised that for us it was because his lessons were in a top trampolining centre so the noise that the trampolines from the top jumpers was really loud and echoey for him.

DD goes to a special session the club runs called Ability Zone - it's a SN session and DDs group of 6 has abilities as diverse as you could imagine!

it's been a very good socialising tool for her tbh, she's learning to take turns (although she still tries to sneak in out of turn) and awareness that other people have needs - she now helps moving mats about for others to use. i think the bonus for her is there's a 20ft mirror for her to talk to herself in

she does have huge issues with transitions though, in lots of different situations - stopping one activity to start another, it's like she's a stuck record..keeps clicking back to the previous words/movement

Yes the food thing. He will eat an apple from bowl but not cut up. If something has touched something else like spaghetti touched bolognese, he won't eat it.

Starting school sept and paed is writing to preschool to get meeting set up with them, infants and medical team and us to arrange introduction as will need to visit school more and have book to help him adjust.

Where I have been reading online lots I also read about dyspraxia and it sounds so much like ds1 he's 12 and at secondary school. Sorry memememememe post.

It all feels like everything's changed, altho it hasn't. I worry now for dd (6 months) and also that ds2 will be shunned by his peers. Ds1 finds friendships hard too.

Have I killed the thread ?

My Ds is 11yrs also recently dx with ASD. We still owe second payment for the greedy EP so not got our hands on his report. It better be good! It's really held us up and Ds having a really hard time at school as they not really supporting him well enough and think he is fine because he can do the work. They couldn't be more wrong!
I was more upset than I expected when we got dx. Upset also that I didn't Pursue it sooner when we were fobbed off by cahms. School not helping is a massive frustration too.

morning all

how do you feel today Mama?

Morning unc how was your night? Did mini sleep any better?

I dreamt about autism. Ds2 was very cuddly so I has him in one arm and dd in other.

Spoke to preschool today and Senco said in her opinion he is very high functioning and that they knew that he wasn't same as other children for a while. She said whilst she hates labelling it will make sure he gets support he needs. She said he's lovely, friendly and qurky. That if I needed to chat she will happily talk to me. I know he's the same little boy but I'm funding it hard getting my head around it. Feel guilty too for not embracing dx

mini slept really well, she says she did wake up but not for ages and can't wait til bedtime again! she won't be taking it every night, we can deal with her taking a while to settle down, but every 3/4 weeks it gets unmanageable and i don't want her to be reliant on pills at this early age [age]

is DS due to start primary in Sept, Mama? this might be trying for him

That's great she slept well . I think
I'd have same view with ds, not wanting to be reliant on pills. But it is good you can use them for her to get a good sleep when things get more difficult. Quite lucky in that area as ds2 will go to sleep with me cuddling him.

Yes starting infant school sept. will be having a pap meeting to arrange introductions.

Mama, Everyone goes through the same emotions. It is only normal. Even when you have been pushing and pushing for a dx, it is still a huge shock when someone actually says the words "yes your child has autism". All the way through I thought that they might turn round and say that there was nothing and I was imagining it. Now I am happy as I know it will be somewhat easier to access support with the dx.

DS is now in Y2 and in the last week has started playing with classmates. He has been in FT day nursery and then school since he was 18 months old. I know that none of this is any fault of my parenting. If all of those trained professionals didn't get him to play like an NT child, then I wasn't going to be able to. He is getting there. Just more slowly than his classmates. Years of watching has helped him to understand the social rules a bit more. Still doesn't do please, thank you, hello or goodbye or cuddle anyone else except me. However he is happy in himself. He knows his dx (he is 6.11yrs) and his behaviours at school have improved since we got the dx.

Look after yourself. Join support groups on FB and in RL.

Yay Mini Unchartered! Loving her sleep :)

How do u join support groups on fb? Does it go on your fb page so everyone can see or can it be private. I'm new on fb and no idea how it works so hardly ever use it. Thanks

You can set your settings as private on FB so that people can't see that you've joined them. There are a few of us on there as well and we have general chats about anything and everything. Happy to friend you!

I'm on my husband's PC atm so when I'm back on my laptop I'll send you some links. Some groups are closed which means that only members of the group can read what you have written. Others are open so what you write goes up on the ticker on the side if people are nosy.