Please or to access all these features

SN children

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

Breaking the news to family.

4 replies

Hallybear79 · 31/01/2013 14:34

This might sound like a daft request but can anyone give some advice on how to explain to my DS's grandparents about him being referred because of autistic behaviour. It's such a complex thing to describe & their generation aren't as clued up on it as ours ( or at least my dad is'nt). I really don't know where to start.

OP posts:
Crawling · 31/01/2013 15:28

My nan is not very clued up on autism but I was surprisef by her reaction she adores dd and asked loads of questions and although she normally expects good behaviour and is very fussy she is alot more understanding now. HTH

bishybashyboshy · 31/01/2013 15:45

Not sure really when I tried to tell my nan one day (my son had a huge meltdown over something another child said which he took literal and she suggested I let her have him for a day he'd soon stop being a mard arse, in other words give him a few clouts round the ear) that he may be having difficulties and he is being seen by a doctor, she simply looked at me and said "oh so he is slow then?" Confused, needless to say I haven't tried since.

Handywoman · 31/01/2013 16:02

I think it needs to be tailored depending on your ds's grandparents values, how often they see your ds and whether they actually need to know and why (it may be that they don't need to know, just yet).

My Dad comes 3 times a week, gets my two girls fed & ready for school in the mornings when I go off to work (shift work). He does this 2 or 3 times a week.

My dd2 is under the developmental Paeds. Her behaviour is not easy. My Dad describes her as a 'child who needs to be managed' and he has his own way of 'managing' her. She is often difficult, rude (e.g. yesterday, which dd1 told me about) and has been known to have a meltdown and refuse to get in the car on his watch. She goes on sleepovers to my Dad's but he won't take dd2 without dd1.

He is totally accepting of dd2 whatever life brings and gets on with it however she behaves. I only hear about the more extreme examples of her behaviour, other bits dd1 generally tells me about.

It doesn't matter to my Dad whether she has a dx or not. He knows that the process is underway for dd2 but although he is on the receiving end of her behaviour does not really understand the criteria on which she will or won't be diagnosed. It's not something he is bothered about tbh.

He knows about the referral and diagnosis process because he is there to support me in it and with all the stress and uncertainty (and constant liaison with school) that it brings. That is the basis on which we've told him.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

PolterGoose · 31/01/2013 16:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page