Yesterday I took my ds 21/2 yrs to be assessed.
He was seen by two doctors and a consultant. The speech therapist thinks he is autistic, the first doctor thinks he is autistic, but the consultant thinks he has a global developmental delay with some autistic traits, what ever that means. Apparently, even though he can't point or follow a point, has very little and vague eye contact, echolailic speech, doesn't initiate conversation and doesn't know how to play with toys, can't imitate, etc. he will not say that my ds is autistic. This is really upsetting me.
Today I took him to a playgroup with other developmentally delayed children, but they could all communicate and interact, my poor ds stood out like a sore thumb. He didn't understand the games, and only took part in heads,shoulders,knees and toes(his favourite song, because then he can just point at body parts and not focus on the whole person iyswim). He didn't understand the layout of toys, not suitable for him, I thought. He only stuck with a couple of toys that had lights and played music, everything else he just licked and banged on the table. It just made me feel upset to see him feeling anxious and disturbed by the whole day.
The other parents there were not very pleasant, and a little 'cliquey'. One of them asked what was wrong with my son, she then launched into a barrage of competition about how her son is a real autistic, and has a diagnosis of classical autism, and is not like my ds at all. The other children mostly had down syndrome, adn were able to communicate and my ds just cuoldn't. Alot of the games were verbal, and snack time involved sitting down at a table with your own snack, my ds took everyonelses snack and licked them . It made me feel embarrased, just as I would have done at the 'regular' mum and tots group. The other mums tutted at him. Then gave me big looks of dissapproval. I hated it and don't knowif I want to go back. And to top it all of, one of the mothers had her non-special needs son with her, who started following my ds around and generally bullying him, and she said nothing, even though she saw the whole thing.. My por ds didn't know how to tell me, or how to react, because he can't communicate properly, it happened when I went to the loo, and one of the other mothers told me. I jsut can't trust the place, and now my ds is distressed and I know he won't get over it for days, and I will have more sleep disturbances tonight, and since I got back he has been lying on the floor and shaking his head. I feel so sad for him and don't know how to cope with all his anymore, I know I need to get him help, but this is making him worse. What is the point ofit?
Sorry so fed up with the whole process. I have had a terrible week!