ASD

[SugahQueen1]

Does anyone have a child/children that have ASD and how are you coping?

Hi @SugahQueen1 I have a three year old currently being assessed.
How old if your child?

3yr old. Moments of real struggle, moments of complete joy and beauty.

Hi @balloonsandmoreballoons I have a 3 year old who was diagnosis in Dec 2021

Sounds like what we go through over here @MistyFrequencies. Times have been a little hard lately but we push through!

Same as us.
My DS has just started speaking more so it's an absolute joy being able to communicate with him more. But I do struggle with him not being adaptable and not being able to participate in some things that my friends can do with there children.

11 year old. Some things get easier, some things get harder. You get used to a different life

I feel like we are learning as we go and sometimes we get it wrong and it's not until much later that I go "oh, THATS what was happening for him then and THATS what I need to change next time". It's this constant need to learn and adapt that I felt withy first child (she's not autistic) but not so intensely.
It can be hard and I think it's ok to say that. Do you have the help you need for your child? And you?

@duvetdayforeveryone the definition of coping is:
*
the factt of dealingg successfullyy with problemss* or difficultt situationss.

Which I think is fine to use in this instance, as situations can be difficult.

@duvetdayforeveryone I understand what you mean but also think we can acknowledge parenting is hard without that automatically meaning we see our autistic children as a negative. I certainly don't, never have. I'm from NZ and literally we our word for Autism translates as "in his/her own space and time". So I see it as me needing to adapt his environment so he can operate in his own space and time, not that there is anything inherently 'wrong' with him. But I can still acknowledge that when he's been screaming for 45mins wedging himself in the footwell of the car because we parked in a different spot at preschool that it's hard. And yes, I cope.

Dd is 15.
Some days are harder than others.
Not going to lie, the teenage years have been extremely tough.
I cope because I have to.

@duvetdayforeveryone do you have a child with ASD?

Random post.
Anything in particular you are struggling with?

Yes - 15 and late diagnosis.
And yes, I do try to ‘cope’ with self-harming, suicide attempts, MH problems and all the other things connected to the condition.

Try the Sen chat board.

Same! My DS has started copying some single words but not forming sentences yet.
It is very hard trying to adjust to their needs at times.
It can be hard not being able to participate with friends and their children. @balloonsandmoreballoons

@MistyFrequenciesThats how it’s been for us; learning process sometimes we get things really wrong and it can cause hell so we are trying to understand DS behaviours and his needs. It can be hard at times but we just try different methods to get him to feel as comfortable as possible in new settings. We do have some help but covid has messed everything up so we just neee to wait. We have done some private SLT which was good. Not so much help for me, honestly I just want all the support and help for him, do you have any help?

Yes my DS was diagnosed recently. We are fortunate to have an incredible school who support us and him.
Yes he has his struggles but to me they are normal as it's all I've ever known with him.

3 of my dc are diagnosed, one is currently undiagnosed but suspected to have asd

Things are hard, I’m exhausted. How we we coping ? Well I take it day by day sometimes hour by hour. I drink too much coffee

@Ilovechocolatetoomuch

That is so amazing!! They are extra special 🤗

DD is 11, awaiting diagnosis (2-3 years waiting time). Things have got tricky recently, depression, anxiety and self harming. No institutional support for high functioning ASD.
Hope to survive teenage years and transition to secondary...

@NiceTwin

Teenage years are already tough as it is.
Do you have much support around you?

We have been incredibly fortunate so far with the support we have received.
I thank my lucky stars every day as I know others aren't as lucky.
You are right they are extra special and although he can be challenging also he can be amazing and I feel privileged to be his mum.

@SugahQueen1 we don't have family support, it is just dh and I. My elder dd is great with her but struggles to understand her behaviour.

We are lucky that she got into grammar school where there are very few SEN children and the SENCO isn't spread too thinly. She has been a great support.

She has been under CAMHS but didn't engage with counselling or CBT but they again have been great when she took an overdose.

She is in GCSE year and trying to sort out what she is going to do when she leaves is proving a bone of contention. I have had to take a step back because we just keep butting heads about her lack of action.

We had a late diagnosis at 13. In her younger years, I just saw her as a quirky, bright child. Hindsight and reading up, there were definite signs and I wish we had had an earlier diagnosis.

Hi SugahQueen1, we're moving your thread over to our SN Children topic where we know you'll find lots of support.

Thank you!