Life with an ADC child - how bad is this going to be?

[Strugglings]

Hi all - Long suspected DS is autistic, he is only 18 months. We're pursuing intervention and diagnosis.

My problem is I can't stop Googling and I can't stop myself worrying. I come across all these threads and forums that talk about how awful everything is as a parent of an ASC child. Right now my son doesn't feel so different from other kids his age - not speaking, a bit quirky, but otherwise happy, funny, affectionate.

But the future scares me so much, and I can't stop worrying. When do things get harder? Will they get harder? I'm so scared to lose my baby boy who seems happy at the moment. Of course he has hard days, but I worry so intensely for him.

For the avoidance of doubt, he is definitely autistic, it's just a matter of waiting for a diagnosis now.

Any advice would be really appreciated. Any positive stories would be appreciated. Anything to help.

I hope this question doesn't cause offense - I know in reality there is so much joy to be had in being a parent to an autistic child, but it can be hard to find those positive stories.

Hi there! DS 10
is Autistic (quite high functioning) and looking like DS2 (3) is too.
i would say it’s harder at first. Harder to face up to them being SEN/ getting diagnosis. Every kid / anyone with autism is different. But I found the earlier years harder. Getting my head round it. The paranoia people staring at him/ him being different/ every other kid being “”normal”” (so much was my own paranoia and over analysis anyway). With DS1 his more noticeable traits like much more visibly/ frequently stimming etc have faded and he’s got SO much better socially and academically - he’s done amazingly. I have also learnt to love his quirks, I honestly think I’d have struggled more with a totally straightforward/ boring child ! I celebrate quirkiness and difference. Have faith. Shut out the outside pressure. Don’t compare. Don’t over analyse. Don’t look too much into future what could/ might happen. Be in the present. Have gratitude for your situation as there will always be 1000s so much worse. That’s what has helped me x

Also take joy in him being a happy boy! Mine are too! And don’t just seem him as “autistic”. They are so much more than that stupid label. Days when I let that word cloud over the other joyous things about them I have to remind myself of this. They are children. They are lovely. Autism is just one of the many other traits about them. Not the only/ main thing X

My dd is 5 so I’m still in the early years but she really is amazing and I’m so happy to be her Mum. I’ve found the concept of becoming a Send parent much harder than the actual parenting. Yes there’s been hard times and there are sacrifices we have made in our lives to suit her needs. But there can be hard times with any child. Please don’t feel despair, like previous poster said, these children are so much more than the autism diagnosis. You will see a lot of the more negative stories but people probably don’t post so much about the positive ones.

I had a typical child and then my sen child. It's very different and you have to fight for everything.