Continence and paed rant - has anyone cut theirs out of the loop?

[LoveBuckets]

Aaaargh please send me some calming patient vibes! Am shattered and tetchy and taking it out on the kids, bit emotionally drained I think. Phoned the local continence advisory service now DS1(AS) is 4 and it turns out I'll need a referral from my paed. It was paed who mentioned them to me in the first place but no mention was made of referral - they are in the same building! She has been almost actively unhelpful with regard to DS1's chronic diarrhoea and toilet training and this news just had me bawling I was feeling so let down. Was too upset to phone her so stuck a note into the clinic asking for referral. God knows how long it will take and she'll probably phone me to try and fob me off - I think the way forward is to cry and get angry in front of her, not just after she's upset me.
TBH she's given us no help at all other than been a name on the DLA form, it was the SALT who referred us to assessment ctr. Have decided to deal with her only on paper from now on, the meetings are always just an upsetting waste of time for me and DS1.

Poor you Lovebuckets! I am sending you calming vibes and think you are right that crying etc, and generally making their life difficult, is the best way to get results (rather than playing the nice quiet game, and getting ignored). One thing though - I am not normally a fan of potions, diets etc, but I did some internet research on probiotics and I must admit that ever since I have been giving my DS (AS, 6) a probiotic called Bifidobacterium infantis, his poos are 90% better (previously, years of diarrhoea, wind, mixed with constipation, going 5 times a day, almost like he had IBS) I am sure you have tried everything, but I have been quite amazed by this one - you can buy it (powder form, dilute with warm water and it's tasteless) online or in healthfood stores, where you'll find it in the fridge. The theory is that it's the naturally occuring probiotic that most kids make in their guts when they are small babies, but possibly some autistic kids don't make it. Worth a try?

Thanks, will look it up in town tomorrow. Currently trying dairyfree after doing a home test kit. No changes yet but have just ordered some enzymes to try too. He starts mainstream infants in September so I'm going to throw everything at him this term.
All I get from GP and paed is toddler diarrhoea, they are not interested in the fact that bowel probs are so common with autism.

Well whaddaya know? Continence Service phoned me back today and will send me an appointment in the next month, in conjunction with a community paed instead of our useless behavioural one.

Meanwhile I have some bifido bacteriwotsit to try this week, then next week I'll introduce the broad spectrum enzymes another MNetter recommended.
Thanks all.