DD has just started year 10. Last year at school was awful, I knew something was wrong but she couldn't tell us, culminating in crisis just after Easter holidays where she disclosed self harm at school and CAMHS suggested we explore an autism diagnosis. I posted on this board at the time in a fairly shell shocked condition (along with some guilt as it was something I had suspected for some time).
We are in no way out of the woods, but I worked bloody hard these holidays to make sure that she had opportunities for joy, kept things calm and low demand, helped her tidy and redecorate her room.
She started back at school on Wednesday and I was dreading it, but she has been wonderful this week, telling me about her new GCSE classes after school. Then today she texted after school to say that she was round at a friend's house (an old friend that she has known since babyhood). This is a massive deal, she has been so isolated this last year.
I know that this is not the end of the story, I have a meeting next week with the senior SENCO at school to discuss support needs. But I need to celebrate this right now, it gives me hope.