How It Began
I have 2 children diagnosed with autism, one is 12 and in 2nd year at high school, the other is 6 and in p3. Both boys struggle in different ways everyday and new issues crop up frequently. My daughter is 7 and is also on the spectrum however she’s not diagnosed as she is good at masking.
View MoreI always knew my oldest son was different. He didn’t seem to fit in with other children, and he played alone at play groups and nursery, but it wasn’t until he was in p5 that everything changed. I attended a parent-teacher meeting and the teacher informed me that my son had been hiding in cupboards, throwing books and stationary, and running off. I knew he was struggling but not to this extent! I spoke to my health visitor and she mentioned autism. I had heard of it but knew nothing about it.
She referred my son to a paediatrician who saw him and referred him for a diagnosis and occupational therapy. When we attended OT, she identified a lot of sensory issues and triggers, which actually made a lot of sense and definitely helped me to understand why he behaved in certain ways and what could cause a meltdown. After this, I began researching autism. It took 16 months to get his diagnosis. This actually came as not a shock but almost a relief, my son has since said, ‘So I’m normal for me.’
