Lyndalou

When (I say when not if because this sounds very positive) you get this situation resolved, is there any way you could receive some kind of compensation for what you have had to go through? If they are admitting your case has been dealt with completely incorrectly and they have caused you a huge amount of stress, affecting your health in general would this not be similar to being in an accident that isn't your fault? I'm normally not an advocate of 'compensation culture' but if what is happening to you is happening to many other people then the Government need to take responsibility for their mistakes.

Hi Sopia/Naomi and welcome to the forum. Thanks for telling us a little bit about yourself

Brilliant news about Glen, Jeanne. So glad things are going so well for him at the moment and the plans for the move go without a hitch. Hope you feel better yourself soon

Hi Titan Welcome to the forum. I'm 40 and self diagnosed. Unfortunately, I haven't as yet got (and may never get) a formal diagnosis. Although everyone with an ASD is different, there are also a lot of things we have in common. It can be very helpful to find out what you can about the condition in order to understand your own difficulties and past experiences better as well as recognising your strengths and skills! I personally found Tony Attwood's 'The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome' a good 'starter' book to read. Lynda

Hi Pamela Welcome to the forum. My little boy is 5 years old and is in P1 at a Special Needs school. He was diagnosed at just under 3 years old as having High Functioning Autism. Up until the diagnosis, he had attended toddler groups and then 2's group. He was due to go into mainstream playgroup at that point. I flagged up my concerns, primarily about my son's speech, to the HV when my son was just under 2 years old. I actually had no concerns at all apart from this back then. Yes, my son refused to wear reins and lay and screamed on the ground if he was pressed to do so but I put this down to him being independent and stubborn, yes, he didn't point or make eye contact too much when he wanted something and instead he led me to it but he smiled and giggled so what was the problem? He could do simple wooden puzzles easily and recognised and could recite all his numbers up to 10 and back and knew the alphabet by around 20 months old. I thought that he was simply clever and his speech was slow. Within 5 minutes of observing him at just over 2 years old, the Paediatrician said she had concerns he was autistic and would be prepared to assess him. I was shocked because the thought had never even come close to crossing my mind and I was angry too. The Paediatritian was excellent in retrospect. She didn't push me to go down the road of assessment and agreed on a compromise of my son attending speech therapy. It was over the course of that year that I began to see more and more of the 'unusual' behaviours that can be attributed to an autistic spectrum disorder. At toddlers he walked round the walls, keeping a distance between himself and other kids and at one toddler group he would scream as we went in the door and we had to leave, at music class he couldn't sit in circles or follow direction; he often wandered off and did his own thing and when he began 2's group he would gravitate to a table and do the same puzzle repeatedly (and very well!) and before we went in he had to touch all the badges on the cars in the car park. When on any play apparatus (from toddlers on) he would get off if another child got on or sit blocking their way with a 'frozen' look on his face. I am mentioning all these things because you may have seen something similar with your son. Early diagnosis (from my point of view) can be very very helpful in opening doors to services and support for your child and it can be crucial to understand the reasons behind the behaviours your child is expressing. For instance, I now understand that my son's problem with reins was a sensory problem and is closely related to other clothing and issues with 'restraint' etc. The problem on play apparatus was due to his confusion around other children and knowing 'rules of play' in order to play and interact in the 'typical' way. It also demonstates the anxiety which can form a large part of having an ASD. Screaming going into toddlers was due to a combination of a fear of another child who had screamed in his face and startled him which showed his difficulties with unpredictability and possibly too that he equated being screamed at to going to toddlers. I also recognised that he was much more comfortable in larger rooms with higher ceilings and better natural light. The very little I understood of my son's problems back then helped me make the decision for him to do a split placement for 2 mornings attendance at playgroup, remaining in the group and the staff he had been with for a number of months pre-diagnosis when he turned 3 years old. The diagnosis also meant that a referral was made via the Paediatritian and Educational Psychologist for him to attend a special needs nursery for 3 mornings per week. It sounds like you have the best start for your son right now in that there are professionals taking your concerns seriously. Diagnosis may not be suitable for him and in fact, although the speech therapist can form an opinion, there needs to be a thorough assessment of all his needs by a multidisciplinary team to determine whether or not the diagnosis is correct. From what you say, the ball is rolling for that type of assessment to take place. What you have to remember is that although they will be looking for signs that development in certain areas is delayed or 'different' to 'typical' development, they will also take into account skills your son might have which are actually ahead of his peer group too. The key is that it is outwith the 'normal' range, much like my son was (and is) with certain of his abilities. This is called a 'spikey profile' because he could be very good at certain things - my son draws 3 dimensional drawing of houses at the moment - but very behind in other things - my son is not fully toilet trained yet. Best Wishes Lynda

Hi Jacks0n5 Welcome to the forum. The honest answer is that all you can do is be there for her; let her speak when she wants to speak and let her cry when she wants to cry. Depression can be a destructive force and it can drive people away so just you being there for her in one way or another will be helpful for her. Feelings of emptiness, anger, despair, worthlessness and all the other negative things you can think of form part of the 'Depression' package and as well as being very difficult and isolating for the person experiencing it, other people round about the person can be affected. If you find it difficult to keep in touch with people but want to maintain this relationship, you need to understand that it might not be easy. Having you around might make her feel better but depression is not just being low and something you can shake off so she might not want to talk at times or could even point the finger at you if things aren't going well. You might have to take a few things on the chin and not retaliate if she is accusatory or 'off' at times. This doesn't mean you should be a walkover but you might have to think through your responses because as in AS, when someone is depressed they can take criticism or 'questioning' to heart and might not readily see that someone is trying to help them. Compounding this, there is often a sense of 'failure' in depression (just one of the negatives) too. Maybe you could set times meantime to Skype, talk online or on the phone. That way, it's a bit like an appointment and means you won't be stressing that you might have gone 'too long' before speaking and set times to speak for a short period could be good for your girlfriend because it's very easy to let things slide with depression. Best Wishes Lynda

Glad things went well today Smiley by the sound of it!

All the best at your appointment today, Smiley. Hope you manage to say everything you want to say to the Psychiatrist and that there are no more last minute changes for you to deal with.

Just try to put this over the best you can tomorrow. Moods can be affected by all sorts of things; a woman's monthly cycle, the foods we eat etc as well as chemical imbalances in the brain. Sometimes medication can help as it 'evens' moods out and sometimes it can badly affect a person, making their moods worse. Some small changes to lifestyle can have a huge benefit on how you feel but I know how easy it is to fall into a rut and sometimes it can be easier said than done to change established habits, especially if they give comfort. It's good you will have support tomorrow at the meeting. Hopefully the trainee SW will be able to fill in any gaps in the information you want the Psychiatrist to know.

So pleased to hear it went well....fingers crossed for you that you don't have to wait too long

Smiley You have the right to question the side-effects of any medication you are potentially going to be prescribed, especially if they have previously caused side effects that have caused you distress thus counteracting any good they may have done. Obviously, you have a clear concern about weight gain and other difficult side-effects to cope with so you do need to raise these concerns (like you say) with the Psychiatrist to choose the best medication option for you. However, I would try not to obsess over this particular medication as you aren't actually on it but instead try to focus on speaking as openly and honestly at your appointment tomorrow about how you are feeling. Lynda

In all honesty, I would think this would get Stuffed into all sorts of bother. I don't think he has inferred that the landlord has been in any way to blame for the current situation and in fact has been quite understanding? Stuffed, I really hope everyone is continuing to support you to try to resolve this somehow. Really don't know what to suggest but it's completely understandable that you are feeling the way you are. Can you stay with anyone meantime? I know this is not technically classed as 'homeless' and doesn't help pay the rent you are still due but it could give you a chance to regroup with a roof over your head.

That sounds like fun - reading Broad Scots novels - and the best way to read them is aloud! I find it very hard to read Scots without reading out loud and I find it quite strange that I grew up with it all around me yet I don't recognise so many of the words in the Scots Dictionary. I recommend 'But n Ben a Go Go' (adult futuristic novel) by Matthew Fitt (but not to kids! I don't know if it's in the curriculum around here although when I was little we did quite a lot of Robert Burns... It would be nice to hear about your visit to the Storytelling Centre if you go