Hi, I've been hanging around reading for a while now, and thought it was about time I introduced myself.
I'm hear to gain support, information and understanding for my beautiful son, G, who is 5, and currently awaiting assessment for AS, and my DH, T, who keeps saying 'That sounds like me!' every time he reads or hears anything to do with ASD !
I also have two ather beautiful boys, BB, 3, and t, 18 months.
I've had problems with G for years, looking back, since birth- he used to SCREAM so loud and so long and I could never seem to pinpoint why- I tried colic remedies, massage (he screamed even more!), swaddling (!) and rocking for ages. One night I'd had enough, so I fastened him into his baby bouncer, and left the room. He shut up immediately!
The tantrums started very young -I remember someone in a shop saying it was the terrible twos- and I said I hoped not, as he was only one! Trouble is, now he's 5, and he's still got them!
It got really bad a year ago, and I asked my HV for help. She made a couple of visits to the house when he was at pre-school, and talked vaguely about behaviour strategies. I said I'd tried them all-nothing works! She visited once more when he was in, and he started shouting insults and throwing bricks. I went upstairs to stop him, and she heard me talking him down, then she said I seemed to be dealing with it really well and left!
I finally went to the doctor after he threw his brother off a top bunk on holiday because I'd said he wasn't allowed to go up and he had done. BB was really badly bruised, but G was just screaming 'But you said he wasn't allowed up!!!'
The doctor asked me what I thought, and by this time I'd read alot and said I thought it was ASD, probably AS, and he agreed and refered us to a paediatritian, who was just BIZARRE-came out and said 'Are you G? come on then, follow me,' and started walking. G looked really confused, so I said, 'I think I should come too, don't you', and Dr said 'If you must!'. He talked a bit to G, and G started getting bored and mooning around. G kept trying to climb on my knee and stopping me from talking. By the end, Dr said he thought it wasn't autism, as 'an autistic child would just have come with me- he wouldn't care if you came or not' (what do we all think of that?), and had I considered that he was just naughty? I said I'd rather it was naughtiness than AS, as naughtiness I could deal with. He said 'I haven't ruled out AS, I'll see him again in 6 months'. That was in September. Our appointment is in April. The man doesn't seem able to count either!
Meanwhile, I self-referred to the Ed Psychs, who gave us a screening test withinn 10 minutes of talking to us in which he scored really highly on all the areas. She then went to see him in school, and referred us for a multi-agency assessment, which we are still waiting for.
His teacher is concerned about his lack of socialisation, and dependence on adults, and semmed relieved when I suggested she talk to the SENCO. (She started saying money's tight but it may be possible to find money for extra support, so I suspect she already has done!)
Has anyone got any advice for us about how to procede from now on?
Sorry this has turned into such a ramble. I'm happy for any of it to be moved if nec!
Thanks for reading!
