shortie

Hi Julie,welcome to you from aother Julie

I'm from Gloucester,quite close to a few of you!!

I'm just about to re-apply to FF,last year was my first application for DD,i got �380 for family holiday,�250 garden equipment!!I'm applying for holiday again,only because i'm not sure what else to apply for.

I spotted this in WH Smiths and bought it then wished i'd not wasted my money,i thought i was a load of rubbish!!I wish i'd spent the money on something for DD instead!!!!

Hi Tux,I have 2 CD-roms that have 200 makaton signs on,my 4yr old autistic princess has learnt it perfect so if you pm me i will gladly send them on to you!!Its a man actually showing you how to sign each word!!

Dummie, i thought i was reading about my DD there!!She was just the same at 2.5yrs!!Concerns were raised by me when i started her in playgroup at this age,she had always been differant but i couldn't put my finger on the problem,then i remembered what my friends cousin was like at her age(severe autism) and a light bulb came on!!so i raised it with playgroup leader and she sgreed there was a problem!this was October 14th 2005(age 2.8yrs),she was dx April 11th 2006(age 3.2yrs) and shes come on leaps and bounds!At dx she only said 3 words,she now says whole sentences,will still do taking me by the hand but 99% of the time will ask for what she wants eg. milk please! hasn't mastered "i want" or "can i" as yet but we're getting there!!She attends a nursery at special needs school and is starting reception in sept and they are wonderful!!She's mastered Makaton(far better than me) and also uses pecs which i highly recommend!! So with early intervention things really can improve!!

Was just wondering how many of you have pets,as i was thinking of getting a kitten but not sure how DD will be.Her grans got cats and she doesn't really take any notice of them!! So i'm trying to decide!

Hi Mandy!!I know how you feel too,i'm mum to 4 girls(older 3 from previous marriage)Youngest DD's dad left a week before she was diagnosed with Autism,he sees her twice a week for 1/2 hr to 1hour each time if shes lucky,i don't really see anyone in the week except my dad so it can be really lonely as DD's at nursery 4 half days a wk and starting at full time in sept(nursery is at special needs school where shes going sept)pm me if you ever want a chat,i (and most mums on here)know how lonely it can be,your not on your own!!!

By the way ,i meant to say its so they can look at developmental skills,at the time DD was3yrs 1mth but her play skills were put at 18mths,she had another test at her special needs nursery a week before her 4th birthday and she's now at the level of 23mths so in a yr shes improved by 5mths which isn't too bad i suppose!!

When my DD was being assessed for ASD she was also filmed when it came to looking at her play skills,they filmed her with quite a few differant toys and also with me to see how she was interacting,the SALT did the filming but it was so that professioals involved with the assesment could all watch it and help with their decision!!

Your definately not alone on this one,DD used to be fine with hair washing until a yr ago then all of a sudden anyone would think i was trying to kill her!!I try and make a game of it but do it as quick as poss!! As for bed time i used a black out blind but it never worked so school staff gave me black paper they paint on and i taped it to window,it works much better,she doesn't like it when its really dark so i got her a Disney Princess night light(which isn't too bright)and the best thing i ever got was a blimp light from Ikea(lights up room dimmly with stars,moons,planets)she's got her own little sensory room and it works a dream!!!!

Another one here aswell!!DD's also been the same since she was born,in the summer its worse than ever,sometimes i would think she'd wet through her nappy then realize she was soaked from head to foot,it was as if she had got out of the bath then got straight into bed!!!!

My NT Daughter has coeliac disease,shes 16 yrs now,she was dx at 13yrs.After blood tests they did an endoscopy(prob spelt wrong)and told me there and then thats what it was for definate!She gets bread,pasta,biscuits,crackers on prescription and most supermarkets do a wide range of food but its expensive,its worth joining the coeliac society as they provide a book telling you everything you can eat!!

DD has DX and actually had meeting at pre school this morning with Ed phsc to start statement!!!!

DD's REALLY upset,she loves a programme that was on cbeebies "In the night garden "its normally on at 11,2 and 6.20 but just had a look and its not on today,i was scrolling down the tv listing and she knows whats normally on but no night garden so she's moaning and saying"garden gone,oh no!!"Its not on dvd yet either so i'm in trouble for a while now!!!

I think Oxgirls suggestion was good,after alot of bad times at hospital apps i do what Oxgirl said and book in then go for a walk as my DD's the same,usually to hospital garden(something she loves)and to be honest i think the poor nursing staff are quite happy for me to do this rather than have her scream(VERY high pitch scream)because she starts getting stressed!!she even cries now when we even drive past the hospital!!Really feel for you as its times like this i'm dreading myself!will be thinking of you <'>

Don.t worry too muchWhen DD first saw her consultant,he couldn't observe her as long as he wanted as she had a MASSIVE meltdown but he told me that although he was sure she was autistic he sent her for multiple professional assesment and i was worried too.It was one morning a week for 6 wks and proffs involved were...her consultant,SALT,OT,play therapist, clinical phycologist and they were all agreed it was more a formality really!!So chin up and try not to worry,although i know its easier said than done!

Been through the Peppa pig thing,got all the toys aswell!! she still likes Dora the explorer too tho!she talks and counts in spanish better than she can actually talk!!!

Today is a nightmare!! ITS NOT ON AT WKENDS!!!! Shes driving me mad,can't explain to her properly,only by telling her its on after 2 sleeps,shes not impressed!!DVD Recorders broke so i'm gonna get my dad to record it ALL NEXT WEEK!!!!

DD's always been obsessed with watching Nick jr and Cbeebies but at the moment theres a new programme called In the night garden and shes mad about it,she gets really excited when it comes on,and she knows when its coming on even if tv's on another channel.its on at 11,2 and 6.30 and no matter whats on at those times she tells me(in her own way,normally by shouting garden at me)that she wants it on,my problem is if i say no all hell breaks loose, also when it finishes she cries her heart out and says she's "lost" it,which to be honest is quite funny as thats what she says to any situation she doesn't understand but its getting to be a bit of a problem now.My dad said"just don't put it on or distract her"well thats easier said than done as she KNOWS when its coming on and i can't try and fool her as she knows by the channel number if i'm on the right station!!HELP ANYONE!

If i were you i would write down everything you can think of where Jas is "differant" and things that worry you the most,thats what i did when i first spoke to my little girls consultant,the problem is that girls can "mask" their problems really well.my DD's speech was very delayed,only saying single words when she was DX,she fools people now because she can say sentences but there mimiced from tv or me even,her speech has come on but mainly at home where everything is routine so she knows how to ask for food(still single word mostly or she will throw in a please now and again)or to tell me what dvd she wants to watch but alot of people can still be fooled by it!!You know her best so if tomorrow doesn't go how you think it should get a second opinion!!

I put in my first claim to FF at begining of Feb,got a letter early March to say it would take about 3 mths,got another letter 3wks ago asking for copy of DD's DLA as they lost the one i sent,had letter today with cheque inclosed...�380 for holiday,�380 for day trips out in school holidays,�250 voucher for argos for outdoor play equipment(only asked for trampoline for garden)i'm over the moon!!!

My DD is only 4yrs but when i saw her consultant in January he told me it was his job to warn me that alot of ASD children can develop mental health problems ie.depression when they get older!!i guess we all need to know these things but i thought telling me this when shes only 4yrs was a bit premature!but maybe this is something to consider!

Don't know if this helps but from what i've been told girls are far better at masking their "problems" than boys and this includes more able autistic girls as well as asperger girls!My DD is 4yrs and in her class the more able one(6 in class,DD only girl and more verbal than boys)but staff told me girls in general are more sociable than boys,so ASD girls can sometimes mask thing better than boys so can be harder to DX

Going thru the same thing with M at the moment,she doesn't want to go anywhere,not even in the garden which is something she usually loves!!got no advice but glad i'm not the only one!!!