Autism

I am at the children's centre on Durham Road and my 7 year old son has just gone down with the doctor for his ADOS assesment. It is looking highly likely he has what used to be known as Aspergers Syndrome, but it all just come under ASD now. He is very very clever, probably the cleverest in his class at school and could read perfectly when he was 3. However he struggles with social skills, has always had obsessions which he can talk none stop about, but cant have a conversation about anything that doesn't interest him. He also has poor fine motor skills and is receiving occupational therapy. He cant use cutlery very well, ride a bike, catch a ball, do buttons, zips etc. As i am sitting here bored while he is assessed i just wondered if anyone elses kids on here have been diagnosed with autism, and how are they getting on now? I already have a disabled 16 year old daughter and am a single mam so its a bit daunting thinking of the future.
Sounds very much like my 5 year old that got his diagnosis in July. We have always known he’s ‘different’ he is super obsessive (minions, angry birds, spongebob) he is quite emotionless apart from anger. I think the scale goes from 0(no asd traits) - 26 (severe) our boy scored 8 so he’s not very high up the scale. His school have been fantastic with him and us, he is ahead of his peers on his phonics and his maths. However his social skills are quite poor and his ability to understand other people’s expressions and emotions are very poor. But seriously don’t panic, you will get the support you need, there are many support groups in the area and the National Autistic Society is a great website for help and info. Always remember nobody is disabled, we are all differently able. Chin up, celebrate his strengths and work on his weaknesses, but never criticise them.
 


I don't usually talk about it much as I find people can treat me different when they know but I have Aspergers Syndrome.

Life's been tough for me in many aspects, mainly with the social side of things and struggling a lot with anxiety.

I'm almost 26 now and I've managed to carve out a good life for myself despite all these problems I still sometimes struggle with today.

I've my own place with my fiancé, good friends, my own car and I work full time so there is definitely is hope for people on the spectrum.

Of course the spectrum is very broad and there are people worse off that others but there's nothing to stop anyone living a good independent and fulfilliling life with aspergers.

I've met many great people over the years who also have aspergers and plenty who also live good lives.

In all honesty I probably wouldn't even change the fact I have aspergers if I could as it's a big part of who I am, I just wish people didn't treat me differently because of it.

I'm in my 30s and on the waiting list for an assessment (12-18 months) due to some problems I've had over the last year. There are parts of the diagnosis criteria that I can see apply to me and others not so much, so I wouldn't be surprised if I do or don't get a diagnosis. For me it would just help with understanding a few things and explaining it at things, like job interviews which I am terrible at. If I get a diagnosis it doesn't change who I am so I wouldn't like it if people started treating me differently but as I say it might help explain to them why I am the way I am in certain situations. It really does just come down to what Scorer said above about people being a bit nicer and more understanding.
 
I'm in my 30s and on the waiting list for an assessment (12-18 months) due to some problems I've had over the last year. There are parts of the diagnosis criteria that I can see apply to me and others not so much, so I wouldn't be surprised if I do or don't get a diagnosis. For me it would just help with understanding a few things and explaining it at things, like job interviews which I am terrible at. If I get a diagnosis it doesn't change who I am so I wouldn't like it if people started treating me differently but as I say it might help explain to them why I am the way I am in certain situations. It really does just come down to what Scorer said above about people being a bit nicer and more understanding.

I ended up going private for an assessment. Partly because it would be quicker and partly because it then doesn't go on my NHS record meaning I am in control of the info. I planned on telling almost no one tbh, my wife knows and my employer knows and that is it. I just wanted it to understand myself a little better as I am so up and down and give myself a really hard time over my failings.

My work are very good about it, they are a new age touchy feely American IT company so naturally good at that stuff, but I told them as I had an incident earlier this year where we all had to go to Spain for a few days EMEA company meeting and I just didn't deal with it very well at all. Very little announced agenda to follow, lengthy meetings then not knowing where to go for the next one, not knowing when and what was for meals, hundreds of people everywhere milling around. My anxiety was just off the chart and i ended up getting quite ill and missing part of the week as I had had almost no sleep for days and was so overwhelmed and stressed out by everything. Told them about the AS diagnosis after and they said I have an opt out of all future travel!
 
“My name is Chris Packham. What you probably don’t know about me, because I’ve been hiding it most of my life, is that my brain is different than yours because I’m autistic. I’ve spent 30 years on the telly, trying my best to act normal, when really I’m anything but.”

So went the presenter’s plain-spoken introduction to powerful, impassioned film Chris Packham: Asperger's and Me (BBC Two). The much-loved naturalist wasn’t diagnosed with high-functioning Asperger Syndrome until his forties but, as he explained with admirable candour, his condition has defined his entire life.

He fought it for years, determined not to be different. With painful honesty, Packham reflected on the struggles of his youth in Sixties Southampton, when he was bullied but found solace in his obsession with wildlife. He collected fox skulls, licked beetles (in case you’re wondering, they “tasted like a dirty old sixpence”) and ate live tadpoles (“little blobs of earthy semolina”).

Packham had a poetically evocative way with words. In an affecting sequence reminiscent of the 1969 film Kes, he recalled taking a kestrel chick from its nest, hand-rearing and flying it: “It was some sort of mental love missile. I just lit the touchpaper and fired myself into it. It sparkled, exploded and was totally beautiful.” When the bird died six months later, it was a “catastrophic event”.

He was eventually told by his fashion designer sister Jenny to “go on TV and bore the rest of the world about animals, not just your family”. From there, he forced a successful career. Asperger’s made him who he is today.

Packham tried to demonstrate what it’s like inside his peculiarly wired brain and how he experiences the world. In fascinatingly frank straight-to-camera pieces, he talked us through his heightened senses and how his mind leaps mercurially from one subject to the next. He discussed his OCDish fixation with order and the coping strategies he has developed – the main one of which is living alone, deep in the New Forest.

The 56-year-old still lives in terror of losing the things he loves. His “best friend”, black poodle Scratchy, has liver disease and Packham fears being left “hopelessly alone”, musing: “Things are OK, better than OK, but it’s all built on sand”. He admitted seriously considering suicide thee times but was saved by his dogs: “They loved me and I couldn’t let hem down.”

He struggles in social situations and hasn’t been to a party for a decade. For proof, we saw him declining to accompany his long-suffering partner Charlotte to a wedding (they’ve been together 10 years but still live a Solent apart) and scoffing at the very idea of attending his stepdaughter Megan’s graduation ceremony.


It wasn’t all inward-looking. Packham flew to America to witness radical therapies: TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) and ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis). Both were uncomfortable to watch, for us as well as him. Packham bridled when autism was compared to cancer and such treatments to “educational chemotherapy”, insisting he would never take a cure, even if one became available.

Visiting Silicon Valley, where the tech boom has been built by people with autistic traits, he made the wider point that society needs to understand autistic people, not try to change them. Harness their gifts and they could become a valuable asset.

As well as devastatingly honest and full of telling detail, this film was surprisingly arty. With its silent dramatisations of Packham’s past, moodily lit monologues and atmospherically discordant music, it often felt more akin to edgy BBC Four fare than a standard BBC Two documentary.

After 30 years on our screens, from The Really Wild Show to Springwatch, Packham has become a cult figure, notorious for slyly sneaking song and film titles into live broadcasts. It’s now clear that such games are a way of keeping his fizzing brain occupied. He deserves to become even more of a cult hero after this courageous film.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2017/...ergers-brave-utterly-fascinating-documentary/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b09b1zbb/ad/chris-packham-aspergers-and-me

Outstanding program by the BBC
 
I ended up going private for an assessment. Partly because it would be quicker and partly because it then doesn't go on my NHS record meaning I am in control of the info. I planned on telling almost no one tbh, my wife knows and my employer knows and that is it. I just wanted it to understand myself a little better as I am so up and down and give myself a really hard time over my failings.

My work are very good about it, they are a new age touchy feely American IT company so naturally good at that stuff, but I told them as I had an incident earlier this year where we all had to go to Spain for a few days EMEA company meeting and I just didn't deal with it very well at all. Very little announced agenda to follow, lengthy meetings then not knowing where to go for the next one, not knowing when and what was for meals, hundreds of people everywhere milling around. My anxiety was just off the chart and i ended up getting quite ill and missing part of the week as I had had almost no sleep for days and was so overwhelmed and stressed out by everything. Told them about the AS diagnosis after and they said I have an opt out of all future travel!

I had situations where I had to deal with lots of things going on at the same time and I thought I'd be okay with it but my anxiety went through the roof too. It might just be that I'm not as good with dealing with complex stressful situations as I thought but there's stuff from my childhood where a diagnosis would make sense too. Private assessments seemed to cost from £800 to over £1,000, which is too much for me. Some places apparently only accept an NHS diagnosis but I think that's mostly social service, who I wouldn't need support from anyway.

That's a good response from you work bu an American I'd expect an American IT firm to be understanding of AS.
“My name is Chris Packham. What you probably don’t know about me, because I’ve been hiding it most of my life, is that my brain is different than yours because I’m autistic. I’ve spent 30 years on the telly, trying my best to act normal, when really I’m anything but.”

So went the presenter’s plain-spoken introduction to powerful, impassioned film Chris Packham: Asperger's and Me (BBC Two). The much-loved naturalist wasn’t diagnosed with high-functioning Asperger Syndrome until his forties but, as he explained with admirable candour, his condition has defined his entire life.

He fought it for years, determined not to be different. With painful honesty, Packham reflected on the struggles of his youth in Sixties Southampton, when he was bullied but found solace in his obsession with wildlife. He collected fox skulls, licked beetles (in case you’re wondering, they “tasted like a dirty old sixpence”) and ate live tadpoles (“little blobs of earthy semolina”).

Packham had a poetically evocative way with words. In an affecting sequence reminiscent of the 1969 film Kes, he recalled taking a kestrel chick from its nest, hand-rearing and flying it: “It was some sort of mental love missile. I just lit the touchpaper and fired myself into it. It sparkled, exploded and was totally beautiful.” When the bird died six months later, it was a “catastrophic event”.

He was eventually told by his fashion designer sister Jenny to “go on TV and bore the rest of the world about animals, not just your family”. From there, he forced a successful career. Asperger’s made him who he is today.

Packham tried to demonstrate what it’s like inside his peculiarly wired brain and how he experiences the world. In fascinatingly frank straight-to-camera pieces, he talked us through his heightened senses and how his mind leaps mercurially from one subject to the next. He discussed his OCDish fixation with order and the coping strategies he has developed – the main one of which is living alone, deep in the New Forest.

The 56-year-old still lives in terror of losing the things he loves. His “best friend”, black poodle Scratchy, has liver disease and Packham fears being left “hopelessly alone”, musing: “Things are OK, better than OK, but it’s all built on sand”. He admitted seriously considering suicide thee times but was saved by his dogs: “They loved me and I couldn’t let hem down.”

He struggles in social situations and hasn’t been to a party for a decade. For proof, we saw him declining to accompany his long-suffering partner Charlotte to a wedding (they’ve been together 10 years but still live a Solent apart) and scoffing at the very idea of attending his stepdaughter Megan’s graduation ceremony.


It wasn’t all inward-looking. Packham flew to America to witness radical therapies: TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) and ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis). Both were uncomfortable to watch, for us as well as him. Packham bridled when autism was compared to cancer and such treatments to “educational chemotherapy”, insisting he would never take a cure, even if one became available.

Visiting Silicon Valley, where the tech boom has been built by people with autistic traits, he made the wider point that society needs to understand autistic people, not try to change them. Harness their gifts and they could become a valuable asset.

As well as devastatingly honest and full of telling detail, this film was surprisingly arty. With its silent dramatisations of Packham’s past, moodily lit monologues and atmospherically discordant music, it often felt more akin to edgy BBC Four fare than a standard BBC Two documentary.

After 30 years on our screens, from The Really Wild Show to Springwatch, Packham has become a cult figure, notorious for slyly sneaking song and film titles into live broadcasts. It’s now clear that such games are a way of keeping his fizzing brain occupied. He deserves to become even more of a cult hero after this courageous film.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2017/...ergers-brave-utterly-fascinating-documentary/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b09b1zbb/ad/chris-packham-aspergers-and-me

Outstanding program by the BBC

I'm going to watch that and the A Word. It sounds like it takes a similar approach and covers some of the same ground as the book Neurotribes. It talks a lot about Silicone Valley and goes into the history of how Autism has been constructed and treated in the past. It's very harrowing, parts like about Asperger's progressive work then the Nazis coming in or how people were institutionalized then the search for a cure.
 
I had situations where I had to deal with lots of things going on at the same time and I thought I'd be okay with it but my anxiety went through the roof too. It might just be that I'm not as good with dealing with complex stressful situations as I thought but there's stuff from my childhood where a diagnosis would make sense too. Private assessments seemed to cost from £800 to over £1,000, which is too much for me. Some places apparently only accept an NHS diagnosis but I think that's mostly social service, who I wouldn't need support from anyway.

That's a good response from you work bu an American I'd expect an American IT firm to be understanding of AS.


I'm going to watch that and the A Word. It sounds like it takes a similar approach and covers some of the same ground as the book Neurotribes. It talks a lot about Silicone Valley and goes into the history of how Autism has been constructed and treated in the past. It's very harrowing, parts like about Asperger's progressive work then the Nazis coming in or how people were institutionalized then the search for a cure.

You are correct there is a scene of a young man having electrodes placed on his head and impulses fired to the brain as a new form of treatment. Packham can hardly watch it and decides instantly its not what he wants as he likes who HE is
 
That Chris Peckham thing sounds interesting, I will look that up.

Weird post alert!

I think i get his tasting thing. It's not something I would do but AS plays with your senses (hence why lights and sounds can send some Autists into meltdown) and for me the big one I smell. Without smelling something I feel like I struggle to have a connection to it, and so I get an urge to smell objects to see what I think of them. My wife cracks up at home as when I get a package in the post I go through the items and the packaging and smell each bit, it's just something I feel a natural urge to do. Without knowing how something feels and smells I just have a feeling of total disconnect from it.

I am aware of how much of a nutcase I would look going around smelling everything so do have to make sure I am not on show doing that kind stuff but sometimes in certain shops the urge is powerful and I really have to resist. I have a lot of incence and candles burning at home as I love the powerful smells. Got quite a collection of them tbh.

:oops:
 
Honestly marra it sounds from what you've written that he's just a normal lad who might have very minor autism, but it's not worth treating him any differently.

I had hobbies (football) I'd obsess about and talk non stop about at his age, I couldn't tie me laces either, and struggled to spell, it's all perfectly normal and no cause for alarm

It's also not a worry if he doesn't 'interact socially', it's called being a bit shy or quiet and will change eventually, the more you make of it the worse it'll be imho

I also used to crash my bike a lot and was shit at footy!

You sound just like me. :eek:
 
Maybe of interest to some on this thread or if not for anyone who's a fan or who's never really grown up.



Ivor Cutler was a poet, humorist, singer/song-writer, and performer, who was, by his own admission, “never knowingly understood.” Born into a Jewish middle-class family, in Glasgow’s south side, Cutler claimed his life was shaped by the birth of younger brother:

“He took my place as the center of the Universe. Without that I would not have been so screwed up as I am and therefore as creative. Without a kid brother I would have been quite dull, I think.”

Being so usurped, the young Cutler attempted to bash his brother’s brains in with a poker. Thankfully, an observant aunt stopped him. As more siblings were born, another brother and two sisters, Cutler’s resentment lessened after he discovered poetry and music. When he was five, he discovered politics after witnessing the bare-foot poverty of his school friends, and aligned himself to the Left thereafter.


After school, he worked at various jobs before he settled as a school teacher, teaching 7-11-year-olds music and poetry. His work with children inspired and reinforced his own unique view of the world:

He recalled how, in an art class, “one boy drew an ass that didn’t have four legs, but 14. I asked him why and he said it looked better that way. I wanted to lift him out of his cage and put my arms around him, but my intellect told me not to, which was lucky, because I probably would have been sent to prison.”

In the 1950s, Cutler started submitting his poetry to magazines and radio, and soon became a favorite on the BBC. His poetry was filled with “childlike wonder of the world”, created through the process of “bypassing the intellect.” He was, by his own account, a “stupid genius,” , as the London Timesexplained

Such genius derived from his ability to view life from the opposite direction to that taken by society, and his ability to empathise with the implications of that viewpoint, as in his one-sentence poem: “A fly crouching in a sandwich cannot comprehend why it has become more than ordinarily vulnerable.”

Cutler had a cult following of loyal fans, which included John Lennon and Paul McCartney, who cast him in their The Magical Mystery Tour film; DJ John Peel, who devotedly played Cutler’s releases; Morrissey and more recently Alan McGee and Oasis.

Ivor Cutler: Looking for Truth with a Pin was made shortly before Cutler died. The program has contributions from Paul McCartney, Robert Wyatt, Billy Connolly and Alex Kapranos, and is a fitting testament to the great man, who made life so much more fun. More interesting. More mysterious.

Admittedly, he might not be everyones cup of warmth, but as Cutler said himself:

“Those who come to my gigs probably see life as a child would. It’s those who are busy making themselves into grown-ups, avoiding being a child — they’re the ones who don’t enjoy it.”


Perhaps it is appropriate that a documentary on Ivor Cutler shouldn't focus exclusively on what made him relatively popular: his music. And, in fact, Looking for Truth with a Pin does not pay particular attention to any of the other fields through which Cutler mischievously exorcised his inner demons and dreams: drawing, poetry, film, radio, children's literature. Although these are all briefly touched upon, Looking for Truth is, first and foremost, an attempt at a psychological sketch vaguely veiled in the conventions of biography. His childhood traumas, including a now humorous fratricidal attempt, are revisited once and again by Cutler himself and several artists and companions (like Robert Wyatt and Paul McCartney), all of them trying to understand the "terrifying sadness of the comedian" and the sources for his sometimes bitter joie de vivre. Critical moments are discussed at some length, such as his teaching years in an alternative school for misfits of all sorts, his Magical Mystery Tour flick with the Beatles or his long-time partnership with poetess Phyllis King, but the easy temptation of linear life-narrative, in which A explains B, is fortunately avoided. What is offered instead is a multi-layered, direction-free diagram of Cutler's psyche, interspersed with live footage and archival material - one that seems to run in circles instead of dishonestly pretending to have found the truth. His pythonesque humour and and child-like mischievousness are gayly portrayed but there are also some snippets of the unforgiving ageing process and its effect on the artist and the man. Several excerpts of live and TV performances displaying his unique brand of surrealist folk and existential humour are presented, making Looking for Truth an invaluable document for Cutlerologists and a fine introduction for newbies. It may be true that "a Scottish jew is an unbelievably heavy thing to be", but not if you truly believe in bugs. -- Eye of Sound


Dave Allen - In Search of the Great English Eccentric



Without Eccentric people nothing would get discovered or created.....Today these people would be medicated and a label stuck on them like Aspergers....or Autism disorder. These types of people are the non conformists of society who live in their own intense minds.....Many of the most brilliant people from history were never normal
 
Can't remember where I read it but I saw an article a while ago suggesting Aspergers and ADHD were key evolutionary drivers. It suggested that the different neurology of Aspergers led to out of the norm thinking and that led to a huge number of breakthrough discoveries and that the hyper focus and impulsivity of ADHD led to people either being very successful leaders or basically killing themselves taking risks other people wouldn't that the rest of their tribe/family/ community learned from.

I like to think we all have our gifts and value to society regardless of our neurology or cognitive abilities. Some of the most amazing, resilient, funny and remarkable people I've ever met are "different"', doesn't mean they're not great or capable of greatness.
 
You are correct there is a scene of a young man having electrodes placed on his head and impulses fired to the brain as a new form of treatment. Packham can hardly watch it and decides instantly its not what he wants as he likes who HE is
I've watched it now and it was good, in the Silicon Valley bit segment he was with Steve Silberman, who wrote Neurotribes. The use of ABA for autistic children was started by O.I. Lovaas who also used punishment including electric shocks to correct behaviour. This is an article from Life Magazine from the time and is very disturbing. If you google Judge Rotenberg Center you can see that electric shock therapy in the USA has been used until recently, and I'm not sure if they still use it.
That Chris Peckham thing sounds interesting, I will look that up.

Weird post alert!

I think i get his tasting thing. It's not something I would do but AS plays with your senses (hence why lights and sounds can send some Autists into meltdown) and for me the big one I smell. Without smelling something I feel like I struggle to have a connection to it, and so I get an urge to smell objects to see what I think of them. My wife cracks up at home as when I get a package in the post I go through the items and the packaging and smell each bit, it's just something I feel a natural urge to do. Without knowing how something feels and smells I just have a feeling of total disconnect from it.

I am aware of how much of a nutcase I would look going around smelling everything so do have to make sure I am not on show doing that kind stuff but sometimes in certain shops the urge is powerful and I really have to resist. I have a lot of incence and candles burning at home as I love the powerful smells. Got quite a collection of them tbh.

:oops:

The bit when he said about the smell in spring after it rained I associated with, I love that. I don't like strong smells but would have a large collection of aftershave, colognes, and eau de toillette if I could afford it.
 
I am at the children's centre on Durham Road and my 7 year old son has just gone down with the doctor for his ADOS assesment. It is looking highly likely he has what used to be known as Aspergers Syndrome, but it all just come under ASD now. He is very very clever, probably the cleverest in his class at school and could read perfectly when he was 3. However he struggles with social skills, has always had obsessions which he can talk none stop about, but cant have a conversation about anything that doesn't interest him. He also has poor fine motor skills and is receiving occupational therapy. He cant use cutlery very well, ride a bike, catch a ball, do buttons, zips etc. As i am sitting here bored while he is assessed i just wondered if anyone elses kids on here have been diagnosed with autism, and how are they getting on now? I already have a disabled 16 year old daughter and am a single mam so its a bit daunting thinking of the future.

Please may I enquire how your son is doing now? I am currently concerned about my 2 year old (26 months) as he displays many signs. His speech is delayed/non existent at the moment and he learns words and forgets them as quickly. He would constantly pour water from one cup to another all day if left. He plays alongside children rather than with. I was wondering whether you could recall what your child was like at this age?

We have ruled off hearing as the issue, and there wasn't an ENT issue either. Would be grateful to just hear other peoples experiences.

Thanks.
 
Please may I enquire how your son is doing now? I am currently concerned about my 2 year old (26 months) as he displays many signs. His speech is delayed/non existent at the moment and he learns words and forgets them as quickly. He would constantly pour water from one cup to another all day if left. He plays alongside children rather than with. I was wondering whether you could recall what your child was like at this age?

We have ruled off hearing as the issue, and there wasn't an ENT issue either. Would be grateful to just hear other peoples experiences.

Thanks.
Have you mentioned anything to his GP or Health Visitor?
 
I am at the children's centre on Durham Road and my 7 year old son has just gone down with the doctor for his ADOS assesment. It is looking highly likely he has what used to be known as Aspergers Syndrome, but it all just come under ASD now. He is very very clever, probably the cleverest in his class at school and could read perfectly when he was 3. However he struggles with social skills, has always had obsessions which he can talk none stop about, but cant have a conversation about anything that doesn't interest him. He also has poor fine motor skills and is receiving occupational therapy. He cant use cutlery very well, ride a bike, catch a ball, do buttons, zips etc. As i am sitting here bored while he is assessed i just wondered if anyone elses kids on here have been diagnosed with autism, and how are they getting on now? I already have a disabled 16 year old daughter and am a single mam so its a bit daunting thinking of the future.

I was diagnosed with mild aspergers earlier this year. Best thing I’ve ever heard oddly enough. Everything makes so much more sense now.

I have a decent job but struggle with anything out of the ordinary or that doesn’t fit with a routine. Can’t deal with social situations in person, get stressed beyond belief if I have to go to a party, although I have made friends who I’ve known all my life who just accept it now. It’s people who I’ve met more recently who tend to lose touch quickly.

I suppose I’m saying that with it being a spectrum disorder, there’s nothing that can’t be managed in some way.
 
Have you mentioned anything to his GP or Health Visitor?

Thanks for the response. Health visitor is due next week and will discuss further then. The GP is aware of our concern and organised hearing check and ENT check. Next step is speech therapy that will come in september. We need to be referred to a paediatrician but first we need to tick off other possibilities.

He is my first born, I guess I just want to know how he is going to be. I will love him regardless - just I guess selfishly it helps me prepare if I know earlier. (hope that doesn't read horribly, his happiness is obviously my main concern)
 
Please may I enquire how your son is doing now? I am currently concerned about my 2 year old (26 months) as he displays many signs. His speech is delayed/non existent at the moment and he learns words and forgets them as quickly. He would constantly pour water from one cup to another all day if left. He plays alongside children rather than with. I was wondering whether you could recall what your child was like at this age?

We have ruled off hearing as the issue, and there wasn't an ENT issue either. Would be grateful to just hear other peoples experiences.

Thanks.

I remember Kians speech was definitely delayed and when he did start talking he spoke in a 'sing song' voice. I have to admit I never noticed it myself, it was the health visitor who picked up on it on his 2 year check, but when I listen to videos I took of him I hear it clearly now. The 'playing alongside other children rather than with' I totally get, he done that for ages (he's better now but still not perfect unless they are doing what he wants to be doing). He had (has) obsessions, poor eye contact (still to this day, esp when trying to take his photo).
In Reception they got 'choosing time' where they could choose to do whatever they wanted but I remember his teacher saying he just wandered around the classroom and not really choosing anything. One bit of advice I would say is get him tested ASAP, the sooner they are diagnosed the better school etc can work with you/him.
Kian will be 10 in October and only has 2 more years left in Primary School. I am still dreading him going into the comp but he is still really popular with his class mates so hopefully they will stick by him.
 
My 4 year old son was diagnosed with ASD last month. Not sure how to feel about it really. He's my first bairn and certain things he does sadden me everyday. But I'm quickly over it and amazed with some project he's into. I think the hardest thing is his difficulty to communicate his thoughts and feelings. He's got crack, but he doesn't shoot the breeze. Very repetitive stock phrases from a cbeebies or some YouTube educational video. Big issue with sensory things that worry me
 
My 4 year old son was diagnosed with ASD last month. Not sure how to feel about it really. He's my first bairn and certain things he does sadden me everyday. But I'm quickly over it and amazed with some project he's into. I think the hardest thing is his difficulty to communicate his thoughts and feelings. He's got crack, but he doesn't shoot the breeze. Very repetitive stock phrases from a cbeebies or some YouTube educational video. Big issue with sensory things that worry me

Communication is Kians biggest problem, he can never find the right words and often ends up in tears or really angry as he can't get across what he is trying to say. He is absolutely lovely but I dread him becoming a teenager as I can see it becoming much more of a problem for him as he grows up.
 
Thanks for the response. Health visitor is due next week and will discuss further then. The GP is aware of our concern and organised hearing check and ENT check. Next step is speech therapy that will come in september. We need to be referred to a paediatrician but first we need to tick off other possibilities.

He is my first born, I guess I just want to know how he is going to be. I will love him regardless - just I guess selfishly it helps me prepare if I know earlier. (hope that doesn't read horribly, his happiness is obviously my main concern)
Comes across as a dad that just wants to be as prepared as he can be to look after his boy, absolutely nothing wrong in that. No matter what the outcome he'll no doubt be remarkable in his own way and loved.
 

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