Autism Discussion

[Calalily4]

It makes me sad to think of years ago while in school there was always a child in the class who was classed as "bold"
One little lad flapped his hands alot so the teacher and parents would ducktape his hands together to try stop him.
So many of those kids were more than likely on the spectrum and just went undiagnosed

 

[Ekathrina]

There’s more to it than that. Stimming can also be a way of regulating or diffusing anxiety or sensory overstimulation, so if you stop someone stimming it can lead to worse behavioural problems in an attempt to overcompensate.

 

[Gym&Tonic]

I’m probably autistic as well. I’m very high on the spectrum so I doubt I’ll ever get a diagnosis unless I go private. I’ve managed OK but my childhood was actually quite difficult because I massively struggled with school. I found it noisy and overwhelming and struggled to concentrate and so refused a lot of the time. I only found out as an adult that I was quite late meeting some of my milestones and didn’t walk until I was nearly two, my mum was so worried she took me to see the GP who dismissed it. Now I work with kids in the spectrum I realise I share a lot of their traits.

 

[avabella]

Just an addition that ASD is a neurological/developmental disability rather than a condition.

I don’t believe that it is increasingly diagnosed per se, but rather that awareness is so hugely increased that by proxy the numbers of diagnoses will rise.

The increase of diagnoses is not matched by after-diagnosis support which in my experience is absolutely dire.

 

[ChickenLicking]

I’m probably autistic as well. I’m very high on the spectrum so I doubt I’ll ever get a diagnosis unless I go private. I’ve managed OK but my childhood was actually quite difficult because I massively struggled with school. I found it noisy and overwhelming and struggled to concentrate and so refused a lot of the time. I only found out as an adult that I was quite late meeting some of my milestones and didn’t walk until I was nearly two, my mum was so worried she took me to see the GP who dismissed it. Now I work with kids in the spectrum I realise I share a lot of their traits.

I managed to get a dx on the NHS but it took so long that work funded another, so I now have two, both positive. The trouble with women and girls on the spectrum is that we hide our traits well by masking but cause huge issues with our mental health along the way.

 

[shadowcat5]

I think the awareness in women is shocking. So many females go undiagnosed cause the criteria is for males

 

[Ekathrina]

My son was diagnosed when he was 6, 13 years ago. I was diagnosed a couple of years later. It’s not true that it was only given as a diagnosis since the 1990’s though. The first child ever diagnosed with autism was Donald Tripplet who was diagnosed in 1943.

 

[Gloria Rostron]

One little lad flapped his hands alot so the teacher and parents would ducktape his hands together to try stop him.

I believe that is called stimming. It is how some people with autism express excitement.

 

[ChickenLicking]

Hello! Just remembered seeing this thread the other say and have been triggered by a rather pignorant poster ascribing a celebrity's downright illegal behaviour down to "possible Asperger's".

I had a late diagnosis in my late 30s, my son was dx at 4 and with ADHD at 6.

 

[LittleMy]

I have two autistic sons, both received their diagnoses from the NHS and both times it took several years on the waiting list for assessment. We first picked up on it around 1-2 years of age in both of them. Although I’ve never (and likely will never) pursued an official diagnosis for myself, I believe that I too am on the spectrum. I’ve many of the traits seen in females and have always just felt different from a very young age. I mask so much and always have.

 

[Gingercream]

They changed the classification of autism to mild, moderate or severe and Asperger’s overlapped with the change in how ASD is diagnosed, it’s all online if you want to read. Also, Asperger himself was known to perform cruel medical procedures on children during World War Two for the nazi’s so he’s also a controversial figure. It hasn’t been used since 2013.

I think because labelling someone as “low functioning” assumes they can’t do anything at all, and labelling someone as “high functioning” doesn’t address the potential difficulties they face day to day.

My son with ASD is 6 and non verbal with significant support needs but can do complex jigsaws on his own, count to 100 and is teaching himself Spanish on an app. I also have ASD and have a successful professional career but this has been at the detriment of my mental health - I now have things in place which helps but before my diagnosis I just felt like a failure constantly for not being able to cope with life.

 

[LucyJade1994]

Does anyone else struggle to make friends? I find it hard to make friends and I’ve been used and taken advantage off in the past and i can’t trust people now as I’m scared I’m going to get taken advantage off again. So I spend a lot of time on my own even when I am in employment I go home and rest I don’t go out partying etc.

 

[iLoveMeSomeCanoles]

Did anyone see the programme "Inside Our Autistic Minds" on BBC2 last night with Chris Packham? It's a two-parter so one episode still to come, and it'll be on catch-up.

The premise is that autistic people each make a short film to show people close to them how they feel/experience life etc.

It was really interesting and useful for my Mum to watch because one of the subjects (Flo) showed some similarities to me.

The other subject was Ken Bruce's son, who is non-speaking but desperately wants his incredibly eloquent thoughts to be heard. It was very moving.

 

[LucyJade1994]

Hi everyone, I’m waiting for an autism diagnosis and I’m looking for work. I struggle with social skills, I find it hard to read peoples emotions and body language, I have had over 10 jobs 2 of them which were Xmas temp and the rest I’ve left before 5 months apart from one which was 9 months. I do want to work but I feel I do struggle in employment. I’ve done retail, care work, hairdressing, beauty therapy, waitressing, warehouses, food production. I really want to have my own business but family said no, it is really frustrating and upsetting me. Can someone advise me please or can anyone else relate? X

 

[Avenged7Fold]

My adult son is finally on a pathway to an autism diagnosis. He’s in his mid 30s and I’ve known since he was a child, but his Dad (my ex) said he was fine and not to mention it again.
He didn’t walk until he was 18 months, refused to feed himself until he was confident he could do it properly without making a mess, had obsessions with things and still does, to name but a few traits.
I think he has Asperger’s. He’ll be happier if he has a diagnosis as he’s getting depressed about not being able to have a relationship due to his behaviour. He’s fed up of people thinking he’s a dick because he’s not very good at reading social signals.
I’m upset too because I should have stood up to his Dad and got him help. His school should have recognised his difficulties, but they weren’t interested because he’s super intelligent and passed all his exams without even trying. They were only bothered about the results.

Sorry, long rant but hopefully a decent outcome for him.

 

[Jaybtee]

my 11 year old daughter has just been diagnosed with autism. Has taken 2 and a half years (initially thought to have anxiety by CAHMS). She has refused to go to school for two years (best scenario shes in three days a week) so im really worried about her going to high school in august. So stressful and havent been given any after diagnosis support

 

[ChickenLicking]

I struggle with employment and spent 21 years having issues with colleagues and bosses in the public sector before having a breakdown and being made voluntarily redundant two years later. It's hard. I was dx when I was 39 so 7 years ago now. I also have bipolar and was dx with that back in November 2022.

I would say that starting your own business would defo be an option.

A while ago I used to write a blog called 'Faspie' on Blogger. I'll have a look for it.

http://faspie.blogspot.com/?m=1 might help! I wrote it partly so others wouldn't feel so alone.

 

[Gloria Rostron]

The Dorset Soldier, avoid this pub. Disgusting discrimination.

 

[Dizzy]

My youngest daughter is autistic with a learning disability and was finally diagnosed at age 9 after 4-5 years of "investigations" by a paediatrician and clinical psychologist. Even though it took a long time, I did feel completely supported during that time and both the paediatrician and psychologist did everything they could to move her diagnosis process along and secure her the support she needed. She also had a brilliant SENCO at her primary school - absolutely worth her weight in gold - and all 3 worked together as a team really well. My daughter was issued with a very comprehensive EHCP about a year after she was diagnosed and is now in year 9 at a mainstream secondary school. The school has a large SEN hub and she has a keyworker with her all the time. She has lots of intervention lessons at school and also spends time with a mentor every week, going for milkshakes, doing crafty stuff, sometimes swimming. I feel incredibly lucky that we managed to secure such amazing support for her - she has the highest rated EHCP in her school - and that she is doing so well. She attends school every day (we've thankfully never had a refusal to go) and has friends. We still have challenges - she struggles with those friendships at times and can be a little full on which can make people back off. She's also addicted to social media and has no interest in anything but looking at her phone which drives me crackers BUT she's incredibly sociable and is a happy content child which all I ever wanted for her.

For parents going through this process, I would say be prepared to be dogged and resilient in your approach. I kept on and on and on, politely but relentlessly pushing for things to move forward. I think we were blessed with the professionals involved in her diagnosis as they were so committed to getting her the help that she needed but even with their assistance, the wheels grind slowly and you will need to push and fight constantly for your child.

 

[Ekathrina]

I had the very early reading thing too, the proper name for it is hyperlexia. I read the Hobbit when I was 6 and The Lord of the Rings when I was 7. I couldn’t use a knife and fork until I was about 15 though, it’s quite common to be really precocious in some things, but very delayed in others.