As before, tonight's diary post is at the end of the blog.
The post I'm revisiting today is one from March 2012, I don't think it's one that will ever have an answer despite the headlines from time to time.
Since I've been active on Twitter - about 15 months - there have been numerous causes banded around for autism, here's just a few that I remember:
Flu in the mother Elderly father Weight issues in the mother Chemicals in disposable nappies Salt Toxins
These are just a few examples and I don't think these types of headlines are particularly helpful to parents/carers and individuals already wondering "Why?", it just adds to the guilt that every parent feels.
Here's the post: Autism – The Guessing Game
Because there is no known cause or cure for autism, you receive your child’s diagnosis and wonder …. how did it happen and why? I blogged about this in my Looking Backwards, Moving Forwards post (click to read).
And then, you can’t help it….you look within yourself and your partner. You play a guessing game.
Hubbie, for example, has always been quoting virtually whole scenes from Fawlty Towers or Jasper Carrott sketches. Something will remind him, and off he goes….it’s endearing at first, but after ten years, I’ve heard them countless times. He always has to be early for everything, he’ll say he’s leaving at, say, 9.15am and then leave 10 minutes before. To be fair, he’s got his own business and is extremely self-disciplined.
And my family…Dad and three of my sisters are all accountants. Not for me, way too boring (not that I am knocking anyone who does accountancy, it just wasn’t for me). I check the back door is locked before we go out and then re-check it. Always drink my water in gulp multiples of 2!
And we are both extremely stubborn, but then that is a bonus, it will also stem into determination to get things done.
I guess when the genes balls were juggling for my beautiful D, they just collided a bit more, or fitted together a bit too closely.
Not that I would change her for anything. She’s my daughter who happens to have autism.
Our day:
It's been a bit of a roller-coaster, either T and D have been happily occupying themselves (T writing out his scores on his league tables from playing FIFA 13, D drawing and cutting out teeny tiny shapes endlessly) or they've been squabbling.
Squabbling over the smallest of things like we're running low on crisps - D loves crisps, she'd eat them all day if I let her, but I don't! So running low is a BIG thing for her - she said we'd have to get some tomorrow, T replied we can't because we're out, D gets over-anxious and we have a meltdown situation. Over crisps, which can easily be bought virtually anywhere.
The situation escalated too quickly for me to intervene until it was too late, but that is how it is sometimes.
So yes, we are out tomorrow but crisps will be purchased and popped in the shopping basket under D's buggy. Obviously their purchase will have to be factored into the timetable for T.
That might seem like a boring example but sometimes situations do escalate quickly and without warning, especially if the issue is important to the child - in D's case, making sure that there were crisps in the cupboard.
New day tomorrow, I hope everyone's had a good day, comments/RTs shares as ever welcomed, thanks for reading Jx 😘
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