This week is definitely turning into a Rollercoaster week. Wow, and it's only Tuesday.
Yesterday brought the news that the blog, yes this one, has been shortlisted in the "Brilliance in Blogging" awards, in the commentary section. If you would like to vote it into the next stage, please click here for the link. I still don't believe it, it would be fantastic to reach the next stage (please).
Our day:
It's been about this little man today, our T.
Our lovely, handsome, very clever 10-year old who got diagnosed today with High Functioning Autism.
He's handled the news very very well, I think it's a relief for him in some ways and I was very impressed with the way the psychologist explained it to him.
So, I'm a Mumma of two with autism, one at either end. No differences to us as a family, of course, but it means that his school will recognise where he needs support and, as secondary school looms, there is a diagnosis to be taken into account.
We didn't expect a diagnosis today, I honestly expected a few visits spread out over some time or to be told not to be silly so it was a shock to receive it today but also a relief. Definitely rollercoaster-ing those emotions.
I think it helped that I wrote down our concerns, it made me inwardly laugh when the lady who made the appointment said "oh yes, it's written down that "mum made lots of notes"".
So, part of that is tonight's revisited blog, because I think it helped us today:
From the time T could pull himself up, he has bounced on the balls of his feet, he still does it now when playing on the wii or watching football on TV, doesn’t seem to be aware he’s doing it.
He still walks on the balls of his feet and almost bounces along. Very easy to spot in a playground.
He does not eat hot food – apart from toast. I am trying to get him to try new things like spag bol, pizza, macaroni cheese and he will pick at it for about half an hour, eat barely a third and then ask for toast. If he eats the pizza, it will be just the base ie. everything scraped off. Definitely prefers “white” foods. Will not eat veg, will eat limited fruits. Does not like hot drinks, best I can get him to have is warm squash when it’s really cold, weather wise. Soup is a no-no.
We had to move him in school as he was working two years above ability, new school accepted him with open arms and he is being challenged more work-wise but still finding it all too easy. Only one in his class who is a “free reader”. Handwriting is amazingly neat for a 10year old. Very mathematical brain. He got incredibly cross with his school report last term when it mentioned that the presentation of a particular piece of homework could improve. He also gets extremely frustrated if he gets any spellings wrong – not that he does very often.
Issues around jumpers and jeans – prefers football shirts, shorts and jogging bottoms.
Could recognise and say all the premier league football badges at 18 months old! Will write and write his own match reports, football fixtures, league tables.
He plays in a local football team, but finds defeat very hard whether it be his team or football team he supports or playing on the wii or ds. He will happily go to football or football training but that is it, we have had a lot of going-out refusals in the summer holidays.
Would not sleep by himself for the first five years, it was either in between Hubbie and I or on a mattress in our room. We only got around this by letting him choose his bed etc and even then there were teething issues. Whether its anxieties around being by himself or something else, unsure.
(Linked to above, maybe) he does not like to see street lights through the obscured bathroom window, they scare him and also says that the eyes move on a wedding picture in the hall.
Does not have meltdowns in the way his autistic sister does but definitely has his moments when he will retreat completely from the situation. Does not seem to sympathise with his sister and will provoke and provoke her.
Takes things extremely literally, there is no middle ground, everything is black or white.
Always has to know when Hubbie is leaving, what time he is back. If we do go out, he has to know where exactly we are going and there cannot be deviants from that list. Similarly if I am doing something whilst he is at school, he will need to know timings, route etc.
Did not do imaginative play/dressing up etc. The closest he will get to this is bouncing on the trampoline with a ball, commenting in the guise of a sports reporter. In the garden, he has to do his bouncing etc (and car play when younger) in a certain way.
Immense issues if a comic is creased or a book is marked, they will be immediately discarded and he won’t be happy until they are replaced.
Likes to be independent to the point of immense stubbornness and will refuse to take advice, no matter how well-intended.
Extremely inconsiderate to his sister’s feelings/emotions/anxieties. For example, I have explained to him that due to her sensory imbalance, she will feel a push/a knock stronger but it’s not taken into consideration.
School reports no concerns as they have a very positive, structured day as there is a high proportion of ASD children in school (1 or 2 per class) and if there are any issues throughout the day, he will bottle them up until he is home.
UPDATED as meeting with School SenCo on 12 September 2012, UPDATED again for CAMHS referral form 11 December 2012. DIAGNOSIS of High Functioning Autism received 23 April 2013.
And what about D? D - bless her - has had a better day today. She was anxious this morning about doing golf this afternoon but, when we got to school, they informed her that she wouldn't be doing golf as there was a play rehearsal. For once the routine change worked in our favour!
She was agitated at home-time as her home-school diary had gone missing, it wasn't found by the time we left and this has resulted in some upsets at home. Hopefully the diary will materialise tomorrow and she'll have a good day.
I hope they both will, so absolutely proud of my two children, with their differing but similar traits.
I hope everyone's had a good day, comments/RTs/shares/votes (!) as per ever welcomed Jx 😘
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