ASPERGER'S

HIGH FUNCTIONING AUTISM

Half an hour of goodness

Hi, this blog is about honouring anyone who has an autistic spectrum diagnosis themselves or maybe they have someone close to them in their life living with autism. It may be a family member, a relative, a friend or a colleague?

This is a difficult but necessary post for me. It has taken from December 2011 to evolve & beable to be written with truth, knowledge, understanding & respect.

Our daughter has been struggling since year five of Primary School with aches/pains & muscle stiffness. This lead to various medical investigations, which involved physiotherapy sessions at hospital & private podiatry treatment. Secondary school began with a positive year seven with great academic results & glowing reports about her behaviour in class.

In December 2011 things suddenly started to change when our daughter began to experience accute anxiety & panic attacks which occured on a daily basis.  This lead to her having severe school phobia. Our GP'S told her to get to school!!! Everyone has to attend school whether they like it or not!!! After five appointments with various GP's at my request she was referred to the adolescent mental health team, (CAMHS) on 1st May 2012.

 Her last day at school was Friday 29th June 2012. Home schooling was our only option.

 In January this year our daughter started a short stay medical school. She is still there, doing quite well. I am currently looking into applying for a Special Educational Needs Statement for her. Also any benifits that could be awarded, as I have become her carer & would be unable to work myself without more support.

Our journey has been very long, heartbreaking, lonely, confusing, deeply upsetting & at times desperate. There has been much blame, criticism, judgement along the way. There has been frustration, anger & utter confusion in trying to help our daughter & our family survive this dreadful struggle. I have fought, battled, argued & spoken up for my daughter during this time. I have been broken & shamed. I also needed help for myself in January 2012, which required me having some talk therapy sessions at my GP'S & some short term medication for clinical depression. I also began blogging which was helping with my recovery & healing. I have used collage & photography, affirmation, sketching & self expression through written blogs to continue my self nuture & acceptance of myself during this very difficult & dark time.

There is so much to say & I will blog again soon with more information or I may start another separate blog dedicated to just Asperger's? I am still not decided.

We were informed on a Wednesday morning on October 24th 2013 that our daughter's diagnosis is Asperger's Syndrome & other emotional difficulties. This was after I had contacted them to request a second opinion a few days earlier, as I still felt that we needed some answers. We are now waiting for reports & letters to be produced to give us all the information we need about her diagnosis.

  It has been a massive relief but also a huge shock, even though I had strongly suspected this diagnosis since our visit to Disneyland Paris. That was my final piece to the puzzle. We are all grieving in our own ways, but also embracing her special talents & gifts as pure joy!! Her younger sister has been amazing along this upsetting journey. We talk openly & I need to know at no point is she left out or unsure about things surrounding her sister. Also more importantly that she knows she is just as SPECIAL! 

This blog has no where near covered what I have to say. I have been reading, researching, gaining knowledge of many amazing people & their stories too. I would love to share my findings with you at another time.

These photo's were taken by my daughter, she loves her camera!! She was having a very difficult week & could not attend her medical needs school. We managed half an hour of kicking leaves in the fresh air & it did us both a world of good.
 She is back in school now after a stressful & exhausting time. These photo's caputured a few moments of OUR JOY.  I just treasure them with the whole of my heart!

What a difficult year it has been.

I think a blog to reflect over my last year of writing maybe a good post for another time?

 Keep warm, keep cosy & count your blessings.

Until next time, take care.

xx