Posting A Letter and growing up with ADHD by @Indigo_Reading #ThisIsAutism

Today has been a Sunny Sunday, a day of smiles, squeals and bounces. Needed for both T and D after their individually busy Saturdays.

Posting A Letter:

I’m including within tonight’s post an achievement for D. The title basically gives it away but please read on, it’s definitely progress for her.

D was diagnosed with autism at 4.5 years old and with it comes a severe stranger anxiety and learning difficulties. She gets confused by two many instructions at one time, instructions have to be in separate parts and using clear but gentle instructions with lots of praise afterwards.

She has a monthly arts and crafts magazine which is usually received as a reward for her (yucky and painful) monthly injection. She really enjoys reading it and will usually attempt to follow the crafts instructions herself, again they’re very clear and concise and set out step by step, very visual too.

Anyway…there was a competition in this month’s magazine, it was to draw a design on a pre-printed sock. She got very excited about this and I’ve had to gently reinforce that quite a few proliferation may enter and that taking part is good, but unfortunately not everyone wins. A bit like Sports Day.

All duly coloured, enveloped and stamped and as our nearest postbox is literally 2 minutes walk away and well within sight of our front garden, with no roads to be crossed, just a very straight path, I asked D if she’d like to go and post it. By herself.

We picked a time when it was quiet, lunchtime as we’re opposite woods which are very popular with dog walkers. No one around. Off she set.

And here she is coming back. She did it!

This was a big achievement for D, she’d managed to a) follow an instruction, b) get there and back straight away and c) not get too scared. We’re definitely not talking going anywhere further by herself but one day…maybe…when she’s much older, she might manage a trip to a shop with me waiting outside. Maybe. Of course there would be a lot more to negotiate then, strangers/money/change and remembering to say “thank you” but it’s a start.

I’m linking this up with Magic Moments, What’s The Story and Small Steps Amazing Achievements because it encompasses all of those!

This Is Autism:

Tonight’s guest post comes from @Indigo_Reading, a very honest post about growing up with ADHD, but without a straightforward diagnosis.

The link above is to the National Autistic Society’s information page on ADHD but here’s their introductory paragraph:
“ADHD is a condition that makes a person inattentive, impulsive and hyperactive. An increasing number of children are diagnosed as having both ADHD and autism, and many parents are understandably confused about the links between the two. Can a child have both conditions and if they do, how can you best support them?”

It’s a very informative read.

Over to S aka @Indigo_Reading:

“Growing up in the 80s, ADHD was more or less unheard of so the diagnosis process wasn’t straight forward.

I carried on in mainstream education till I was 14 then went to special needs boarding school, there really wasn’t and still isn’t any proper help. My life is a struggle day to day as my brain doesn’t work in the way others do and my concentration is still very limited to the point I can’t even watch a half hour programme. I don’t lack intelligence but due to how my brain works, things that require repetition I can’t do for long periods of time.”

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