All About Autism

Our Autism Story

It took a long time for us to realise that our son had more than just issues with his vision.  

We genuinely thought his unease with strangers and his dependence on routine was a result of his earlier diagnosis of albinism.  We didn’t realise that his phenomenal memory, constant questioning, inability to cope with change, fixation on books and Pixar movies, constant anxiety and his explosive tantrums were symptons of autism. 

I vividly remember the first time the idea that he had autism was suggested to me.  He had just turned 3 and his family daycare worker, who had previously worked with kids with autism, asked me whether we had ever considered that he may be on the spectrum.  I looked at her, in shock, and quickly denied it. I mean, it was a ridiculous idea, I knew he had special needs but it was due to his vision problems. He couldn’t have a second diagnosis, life couldn’t be that cruel to him.

Soon afterwards, our youngest nephew was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome. As I started to understand the challenges our nephew faced, the idea of our son having autism kept gnawing at me, until I could no longer ignore it.

I am afraid that I did keep my head in the sand for some time, grappling with the enormity of what we might be facing. I eventually realised that I had to do something so I educated myself by reading reference books about the disorder. I found with every description of typical autistic behaviour I read, my insides twisted with the recognition that they were also describing my son’s behaviours. I remember sobbing in the middle of Borders one day, knowing deep in my heart, that my son had autism.

Grieving for his ‘lost’ future the second time around was unbelievably painful – more so as I had to face it virtually on my own.  My husband took a long time to accept that our son might have autism and I found myself doing the legwork to get the necessary assessments done to obtain a diagnosis. He eventually accepted the diagnosis (and he is my absolute rock now!) but our separate bouts of grieving meant that it took a long time for both of us to be in the same place – it was a horrible, uncertain, stressful time, I hope to never be in that mental place again.

Two days after my son’s 4th birthday, after having a massive meltdown in the paediatrician’s office, he got a diagnosis of high-functioning autism. We were referred to Autism Spectrum Australia (ASPECT) and by the end of the year we had secured a place in their Hunter School for him. He was educated there for 3 years, finally making a successful transition to a mainstream class in 2012.

In the years since, he’s thrived in a mainstream setting, recently moving to a gifted and talented class at his local high school. We now know that with the right supports, he’ll be able to do pretty much anything!

Check out the resources below for more information on autism.

Autism Resources

APAC 2019 – Lessons & Sessions

As I shared in my last post, I was privileged to be invited to APAC 2019 in Singapore to give a plenary presentation on our positive education journey. I also delivered a workshop to professionals,...

Asia Pacific Autism Conference 2019

I'm in the midst of frantically preparing to fly to Singapore to attend the 2019 Asia Pacific Autism Conference (APAC). Two years ago, I delivered two sessions during APAC 2017 in Sydney. I...

Praying for Strawberries: A Book Review (& Giveaway)

I'm so happy to welcome Simone Emery from Play With Food to the blog today. She's a feeding specialist and I've learned so much from her wisdom and experience. Having a fussy eater myself (you can...

How We Do Christmas as an Autism Family

I've shared before the challenges we face when it comes to Christmas as an autism family. Gift giving can be a minefield, sensory overwhelm can derail the most longed-for outing and the traditional...

The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr Temple Grandin

This post contains affiliate links Many of you will have heard of Dr Temple Grandin, a pioneer in animal science and a trailblazer in the autism community. She's a prominent author and speaker and...

Taking the Leap

If you've been following me for any length of time, you'll probably already know that I'm not much of a risk taker. I'm actually a big scaredy cat. I don't like ruffling feathers. I hate...

APAC 2017

I am very excited to be speaking at the Asia Pacific Autism Conference in September! This is a wonderful opportunity to meet with carers, service providers and individuals with autism and I am...

How to Monitor & Manage Anxiety in Autistic Children & Teens

Recently, I attended a session on Emotion Management for Children & Teens with ASD, presented by Tony Attwood and Michelle Garnett. Tony is an internationally renowned expert on ASD and...

28 Autism Memes for Every Occasion

I'm always on the lookout for good autism memes. They're perfect to share on social media. Funny memes, in particular, can give you a much needed laugh on the really hard days. They can help you see...

Positive Partnerships Podcast Feature

I was honoured to be asked to be a part of the first series of podcast interviews by Positive Partnerships earlier this year. The podcast has been designed to support parents by sharing inspiring...