Over the last few months I have been preoccupied with how my life could have been different and if I could have done things better. I fantasise about my ideal life and sometimes I feel sad that I'm still in the same place I've been the last 15 years. I have read that some autistic people grieve for the opportunities they lost and their past selves before they were diagnosed ..read more

How long did you have to wait to have your ASD assessment? I don't actually remember how long it's been.. perhaps a year or 2 now. I'm in South Wales anyone else waiting? I also have other questions. What was the assessment like (so i don't stress out and so i can plan ahead)  How long did it take (both waiting and the assessment itself) What happened afterwards What if i don't have people they can speak to about me and my childhood (ie. not good relationship with parents, always masked etc, only meltdown when i was alone, never really spoke in school so teachers don't even know me we ..read more

How do others cope with autistic shutdowns. They happen to me a lot and at those times I become non verbal. One time this happened in A&E and the dr became impatient because I wasn’t answering him because I couldn’t. I’m alone, with no support or help of any sort. How do I get across that I can’t speak and why in situations? I’m also worried this could happen at work as I need to be able to communicate as I’m a health care assistant on a busy surgical ward. Increasingly, I’m finding myself in this situation and can’t communicate my needs ..read more

Anyone got any advice/insight on how they coped in the early stages of diagnosis thanks ..read more

Hello Everyone! I come to this forum with a curiosity on how autism and architecture work hand in hand. I am an architecture student in Wales, UK. I am in my third year looking at designing a school for autistic young people. After doing a lot of research on autism I have become heavily interested in how majority of architects do not acknowledge design concepts for a wide range of disabilities and specifically autism. I am very keen on gathering personal experiences you many have experience in buildings that have not been autism friendly, this will help me to see common design flaws that ca ..read more

My name is Geraldine. Am African but I have a Spanish nationality. My 7 year old boy and I came into Manchester this July. He is autistic. I need guidance and pieces of advice. Thank you ..read more

Hi,  my child has ADHD and is currently medicated he has been through a family breakup & a change of school who are brilliant but since then he appears to spiralling out of control with anger issues, emotional issues and defiance issues he had a friend around to play and strangled them because they annoyed him, if he can't get his own way he punches doors, walls and shouts or screams until he gets it we have tried all the positive reinforcement rewards I have spoken to the SENCO and Dr however everywhere i turn is a dead-end or full of empty promises  i feel like such a bad par ..read more

I started on ADHD medication a few months ago prescribed by my Psych.  Xaggitin 18mg was what I started on. A lot of side effects at first like euphoria then an aggressive strung out feeling, then I lost all emotion for 3 days then it all settled down. Started working quite after that but the intrusive thoughts, impulse control and ER (emot reg) were not being managed quite well enough. Onto 36mg. 36mg: Far better management of executive function (focus, planning, organizing, time management) HOWEVER, the higher dose medication feels like it is now over regulating my emotions and impulse ..read more

Hi, My 3.5 year old has autism and.is.up.all.n8ght crying and screaming. Last night for.8 hours I do not know why I give her milk, change her nappy, try lighting everything, she sleeps in our double bed now but now she prefers us out of the bed. We are getting 2 hour max sleep a night  and my 12 yrqd is going to school tired and ill. I feel so down and taking days off work go sleep in the day. I need advice  please x ..read more

Hi! To anyone who has gone through NHS assessment process (especially in North East area), I just have a few questions about the process! I've filled out the form they sent out, but I really want to bring some extra information and stuff from my childhood to the appointment in a folder - but I'm worried that it'll be overkill and they just won't look at it. Dose it take a while to get the diagnosis/results or do they just tell you at the end of the appointment ..read more