Little Stars

This photo of L came up in my memories last month. It is of O waiting patiently at the gate at his Tara School, aka Little Stars. Little Stars is one of the early intervention therapy centres run by the Western Australian Autism Association. After we received L's Autism diagnosis, we applied for L to attend the centre.

Going to Little Stars really was one of the best decisions that we made for L. He was accepted for who he was, he made so many friends, he loved all of his therapists and therapy assistants, especially his Tara. L further developed his strengths and learnt new skills.

L attended the centre once a week for three hours and he participated in his speech and  occupational therapy while at the centre. And L loved going to his Tara's School. His very first therapy assistant was a lovely lady by the name of Thara, but all of the children and staff called her Tara. From the very first session with Tara, the centre became known by L as Tara's School. L and Tara had a mutual love of Batman!!

Most importantly we learnt how to view the world from L's eyes and how to support him in the way that he needed. We learnt how to help him navigate the world around him.

Little Stars was one of the first, and big, steps in L's Autism journey that L needed.

Funnily enough it was also at Tara's School that we accidentally met one of L's former educators from his previous child care centre. This educator was so very surprised to spot L at the centre, they were there to observe another child who had recently been diagnosed with Autism. This educator dismissed our concerns about L, by saying "oh he's just a naughty boy."

Mmm, actually no he wasn't. He is Autistic! This educator looked very taken back when I informed her why L was at the centre.

It is photos like the above, that remind me just how far both of my little superheroes have come and all that they have achieved so far on their Autism journey.

L's Speech Therapy Journey

Four years ago, on the 2nd of February 2016, L began early intervention therapy which included Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy, at an amazing Early Intervention centre called Little Stars with the Autism Association of Western Australia. Little Stars rapidly became known as Tara's School due to the bond that one of his therapists, Tara, built with L. 

L's first day at Tara's School was a nerve wrecking day for all us as L's verbal communication skills were still developing. He did a lot of stimming we initially arrived but by the smiles on his face when we collected him after his session, he had had a ball.

Since that date, L has been attending weekly speech therapy sessions and over the last four years L has made huge leaps and bounds and he is continuing to move forward.

Last Wednesday afternoon, L came to the end of his speech therapy journey. It really was a bittersweet moment as all of his speech therapists have become extended family members. They have all invested a lot of time, both professionally and personally, into developing L's abilities as well as encouraging him on his Autism journey. But as his Speech therapist said on Wednesday, L has come to the end of what a speech therapist is able to do. In looking at the scope of what a Speech Therapist can do, L has reached the end point with speech therapy.

So now we're down to Occupational Therapy and psychology sessions!!

I am so very proud of just far L has come. He's faced many obstacles, and will probably face more going forward, but so far he has overcome everything that he has faced. From a little boy who struggled to understand his own, and others emotions, who was non-verbal to the talkative, mischievous little superhero that he is today.

This little superheroes future is very, very bright!

Why Early Intervention?

Autism is not a rare disorder, from the 2012 ABS Autism in Australia report, 0.5 percent of the population or 115,400 people have been diagnosed with autism. For every four boys who are diagnosed, 1 girl is diagnosed. There is still no single known cause of autism and there is no cure.

There is one thing that has been shown to assist children who have been diagnosed with Autism and that is Early Intervention therapy.

L has been attending therapy at the Autism Association of Western Australia First Steps for Autism Program at one of their Early Intervention Centres since February 2016 and he has made the most remarkable progress.

Yet we are still asked on a regular basis, why are you sending L to this therapy? We are also asked what early intervention is.

So......

Why Early Intervention Therapy?

It has been shown that children with autism benefit from early intervention programs. The early intervention makes a huge difference to a child's development which leads to better outcomes for the children at school and in social situations. The earlier that a child starts in an early intervention program, the better the outcome for the child.

Prior to starting early intervention therapy, L struggled on a daily basis with communication and as such he would express himself through challenging behaviours.

The therapy sessions have helped us to identify the purpose of L's challenging behaviour and has in turn taught L more appropriate alternative behaviours to replace the challenging behaviours. L's key therapist has also given us new ways in which to mange his challenging behaviours.

Through the therapy that he attends, L has learnt to communicate effectively and he has learnt social skills. Throughout every therapy session he is able to interact with children his own age in a controlled environment so that he is able to practice the skills that he is learning. And while at the early intervention centre, his therapists are always on hand to step in when he needs them to.

L's therapy focuses on developing his attention and communication skills, listening, language and social skills. His therapy goals have been set based upon his current skill level and also on his goals from his NDIS funding plan.

So what is early intervention?

Early intervention is made of a system of coordinated therapies (or interventions) and services that offer these therapies. The therapies are conducted via programs and sessions that are aimed at assisting a child's development.

If you look up the definition of early intervention it states "doing something, taking action or using a treatment to try to improve a particular condition."

Put simply the aim of early intervention is not to cure your child, it is aimed at developing the skills that your child needs to learn to navigate the world around them. It isn't about changing your child, it is about helping your child's age appropriate growth and development. These skills may include teaching your child communication skills, it may be skills to manage their sensory issues, it may be teaching them how to recognise and respond to their own emotions.

The First Steps of Autism Program that L attends is designed for children with autism aged 0 to 8 years old.

The program that L attends is conducted by a trans-disciplinary team that consists of psychologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, early childhood and primary teachers and therapy assistants. The ratio of children is staff is brilliant - there are some sessions that L attends where the staff outnumber the children!

L participates in an intensive three hours of therapy once a week at the centre.

Depending on the severity of a child's ASD diagnosis, they may attend the centre for more therapy hours throughout the week.

L started in a one on one therapy program which also included group sessions with other children. The therapy that was offered was tailored to meet his individual needs and his NDIS goals.

He has now progressed to the school readiness program. This is purely a group session but each child's therapy goals are integrated into the sessions. Through the school readiness program L is developing the skills that he requires for his effective participation at school.

All of the therapy at the early intervention centre is play based - the children engage in fun activities during which they are learning and practising new skills.

Which Early Intervention Service do I choose?

Prior to obtaining L's autism diagnosis, I will admit that I knew very little about the therapies that are available to individuals with autism.

When it comes to looking into and researching different early intervention programs and services, it can be very difficult to know where and how to start.

In regards to autism, there are many different kinds of early intervention services. Different children will respond to therapy in different ways. What works for one child, will not necessarily work for the next child. It really is a case of you needing to find the best fit for your child and your family.

Do your research. If possible, arrange to visit the early intervention centre so that you can view their set up and their programs first hand. 

It can be quite scary when you find out the cost, both money and time, involved in an early intervention program but if you look towards the end goal, it really is worth it.

Ask yourself the following questions -

How will the early intervention service help your child?
What funding is available to assist to cover the costs of therapy?
What will the therapy cost?

What does a good Early Intervention service look like?

I'm not an expert when it comes to early intervention services, I can only go on our experiences with L's early intervention service.

But in my mind, a good early intervention program provides the following:

- The staff include the family members in the therapy that your child is involved in so that you can learn alongside your child. You don't necessarily have to be present for every therapy session, you should be provided with support and guidance so that you know what you can do at home to assist your child's progress.

- The service have staff that are specially trained in the intervention programs that they are offering.

- The service should develop an individual plan for your child based on their current skill level and needs. And the staff should monitor and regularly review and update the plan based on your child's progress within the program.

- The program is designed for children with ASD. This is a must!

Early intervention is not necessarily about the number of hours that your child will be attending therapy, it is about the quality of those hours.

The intensity of therapy and support may be intense at the beginning but it will gradually decrease as your child learns and retains new skills.

We have noticed a massive change in L since beginning therapy, but in the last six months there has been a noticeable shift between L and O's ability to adapt to change and their social awareness.

Both little superheroes have always struggled socially but as L has been learning new skills on how to engage with children his own age, he is making progress faster than O is. In the past L would become upset when O didn't play with him when there were other children present. It is becoming more and more difficult for O to understand social situations, so she is now becoming upset as L will happily go off and join in play.

This change in L is in part due to the therapy that he is receiving.

I can honestly say that sending L to the early intervention centre is one of the best decisions that we have made.

Getting our Inner Science Geek on!!

Today is the start of National Science Week here in Australia. National Science Week is an annual celebration held in Australia to acknowledge and highlight the contributions of Australian scientists. Everyone and anyone can be involved, there are events held throughout Australia. One of the aims of National Science Week is to encourage younger people to become interested and fascinated with the world of science.

Have I mentioned before that I love all things science? No? Well, I love all things science!

For as long as I can remember I have always been interested in science. In primary school I can recall that I did an experiment on training the common backyard mini beast, the Slater!!

All though high school, science was one of my favourite subjects - it was when I was able to escape into a world that I understood. When I was in Year 11, I did a week of work experience at our local Natural History Museum in the marine science department and I fell in love with the idea of becoming a Marine Biologist. This also started my love of scuba diving.

After finishing Year 12, I studied science at university and accidentally fell into the role of a Science Education Officer for the Northern Territory Branch of the CSIRO Science Education Officer.

I found my calling - developing and presenting a range of hands-on science sessions for school age children. I travelled throughout the Northern Territory and the Kimberley Region of Western Australia presenting a range of science programs to children of all ages.

Through my work for the CSIRO I was nominated and became a finalist twice in the Young Australian of the Year awards. I also received a Queens Trust Award for my work with the CSIRO.

My aim for my love of science was to spread the love of science to children. I was always of the belief, and still am, that before we can have all these amazing Australian Scientists, we need to have children who have an interest and fascination with science.

Through our Autism journey and O and L's diagnosis process, I have come to realise that my fascination with science as a child could have been considered an obsession. Science and Music were two topics that could keep me entertained for hours on end.

Now that I have my own children, I want to impart my love of science onto them. Luckily for me, O is VERY interested in science. In fact, she loves the topic!

This morning we made the spur of the moment decision to head into the National Science Week Festival to get our inner science geek on. And I am glad that we did.

Both O and L had a ball (and just quietly so did I!)

They were both fascinated by the virtual hatching turtles that they were able to view through an iPad - don't you love how far technology has come!

They are both drawn to animals, so a visit to the reptiles and the cuddly animals was a must! L becomes so relaxed around animals. It was quite noisy at the festival and while in with the cuddly animals, I could see that L had completely zoned out and was not bothered in the slightest by the noise around him.

Both O and L are fascinated with the idea that Mummy used to Scuba dive and L is desperate to be able to give Scuba diving a go. Well today, he was able to. Albeit through a virtual reality mask. He loved it. They both waited patiently for their turn and when they finally put the virtual reality mask on, their were enthralled.

L was a little lost to start off with as the gentleman was explaining what L was seeing in terms that were way over L's head. As soon as I mentioned that L had autism, the gentleman completely changed the way that he was engaging with L. Someone has had some Autism Awareness training!

L loved the mask. He was spinning in his chair to see everything that the gentleman was explaining - the virtual tour was one of the dive trips that the team from the AIMS had done. From getting ready on the boat, to jumping into the water, swimming down to the sea floor and viewing all the animals. There was also a wreck that the divers were exploring but L was more interested in the sea animals. He was getting lots of giggles as he was spinning in the chair and reaching out to the sea creatures saying "get back here!!"

They both loved exploring the variety of sea sponges and kelp that were on display. A great sensory display!

O was in her element when creating simple circuits - another cub badge that we can get signed off! She did a great job at assisting L to create a circuit too.

Unfortunately for my little superheroes the Festival was incredibly busy - this in its itself was wonderful to see. There were loads of young families enjoying the displays. This just made the hall very loud and very busy, so we needed to leave before my little superheroes entered into sensory overload.

And the verdict from O and L - "That was fun Mummy! Can we go again!"

They both just see a trip like this as fun and play. I see the education and therapy potential. And I get to whip out my inner science geek!!

The Elusive Ball!

At the beginning of this week I wrote a post about The Monsters Inside, during which L helped me out with a book review.

He was more interested in talking about a ball that he uses at Tara's School to assist with his breathing calming strategies.

When L initially told me about the ball a week and a half ago, he described the ball as a something that stretched. I thought he meant a ball that had a spring inside and came apart in two halves.

How wrong I was!

My background is tertiary science so when I finally saw the ball at Tara's School on Tuesday just gone, my first thought was that it reminded me of a bucky ball. Yep, it's a science term! The ball had a structure similar to that of an expanded bucky ball.

L was right, the ball did in fact come apart, it stretched to become larger and could be collapsed back down.

Do you think that I could find said ball anywhere? Of course not!

Everyone who I showed the photo to, knew what it was and where they used to be sold but not one store that I visited had them in stock. Nor were any of the stores planning on restocking them in the future.

I searched online and can I say that some very, very inappropriate images were shown, so I quickly gave up!

Eventually I put a call out on my personal Facebook profile in the hope that one of my friends would be able to find said ball. And as luck would have it, one of my wonderful friends just happened to have one at home. Thanks Bec!

You know that you are onto a winning sensory toy when L stops watching his favourite show on television to play with the said toy.

But, whatever you do, do NOT call it a toy in front of L.

This statement evokes a very prompt response of "IT NOT A TOY!"

L was very quick to show me how to use the expanding ball.

The idea behind it, I think, in terms of it being a calming strategy is that by expanding and collapsing the ball while breathing in and out, that that motion alone gives L something to focus on. He's not realising that he is taking time out to calm down as in his mind he is just "playing" with the ball.

The ball is also a great tool to assist with L's hand/eye co-ordination, his fine motor control, as well as assisting with L's sensory input to assist him to recognise when he has to be gentle (sensory proprioception input.)

See I told you that I can turn any child's toy into a therapy activity.

Now to find another elusive ball as O has now decided that the ball is great to help her focus when she is completing her spelling homework!!

Dear Senator Hanson

Senator Hanson's comments yesterday pertaining to removing children with autism (and presumably other disabilities) from mainstream classrooms really struck a nerve with me.

I read, and re-read the comments several times, during my lunch break at work yesterday and I simply could not fathom why Senator Hanson had made such comments. I was hopeful that she had been misquoted. Unfortunately I highly doubt it.

Today there have been a number of politicians who have come out with fighting words towards Senator Hanson. She really did cause quite an uproar. My belief is that Senator Hanson will not change her way of thinking and she will no doubt publicly try to justify her comments.

I also feel that Senator Hanson needs to hear stories of children and adults from the Autism community. She needs to hear that no two individuals with autism are the same. No two individuals with a disability are the same.

Dear Senator Hanson,

I have two children and both have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

O is 8 and is beyond her years smart, really beyond. She is in year 3 but she is doing year 4 extension work in class. She is also in the Talented and Gifted Students Program at her school which involves 90 minutes of being outside of her regular classroom a week. O regularly scores top marks in her weekly spelling and mathematics tests. O has received 3 awards at school so far this year and she has been invited to attend the Deputy's luncheon that is held once a term at her school. She is quietly proud of her achievements.

At the age of 3, O taught herself the three times table and composed her first short story. At the age of 4, she composed her second short story. At the age of 5 she was reading Shakespeare for fun and composing poems about words that she found interesting.

O has an exceptional memory. She regularly writes imaginative stories. She has a vast understanding of the solar system and is probably more knowledgeable than me when it comes to this topic. O regularly asks me questions that I am unsure of the answer. She is a whiz at finding said answers on the Internet.

O is known at school, Cubs, the outside school hours care facility that she attends, for her caring and thoughtful manner. O is the child who will let her friends win at games or races, so that they don't come last. O is the child who teaches other children about acceptance of others who are different. O is the child who worries about her friends feelings before she worries about herself.

O is in a mainstream school.

I spoke to one of her teachers this morning as we have only recently received her ASD assessment reports. O has been masking her ASD traits so well that not us nor her teachers were able to pick up on the severity of her traits. In fact O's teacher commented this morning that looking at O in class you would never know of her autism.

It is only when her anxiety levels reach boiling point that you can begin to see the ASD traits - the stimming, the meltdowns, the non-stop internal struggles that she faces every single day......

O knows that it is bad thing to stand out from the crowd so she masks and suppresses her traits every single day so that she successfully blends in with the crowd.

But due to her diagnosis, you would have her in a special school or special classroom so that she doesn't disrupt others learning?

L is 5 and up until the age of 3 his vocabulary consisted of a grand total of 20 words. At the age of 4 he was still not fully toilet trained, he did not understand his own or others emotions, he struggled to make friends, he struggled to join in play with his peers. L's fine motor skills were lacking. L couldn't, but not for the lack of trying, cross his mid-line. L relied on using a combination of simple sentences, sounds and key word signing to communicate his needs and wants. L could barely draw a smiley face, let alone attempt to write his own name. L could not recognise his own name.

Now, at the age of 5, he is verbal and he is toilet trained. L is beginning to understand, recognise and respond appropriately to his own and others emotions. L's fine motor skills have come along in leaps and bounds. L can now recognise and write his own name. L is now beginning to recognise other letters of the alphabet and can recognise the beginning sounds of some words. L is also wanting to attempt sounding out words, in fact he sounded out the word star this morning.

And much of this is in thanks to his amazing therapists at the early intervention centre that he has been attending once a week for the past 18 months and also his fantastic teachers and teacher aides that he has had in Kindy and now in Pre-Primary. It is also due to the friends that he has made at the mainstream school that he attends.

His friends have assisted L to understand that you do not wear pyjamas to school among other things. This year is the first year that L has had multiple birthday party invitations of his own. He had a few last year, but O's invites outnumbered his. This year however, L's invites are out numbering O's. Prior to last year, L had never been invited to a birthday party on his own merit.

Both of my children have taught their peers and friends about the acceptance of others differences.

If only you knew how much work and heartbreak and joy that we have gone through to get L to this point. In the past 18 months L has made the most astounding progress. People who have not seen him in the last 18 months have commented that he is a completely different child.

But again, due to his diagnosis, you would have L in a special school because he learns at a different rate to others his age?

I am not saying that L and O do not struggle at school, but can you please show me a child, with or without a disability, who doesn't struggle or hasn't struggled at school?

I have seen more disruptive children than my own in classrooms, but you want both of my children to be segregated from other children simply because of their diagnosis?

The statement that you made is absurd.

Autism is a spectrum. If you look closely at all disabilities you would most likely find that they can all be considered as a spectrum. Lumping all individuals together is like pounding a square peg into a round hole. It just isn't going to work.

Sure there are some individuals who would benefit from being in a special school or a specialised classroom but please let that decision be made by those who know the children the best. Their parents, their therapists and the education department.

I have an idea, instead of "getting rid of" these students and reducing the diversity in schools, how about providing schools with adequate resources so that they are better equipped to provide an education to all students. How about taking away all the hoops that parents and schools are forced to jump through just to get assistance for children with different abilities. How about encouraging acceptance and inclusion of children with different abilities instead of suggesting that they need to be segregated.

I want both of my children to become functioning members of society but segregating them from their peers in a mainstream school would be detrimental to their emotional and intellectual abilities.

Sincerely,

A Very Concerned Mum.

When does it stop?

I've been asked on quite a number of occasions by parents who have newly diagnosed children as well as individuals who have very little to do with the Autism world "when does it stop? When do all the endless specialist and therapy appointments cease to exist?"

I would love to say that I have the answer. But the truthful and honest answer is that I don't know. I truly do not have an answer, or a solution in fact, to this question.

What I can tell you is this..........

Since we received L's diagnosis in January last year, the specialist appointments for L have become few and far between. With L we are at the stage of follow up appointments and these are usually six to twelve months apart.

L's therapy has been consolidated into one place. We're no longer having to visit two or three different specialists. All the therapy that he requires is provided during one time slot, on one day a week.

At the beginning of this year we were lucky enough to be provided with a lovely support coordinator through the Autism Association who liaises with all of L's service providers. Our support coordinator does all the leg work for us and comes to us with solutions. It is wonderful. Mind you there is a fee involved but her work behind the scenes is well worth the monetary value.

The Autism Association are, in our eyes anyway, experts in the Autism field and as such we are drawing on their expertise and knowledge to find the best service providers to assist us with helping L, and eventually O.

I can't stress enough the importance of early intervention and keep in mind that early intervention services can come in many different forms. The way that we see it is if we are able to provide L with the therapy now in his early years of life, as he grows older he is already going to be equipped with the skills that he requires to navigate through life.

L's therapy is fairly extensive at present but I would imagine that in the years to come as he better learns how to manage his autism, the therapy may slow down. I simply can not see the therapy ever stopping but I can see that he may not need as much.

The same can be said for O. If we are able to assist her now to gain the skills and knowledge that she so desperately needs to manage her anxiety and social awkwardness, then later in life she is going to be much better equipped. O may still need some therapy, but again fingers crossed not so frequently.

Now in saying all of this, the level and intensity of therapy required really depends on the diagnosis level. I simply can not imagine how much more difficult life would be with a child who is non-verbal. I would imagine that the therapy involved would increase ten fold.

Autism never goes away. It isn't something that can be cured with a  magic pill.

What I have realised is that we are learning to manage life with autism. Life doesn't stop because of an autism diagnosis, we had to adjust. We have had to put other items on our family agenda on hold for an indefinite time period but life hasn't stopped completely.

We may have to constantly make adjustments on this Autism journey and we do this because my little superheroes are worth it.

School Readiness

School readiness has different meanings to different people. For some it means having their child being able to recognise their own name or knowing the alphabet, numbers and colours or their child being able to write their name.

For us it simply meant having an effective and smooth transition into the school system for both O and L.

Towards the end of the 2016 school year a lot of parents of special needs children were already looking towards the beginning of the 2017 school year and what they needed to do to have a smooth transition to the next school year.

For most parents of neurotypical children it is usually simply a case of filling the school book list, buying new school uniforms, school bags, lunch boxes and shoes.

Throw in a special needs child and suddenly everything becomes a little more complicated and at times a lot more expensive.

There’s the liaising with the school to find out your child's teacher for the following year, finding out who the teacher aide will be if you’re entitled to one, trying to get photos of the new teacher, aides and classroom to complete a social story so that you can introduce your child to the idea over the holidays. Some parents will want to organize transition time in the new classroom before the end of the school year. There's updating any sensory toys that your child may require.

Recently quite a number of parents have started asking me how we prepared ourselves and our children for the new school year. Yes it is 4 and a bit weeks away but you can never be too prepared.

These are the main things we make sure that we do in the lead up to the end of the school year.

Aide Time

The school that O and L attend have been fantastic this year. The school officer has been instrumental in organizing aide time for L. Without his Teacher aides, thank you Kate and Leanne, I honestly don’t think that L would have achieved what he has at school this year.

L’s class was lucky enough to have their teacher, Maria – who is amazing, a teacher aide, Leanne – also amazing, and a special needs teacher aide – Kate – again, amazing! It meant that L received one on one time in class. It meant that there were three pairs of eyes keeping an eye on my little runner. It meant that L felt settled in class and that he belonged there. It meant that L joined in on class activities, instead of just doing his own thing. It meant that L has learnt a whole new set of skills and is ready for full time school next year.

When I was going through L’s end of year learning journal, I honestly had a tear in my eye. Comparing the level of work that L was doing at the start of the year to that at the end of the year, WOW! He has made the most amazing progress.

I have had parents in the past tell me that they didn’t want their child assessed because the school will get money and their child won’t see it so what is the point.

Yes the school receives funding, but it is your child that benefits. I do not want either of my children to be left behind academically. Having aide time means that there is a chance that being left behind won’t happen.

It is worthwhile checking with your child’s school to see if aide time is possible. There are some hoops that have to be jumped through, but the knowledge that L was making progress made it all worthwhile.

Transition to a new teacher and classroom.

Particularly with L, this was super important. L is not good with change. No matter what it is, he copes better if he is prepared beforehand.

Late in 2015, we went and visited L’s classroom so that he could see the classroom and meet his teacher for the following year. We took a few photos of the classroom and his teacher and talked about the photos throughout the Christmas break. He was still very anxious when he started school in 2016, but he was somewhat familiar with his surroundings.

At times it just isn’t possible to have transition time, but it is worth asking the school. L has again had transition time with his teacher for next year, so hopefully that will help him adjust a little quicker when the new school year starts. We are well prepared that L may regress a little and that is perfectly normal.

Photos to do a social story.

If you haven’t heard of a social story, please do some research. There are social stories for almost every type of situation and event. We have a brilliant social story on the importance of putting on sunscreen and a hat before going outside that L's case manager at the early intervention centre found.

The photos that we took in 2015 of L's teacher and classroom for 2016, we made into a very simple photo story - at the point I wasn't aware of a social story. By personalising a social story with photos of your child and an environment that your child is familiar with, makes the story easier for your to relate to.

The story doesn't have to be complicated. It could be as simple as a few photos with captions explaining what the photos are.

This is L. This is ...................................., he/she will be your new teacher at school. This is a photo of your new classroom.

Again, your child may still have a rough start to the new school year, but the social story may make the transition a little smoother.

Then there are visual boards to think about. Does your child require a visual timetable or visual board on how to put on sunscreen or the steps involved in washing hands. Again these are relatively easy to complete yourself, or if your therapist is willing, they may create these for you.

Letter of introduction to new teacher/aide.

One thing that I did at the beginning of this year, was write up a letter from Lachlan to his teacher. In the letter I included anything and everything that I thought would make his school life a little easier. I included his stims and what they meant, the fact that he has no fear, the fact that he is a runner, his sensory issues, you name it it was in the letter.

I wanted to prepare his teachers so that if L couldn’t or wouldn’t talk to them, that they would know how to approach the situation. The letter that I wrote ended up being a bit of a novel and I may have seemed like I was going to be one of those annoying parents (I hope that I wasn't) but I wanted to prepare his teachers for every situation that they might encounter with L.

The letter put my mind at ease because I knew that I had done my up most best to inform his teachers and aides of all of L's mannerisms. They wouldn't have to second guess themselves and/or L's behaviour as they had the letter to refer to throughout the year.

I will be updating L's letter for next year as well. I'll also be writing one for O to her teacher.

Sensory Bag.

At the beginning of 2016, I put together a Sensory bag for L to take to school each day. L chose the fabric for the bag and I sewed up a very simple carry bag. In the bag was his weighted blanket, his block out ear protectors, a few fiddle toys, his essential oils and eventually L’s communication book.

This was L’s safety bag so that at any stage if he was feeling overwhelmed by the situation, he could access the things that help to calm him down. By taking the bag to school each day, L could start to self manage his anxiety and sensory issues.

O also had a mini sensory bag that was kept in her school desk – a few fiddle toys and her calming essential oils. At one point O told me that she felt calmer just knowing that the bag was there if she needed it. Towards the end of the year O became quite good at recognising at school when she was becoming anxious and was able to self manage with her oils and fiddle toys. This in turn gave her the confidence of knowing that she could self manage her anxiety.

It is a good idea to check with your child’s teacher not only to explain why your child may need the sensory toys but also to get the go ahead from them. After all it is their classroom.

Can your Early Intervention Centre or therapist go to the school to run a workshop?

We've had lengthy discussions with L's case manager in regards to this. For us it is imperative that L's therapists and the school, and in turn his teachers and aides, are on the same page when it comes to L's progress.

Throughout the school year just gone, I would take in to L's teachers and aides any and all information that we received from the therapists at the early intervention centre. The more people who are helping L with his therapy goals, the better. I also did the same for O's teacher.

Early in first term next year, one of his therapists will be going to the school and into L's classroom to speak with his teachers and aides about the types of therapy L participates in and how the therapy can be incorporated into the classroom.

Looking at this from an Educators point view, this information with not only assist L in the classroom but it could also assist other children in his class.

We're incredibly fortunate that L's early intervention centre actively encourages other teachers and carers of a child to attend the centre to observe what happens at the centre.

All of these strategies will assist O and L to not only have a smooth transition into the new school year but hopefully the strategies will also ensure that the remainder of the school year is a little easier for not only O and L but also for their teachers and aides.

Some may seem a little over the top, but I just want both my children to have access to the best learning opportunity that they can at school. And if means putting all these strategies in place then so be it.

Reasons Why an Autism Diagnosis is Not The End of The World. It’s The Start of a New One.

Since we’ve received L’s diagnosis, I have had so many people say to me “oh I’m so sorry” and “but now he has a label, label’s aren’t good to have.” I’ve also been told “oh I wouldn’t have pushed for a diagnosis, not until my child is at least 8 or 9 years old.”

Every time I had mentioned the word Autism in the past to GP’s, other specialists and child development professionals, I was fobbed off. I was given other excuses for L’s behaviour and development delays.

I was told by everyone around me that there was nothing wrong with L, that every child develops in their own time and that he would get there when he was ready.

I was constantly asked why we continued on the path of the medical merry-go-round. My response never changed. I’d always answer with because there is something different about L, he is not like other typically developing children. I didn’t want him left behind.

Every specialist that we have been to has said the same thing – there is something there, we just don’t know what it is. L’s immunologist has finally said that L’s results are inconclusive but to continue down the path of treatment for the worse-case scenario is just not feasible. The Audiologist has said that yes L does have hearing issues but they won’t do anything until it really becomes an issue.

Sure it took quite a number of hours out of my life (and quite a few dollars as well) but it has been worth it. Going to specialists on a regular basis certainly hasn’t made anything worse.

I looked at it from the point of view that a medical specialist is going to tell me one of two things: no there is nothing wrong with your child, at which point I would accept that L was just a slow developer, or yes there is something wrong and we could then start the process of therapy for L.

For a lot of people, a confirmed diagnosis of Autism is horrible, parents and family members go away crying and might start to grieve for their child, or they might start imagining the worse-case scenario. For me, it was the opposite.

It was a very long process but when I was told the words “yes L is in fact on the spectrum,” I felt a huge sense of relief wash over me. The words were said ever so calmly, confidently and in a tone that you would probably reserve for when talking about the weather with friends.

After we received the diagnosis I was finally able to say “see, I told you so!”

For me, as I said, it was relief. I wasn’t imagining everything that I was seeing in L. I also thought that there are families who receive worse diagnosis that Autism. I can work with Autism. For us and L and potentially O, a diagnosis of Autism is a good thing and here is why.

The Diagnosis Explains Everything.

A diagnosis of Autism for L meant that it explained why he did the things that he did, it explained his behaviour. One of the worse things about having a child who shows so many traits of Autism and not having a diagnosis, is the not knowing. Was I reading into his behaviour too much? What is considered normal development for a child? Are his sleep patterns, or lack of, completely normal? Would he grow out of these behaviours?

To some, a diagnosis of Autism means that the child has a label. What is it about labels that get people so worried? Autism doesn't define L, it just explains why he does the things that he does.

Depending on where you live, the way in which you obtain a diagnosis may vary. In Western Australia you will need to get three separate diagnosis - one from a Pediatrician, one from a child psychologist and one from a speech therapist - and all three must be in agreeance.

In other parts of Australia, you only need one diagnosis. Go figure!

Early Intervention

They're two little words and fairly self explanatory and yet they mean so much to Autism families.

A diagnosis means that you can start your child in an early intervention program. Sure, some organisations will start early intervention therapy before a diagnosis is received, but it is a lot harder to get a foot in the door and much more expensive. Early intervention means that the pieces of the puzzle can start to be put together with the therapy that your child needs.

People who say "I wouldn't chase a diagnosis until much later" need to do some research into Early Intervention and the benefits of an EI program. I would prefer my children to get the help now, rather than be left behind in the school system.

Early Intervention has done wonders for L this year. He has come along in leaps and bounds with his speech, his behaviour, he has learnt new skills, he has learnt how to share and take turns. He has begun to make friends. He is happy, most of the time.

You can access the level of funding that your child needs.

Money is always high on everyone's list of needs and wants. Throw in a child with special needs or a medical issue and everything just seems to become more expensive and complicated. You can get a small level of funding with a provisional diagnosis, but it is nowhere near what is actually needed. Trust me, we found out the hard way.

The funding level that we received after the official diagnosis was great, it is still a very small drop in a very large ocean, but it does go a long way to helping.

The funding that you can apply for not only depends on the level of diagnosis that you receive but also where you live and at times the age that child is when the diagnosis was done. At times the State and even the suburb that you live in can dictate what funding that you can apply for and receive.

Different states have different types of funding - you might live in an area that is in a NDIS trial site, you may qualify for FaHCSIA Funding.

There also various health plans that can be implemented by a GP or a Pediatrician to help with the costs of therapy.

It is honestly worth while speaking to not only your Pediatrician after a diagnosis but also your GP and an Autism Advocate organisation, such as the Autism Association in your state, to find out what types of funding are available. Quite often an Autism advocate can assist you with completing the copious amounts of paperwork required just to apply for funding.

You can access the support that you, your child and your family needs.

After we recieved L's diagnosis, all of these lovely supportive people seemed to magically appear out of nowhere and they were all falling over themselves to help us. It was amazing and wonderful all at the same time.

Friends, who you never knew where going through the same process as you, therapists, case managers, social workers, doctors and complete strangers that become your closest friends through your therapy circles - all these people are suddenly on your side. They have your back. And it is a wonderful feeling.

L has made wonderful relationships with his therapists at the Early Intervention centre that he attends. No matter what the question is, they will always give it their best to find an answer for us. They really are part of our family now.

You can also access support through Centrelink - yes there seem like a bazillion of forms to complete and it feels like it takes far too long, but when that health care card arrives in the mail, it's like Christmas has come early. And then there is the Companion Card, a must if you are eligible for one.

Having a child on the spectrum really does rekindle your faith in human nature.

You don't care what people think any more. Well sort of.

With a child on the spectrum, everything else going on around you really doesn't seem to be that bad anymore. It is much easier to prioritize your commitments.

Your friends mother sister aunt's dog has run away? I'm sorry that has happened but I'm really not in a position to be able help look for said dog. A person that I haven't seen or heard from, and not from a lack of trying, in x number of years has had a baby, pass on my congratulations but because they haven't made an effort to keep in contact with me, I'm not going to send a card or gift, I have therapy costs to worry about. Think that I am crazy for using essential oils? I don't really care what you think, the oils help my children so I'll keep using them. It's called thinking outside the box, you should try it sometime.

Writing it all down like that it makes it sound really harsh, but over the last 12 months I have begun to realise just how much time, effort and energy I have invested in other people and how little they have given back. I don't ask for much, but a little emotional support would be nice.

A little bit of understanding and empathy goes a long way.

I'm reading a book at the moment called "The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*#*" by Sarah Knight. It is a great read and it is really making me realise that I have been caring about and spending too much time, effort and money on things that I have no control over.

I need to put my time, effort and money into my children and my family. They are what matters most. And if it means that I buy essential oils, so be it. I really don't care what others think anymore.

You gain a whole set of new friends that get what you're going through.

Since we received L's diagnosis, we have gained a whole new set of friends that if we didn't get a diagnosis, we probably would never have crossed path with. Sitting around waiting for therapy sessions to finish does this to people.

You start opening up and letting your guard down. We compare notes on what our children have been up to - oh he does that too, thank goodness, we're not the only ones! We celebrate each other's achievements, no matter how big or small. We prepare each other for upcoming funding meetings. We commiserate with each other when we've had rough days. We give friendly hugs when that's all you need to keep going.

You may also lose some friends who just don't get or don't want to understand what you are going through. But that is their loss, not yours.

You get to experience a whole new journey.

There's a wonderful short story titled "Welcome to Holland" written by Emily Perl Kingsley, that tries to explain what it is like raising a child with special needs. If you're able to search "Welcome to Holland," do it, it is a great read.

No one chose to go on this journey. It isn't like we put our hand up during my pregnancy with L and said "yep, choose us, we can do it." Saying that, I wouldn't change either of my little superheroes for the world. They are my world.

During both pregnancy's we were offered various tests that could give a prediction for Downs Syndrome. Both times we declined the offer. No matter what the results came back with, it wouldn't change our decision. We would be going through with the pregnancy and would love the child we were given, no matter what. A disability shouldn't change how you feel about a child - I know in some parts of the world that this is not the case and this saddens me deeply.

A disability is not a bad thing, it just means that the child has a different ability and our job as parents is to help the child to discover their different ability and let their light shine through.

Autism is a wonderful journey - it can be frustrating and slightly scary as you navigate through areas of life that you probably wouldn't have dreamt that you'd venture into. But it is also exciting and fun. You do, at times need to learn a whole new language, any plans that you may have had, have to altered slightly, but it is exciting. We're constantly learning.

Don't be discouraged, it does take time to get used to. Don't give up, because once you start looking around, you might just start to enjoy the journey. You'll learn things about yourself, your family and other people around. You'll find strength that you didn't know you had.

You finally have a reason for ignoring all the unsolicited advice.

Prior to the diagnosis, we had so many people give us advice. Some of the advice was wanted, some not wanted. Some of the advice was helpful, some of the advice was just downright insulting and some of the advice ended with us thinking WTF?

With a diagnosis, I have been able to say - well actually L's sleeping patterns are associated with the Autism and no matter how much you say we need to ignore him, it won't make him go to sleep. Melatonin on the other hand will!

We can happily pick and chose which advice we take on board, and I don't feel guilty about ignoring unsolicited advice.

Your child can be treated differently, in a good way.

Before I go any further I will clarify something - I have always said that Autism is the reason why L and O do certain things, however it by no means excuses their behaviour. Both of my little superheroes need to learn the right way and the wrong way of doing things. I don't want my little superheroes to receive preferential treatment, I do want people to be understanding.

This ultimately comes back to the contentious label issue! One father told me that he didn't want his son assessed as the child would be labelled for the rest of his life. His child would be treated differently, the child's school would receive funding and his son would miss out! But then on the other hand, the father was criticising the school for a) pushing to get his son assessed and b) leaving his son behind! I have read and heard some pretty moronic things but his words were one of the worst. This was a kid, who just by watching him, you could tell that he needed to be assessed.

All children should be treated differently, regardless of whether they are on the spectrum or not. With a diagnosis, L gets a little more leeway on some things such as we now know why he doesn't like wearing shoes, but we are working on this point ever so slowly. With a diagnosis, you are allowed to take extra care of your child, you probably are anyway, without feeling any guilt.

With a diagnosis, people may start to accept the way you do things as well start to follow your lead. With a diagnosis, you may be eligible for Aide time at school so that your child can have assistance in the classroom to a) learn new skills and b) to learn how to "fit in" with other children.

These are all good things because your child can start to feel like they are part of this crazy world. They will no longer miss out because they don't cope in stressful situations.

There are probably many other good points about receiving a diagnosis, but these are the ones that stand out to me. So the next time that you are sobbing into your pillow, please reflect on these things and any other positives that you can think of, and maybe, just maybe uncurl yourself a little from the foetal position. There is always someone who is worse off.