This is my heads up and warning to anyone reading this with a quirky kid.
If you have read some of these posts and have been nodding your head, if you are not sure, if you child is just fine in some areas but louder, faster, more-er in others, if you feel in your heart that things are out of sync for your child.
Don't fuck around.
Get a referral to a Pediatrician that specialises in Spectrum Disorders and GO. Not your usual paed if you have one already - a Spectrum one.
You may find your darling is completely neurotypical, just good at providing the usual hilarious moments, or you might find only sensory issues, or your child might just prove your gut feeling correct and land on the Autism Spectrum.
None of this is a bad thing! But if you end up with a spectrum diagnosis, you need to get to it early. Autism Spectrum Disorders (this includes Aspergers) are wide and varied - and personality counts too. ASD is not usually diagnosed until 3 years at least. If you child is wired differently it's best you get a greater understanding and early help.
ALSO, there is funding available (Australia) - yep $12,000 big ones to help pay for the various therapies. Social Skills, Occupational Therapy, Psychologists.
Cyclone nearly missed this funding. I wish I had got a diagnosis earlier instead of faffing around - or thinking it was a "phase" - or comparing him to other children on the Spectrum and thinking he was ok because he didn't do X Y and Z.
He is 6 now and having a terrible time adjusting to school. He is stressed, anxious and aggressive. Since starting school all quirks have become full blown issues or meltdowns, even though he was FINE at Kindergarten.
If I had an earlier diagnosis instead of sticking my head in the sand, he would have had HEAPS of help available for over a year. We wouldn't be where we are now. Things wouldn't be perfect but I'm sure he wouldn't have been so anxious, I could have helped him through changes....I could have done so much more.
The $12,000 is only available until they turn six. Get your butts into gear. Do it. Do it. DO IT.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
HURRY! Funding......
Posted by Lulu at 10:39 PM
Labels: The Present
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2 comments:
That is so shit about the 6 years cut off. Esp as most schools wont test before children are 6 years of age
Also - head down to Centrelink and sign yourself up for a Carer's Payment/Allowance.
I can never remember which is which, but one is a small amount, not means-tested, and the other is a pension type payment available if you can't work full-time due to caring for someone with disability.
For children under 16, there is automatic eligibility if your child has a spectrum diagnosis.
Oh, and it comes with a health care card, and usually a nice annual 'bonus' payment of $1000.
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