Thursday 17 April 2014

One Year On....

One year ago today, I launched this blog and nervously wrote my first ever post.


When the word 'autism' was first mentioned to me, DS was around 18 months old and I had no idea what it meant. Daddy and I exchanged blanked glances to the suggestion.


When I got home I immediately cranked up the laptop and started searching frantically for explanations of autism and how it affects individuals.


As you can imagine, there was a ton of information on the disorder all from a professional perspective which was useful but I was also desperate to hear from a parent perspective. I wanted to know how it was for a parent, how it impacted family life, relationships, daily stuff.............I struggled.




There seemed to be very little if anything at all from a parent.


Over the years came DS's challenging behaviours - crikey! some were horrific!
Some of these behaviours stuck around for a while and then eased away and some have never left him, they still haunt our daily lives.


During these times, I felt very alone. I didn't know anyone else with autism and my friend's children didn't display these challenging and inappropriate behaviours which all the more made me feel very isolated and that I was the only person in the whole wide world experiencing this life.


As time went on and became involved in autism groups and charities, I realised that of course I wasn't the only parent experiencing and feeling like this - there really were other parents out there like me.
It was then that I started to think along the lines of starting a blog.
If during those early days, I could read a parent's blog like this one then I know it would have been a comfort to me.
I would have known that I wasn't the only parent trying to get my head around my unruly child, I would have felt less isolated and alone.


Not only that, I hope that I have raised awareness of autism to all kinds of people including parents of neuro-typical kids (children without autism).


I would like to thank you for reading my ramblings over the last twelve months.
This blog has generated over 10,000 page views as well as viewers from all over the world including the US, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Australia, China, Poland, Russia and France - I thank you all.


I hope you continue to read and support.


Thanking you all muchly


Love Mummy and DS


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