There's a Panda in my Bellybutton

I Am...Ryan I previously published a similar post called I Am... Autism which was a mini-interview with Ryan that gave an insight into his autistic mind. This post is a different interview and a little more light-hearted as our recent posts about his cancer journey have been anything but. So here goes. Grab a quick break and enjoy... WITHOUT any prompting, ask your child these questions & write down EXACTLY what they say. It is a great and funny way to find out exactly what they think. Ryan, Age: 15 1. What is something Mummy always says to you? You need to take your meds. 2. What makes Mummy happy? Me. 3. What makes Mummy sad? Not having me. 4. How does Mummy make you laugh? She doesn't. 5. What was Mummy like as a child? I don't know I wasn’t there. 6. How old is Mummy? 30 plus 10 ish. 7. How tall is Mummy? Shorter than me. 8. What is Mummy's favourite thing to do? Nag. 9. What does Mummy do when you're not here? Drink. 10. If M

I Am... I asked Ryan to complete the following sentences.  I gave him the two words in bold and he completed the rest. It gives an insight into his Autistic mind. When you ask, say the two word prompt and try to take the first thing that they reply. I am... alive. I wonder... what's in space. I hear... sounds. I see... things. I want... eternal life. I pretend... that I am happy. I feel... nothing. I worry... that people will find out. I cry... every night. I understand... that humans shouldn't exist. I say... offensive things. I dream... of a time gone by. I try... to smile. I hope... it will all be over soon. I am...

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. ~ Nelson Mandela. The aim of our blog is to educate and help just one person to support their child better. We hope to change perceptions of autism and living with an invisible challenge; but with so many myths and misconceptions out there it really is a 1 step forward, 2 steps back process, although that is half the fun of constantly challenging ourselves to find new ways of getting our message across. Contrary to popular belief many autistic children do make eye contact; it just may be less or different from a non-autistic child. Many children with autism can develop good functional language and others can develop some type of communication skills such as sign language or use of pictures.  Children do not ‘outgrow’ autism but symptoms may lessen as the child develops strategies to cope. Myths One of the most devastating myths about autistic children is that they cannot show affection. While sensory sti

Autism Awareness The month of April is given over to Autism Awareness Month with hundreds of activities and events taking place to raise awareness and much-needed funds for the National Autistic Society. It begins with World Autism Awareness Day celebrated on 2nd April each year that starts World Autism Acceptance Week from 2 - 8 April and aims to raise awareness, with educational events, exhibitions, social media posts and discussions, bringing people from all walks of life together. Autism Spectrum Autism is a lifelong developmental disability (or differbility as Ryan has described it) that affects how a person communicates with and relates to other people.  It is also a spectrum condition, which means that, while all people with autism share certain difficulties, their condition will affect them in different ways.  Asperger syndrome is a form of autism and the diagnosis given to Ryan, however this term is no longer used now. Many people with autism are of average or abo

Ryan has always been a sickly child and missed a lot of school when he was being diagnosed with and treated for Glandular fever and severe anaemia. He was given some school work to been done to catch up once he was well enough so as not to fall too far behind in school. I had asked him several times about completing it and things came to a head one Wednesday when at first he tried to lie that he had done the work, but then became quite rude verbally so I asked Dadi Skilts to help me out, but Ryan was this time really rude, so Duncan turned off the PC and it became a full-blown meltdown. He punched the bedroom door enough to make his hand bleed and then took several chunks out of my kitchen table. Eventually, he cried himself out so I was then able to sit at the kitchen table and managed to talk him down, and I realised just how isolated from and scared of the world that Ryan feels and I am seriously concerned now about his total obsession with his PC/Laptop and Discord as his way of

I recently read a very interesting article in my local paper the South Wales Evening Post with the following equally interesting headline: Sad story of lonely parakeet living in Swansea's Singleton Park - where none of the other birds will make friends with it. I was immediately drawn to this story as it instantly reminded me of my Ryan. No, I don't think he looks like a parrot, as gorgeous looking like both of them are, but I do understand how isolated he feels and up till recently how lonely he has been for most of his life.  Ryan's autism has caused him to be excluded from the 'flock'. He has been the 'odd one out', desperately trying to fit in and make friends but never quite managing it. Certainly not through primary school.  Iolo's description is so nice to hear. Smart birds, really smart. Just like Ryan, but even with an exceptional IQ for his age the ability to convert that intelligence to be able to make social inclusion work for him prov

Does Ryan have Autism, or is Ryan Autistic? That is the question.  Having Autism suggests an illness, something that can be medicated or even cured. Having Autism indicates an illness or condition that has occurred during Ryan’s life or something he has caught. A friend has depression. She wasn’t born with it. It is something that has occurred and she takes medication to help manage her condition.  Dadi Skilts has Type 1 Diabetes. He wasn’t born with it; it is a condition that developed when he was 30 and he takes medication to manage his condition. Now I would not say my friend is depressive, but I would say Dadi Skilts is diabetic and I would say and do say Ryan is Autistic.  I absolutely believe Ryan was born Autistic, it is not something that developed after he was born, which is why I choose to say Ryan is Autistic.  It is part of him, part of his ‘make-up’, part of who he is just as his brown hair or blue eyes, or being right or left-handed.  The reason I say Dadi Skilts is Diabe