Uncomfortable reading

This is a screenshot from one of my current degree modules, the SK124 course.

I winced a bit when I read this. I think I have established that I probably squeeze nicely into the middle of the Broader Autism Phenotype category and narrowly avoid coming out the other side of with a diagnosis. Even so, seeing the description above pulled me up a bit because it's just, well, so exactly me. I know I am doing it, I see what I am writing in emails and moderate, edit, delete, try really hard not to be this person but even after the tongue biting this is me to a T.

Imagine the CDC next week:

"So are you doing ADOS or ADI? Did you train at the ARC? Do you believe the CHAT would have led to an earlier intervention? What are you scoring him at? High 30's? Low 40's? I say PDD-NOS, do you agree? Will you advocate PECS or SPELL?"

Oh dear! Must. Bite. Tongue. Hard.

Autistic much?

It's only a few weeks now until the Child Development Clinic and, possibly, a formal diagnosis. The label doesn't mean anything though. It's like going to the Doctors with a cough and the doctor says: "you have a cough".

But what the doctor does then is confirms that there isn't something nasty causing the cough, that maybe you can't see, and then he or she gives you a prescription. The diagnosis will likely confirm what we think and hopefully we will be 'prescribed' a statement of special needs which then means we get more options for interventions, a tailored IEP and other, er, stuff. We'll see. I'm still pretty relaxed right now.

The following letter is written by the SEN (special needs coordinator) called in by his nursery. Her assessment will feed into the whole multi-disciplinary CDC thing. I know I should probably be sad or something reading this, but I must be going straight to hell because I laughed! The thing is, I know him, I know I'm blessed to have him and, just like with an Apple iPad the smart thing to do is focus not on what it doesn't do but what it does do and does very well. We won't mind if you laugh too...

(you can click on the images below to biggerate them)

Yeah, I think that counts as 'on the spectrum'. He can eat, go to the toilet and enjoy books. What more do you need to enjoy life?