The first help or understanding I got after my child was referred for autism assessment was at the information day. The other adults were saying things that could have been about C. Picky eater, doesn’t make friends easily, gets overwhelmed and misunderstood at school, soft fabrics, scratchy labels.
I took it all in and felt I was in the right place. These people were dealing with the same type of challenges. The lady doing the talk Charlene gave out such good information on strategies to help deal with these behaviours. I heard the word neurodiversity and felt happy my child wasn’t bad or mad just a different way of working things out.
Since then I have been attending zoom courses to learn new skills for home and try to pass them on to the school.
The Early Intervention Service staff have been invaluable to me. They have helped me understand when C is unable to regulate himself, how I need to let him take the nap or the walk or whatever he needs on that day.
The Early Intervention Service is an amazing service that has helped me a lot in understanding my child . I feel supported and understood when I call. I’m just really glad they were there for me and C when we were told he may be on the spectrum. Its so good to know they are still there to listen and talk when I need to.
Thank you to all at Early Intervention Service – I am indebted to you.
Majella, C and E.
Ruairi * (*made up name)
“When our son Ruairi* was referred about possible autism aged 3, we were warned there would be a very long wait for an assessment. Like many others we were worried and concerned, knowing the challenges everywhere in the health service at present.
We were also told there was an Early Intervention Service, but didn’t know what to expect. As parents, we both attended Tier 1, and from the outset were glad to know we weren’t alone. Knowing that the time waiting for assessment wasn’t going to be ‘wasted’, and that there were lots of Tier 2 sessions which would cover relevant topics and tips we could use in the meantime was reassuring. It was really helpful to hear from other parents about their experience, and the differences in all the children and young people waiting for assessment.
Ruairi* keeps growing and changing in amazing ways, and the EIS sessions either one of us have attended have been really educational about many aspects of life with an autistic child, though no two children are the same. Time for Toiletting, Tackling Transitions, and Keeping It Visual were all particularly useful at the time, and because as parents you can contribute to the sessions we learnt from two sets of experts – the professionals and other parents.
There should not be such a long wait for assessment; but, by being engaged with the EIS we’ve learnt a huge amount and gone through a process ourselves. Home and school already had many of the EIS strategies in place so the diagnosis, when it came, felt more of a formality.
I would thoroughly recommend attending the EIS sessions, even the ones that may not seem immediately relevant to you and your child / young person. There are things you can trial and put in place NOW, whatever the result of the assessment when you get there. Better understanding Ruairi*, and finding the strategies that help him, has hugely helped us as a family”
JH
“I really enjoyed all the sessions, i think i attended 12/13, through zoom. It can be hard at times to get transport/sitters so it was nice to do them in the comfort of your home.
It’s a really relaxed and welcoming environment, there’s no pressure to use your camera and you can choose to speak or type. Even from behind a screen you can feel the girls genuine warmth and interest in your opinion. You can tell they really enjoy their job and want to help parents not only feel heard but to understand their child’s sensory needs better.
My son also attended the child sessions via zoom and really enjoyed them. Charlene was warm and enthusiastic towards the kids. She knew they might be nervous so made sure to ask them individually for feedback. She patiently waited on each response before moving forward to the next screen.
Everything is broken down into chunks so its easy to understand for adults and kids. EIS use short videos and simple PowerPoints so its easy to screenshot a tip for future use. There’s explanations on senses, hormones, anxiety, hope, and a range of other interesting topics. The ABC chart is a great tool for recognising triggers, so you’re more prepared as a mummy. They also email you the information after sessions so you have the option to look over it anytime.
My two favourite sessions would probably be “i am me” and the 5 “why we do the things we do” sessions. They not only helped me understand my sons sensory issues and myself better but all of us and all of our unique ways. We are all so different but we’re also, so alike.
Sometimes you have to really Push to get your child the support they need and it can almost make you want to give up. The Early Intervention Service reminded me my opinion as a parent is valid too and to continue to be my childs voice/advocate without feeling guilty/judged.
A lot of schools would say there’s no support out there with or without a diagnosis. So I’ll definitely be promoting EIS to parents/school in future if they’re struggling. Cant wait to see what the New neurodiverse session includes.
I share a lot of the holistic views EIS promotes, so it was nice to see executive function and emotional regulation explained in manageable chunks. Seeing all the other parents/carers share reminded you, your not alone in some of the struggles we face.
KC
We are on the ASD journey with my 14-year-old daughter. Over the years, the signs were there, but so too was an underlying medical condition that took responsibility for them. So here we are, 14 years later and finally exploring the possibility of Autism.