Very recently the SBS show Insight featured a story regarding autism called Breaking Point. For us as parents of autistic children watching this, it was heart wrenching. Those families shown in the story show just how difficult it is for families in this country with special needs children to get the vital support they need. My heart goes out to each and every parent who has been let down in more ways than one by the system so wrongly set up for all our babes. We consider ourselves extremely lucky compared to other families, our son is simply... well, gorgeous... but he has autism, extreme spd and anxieties.. we ARE lucky! Parents battle so many things so very often that it often comes at the expense of their family life. No matter how much you try and make sure that each member of your family has your time equally, there will be days when that is near impossible.... and that's scary for many. Many families reach out for help over and over again and continually the 'system' lets them down. It's a sad fact I'm afraid but our children are not as important to the "people in charge" as they are to us. Many parents wonder how those in charge would change things if the shoe was on the other foot... good question really.



I spoke once again to my wonderful, gorgeous parents in my support group and I asked them if they'd be willing to share the extent of the diagnosis' their babes have... once again, they shared from the heart. Below you will find the list of what many autie families have to cope with on a daily basis, they do so with all their heart and love. They also do so knowing that parents just like them need to know that they're not alone and that they too have to battle each day... and as one parent has pointed out on many occasion..... coffee is a food group all on it's own! LOL! Did you know it's packed full of Vitamin Awake? LOL! My message to those gorgeous parents who shared their information with us.... God Bless. You are very beautiful in so very many ways. You have strength that you don't realise you have. You have love that's completely endless. You opened your hearts to others in similar situations... be proud of everything you do... cause I know I am. HUGS!!! xxxx



Here's what these gorgeous parents had to share:



Parent 1



Our son aged 14 - Aspergers, diabetes type 1, Auditory processing problems, Anxiety. Our son who is aged 3 1/2 - ASD high functioning, Hirschsprungs disease, SPD, Global Developmental Delay, Auditory Processing Problems, Anxiety, severe reflux.



Parent 2



My daughter aged 12 - Asthma, aspergers, generalised epilespy.
M daughter aged 11 - just plain PDD NOS.



Parent 3



My son aged 4 is high functioning autie.



Parent 4



Our boy is 6, diagnosed at 2.5yrs has Autism. Just been diagnosed ADD & ADHD as well this month. He is our only child.



Parent 5



My son, nearly 7, has low functioning autism, epilepsy, ADD, and is a severe asthmatic. He is non-verbal with intellectual impairment, global development delay and sensory processing disorder.



Parent 6



My son is 10 yrs old is low functioning asd, non verbal, adhd and three years ago diagnosed with epilepsy. He is the love of my life and selfishly I would never change him, except maybe the talking part!!! x



Parent 7



My daughter was mild developmental delay,severe speech delay and autism with possible epilepsy (waiting for eeg) she also has sensory issues which our pead just put under autism ....since her dx she improved in a few areas so will be interesting to see what the pead says about the developmental delay now.and my son (almost 5 & nt) has sensory issues.



Parent 8



My son is 6 and has moderate/severe Intellectual Delay, speech delay, ASD, Hypermobility Disorder and Sensory issues. My almost 4 daughter is so far typical.



Parent 9



My daughter (8 yrs) has Tuberous Sclerosis, where she has multiple benign tumours thru brain, heart, kidneys, behind eyes & skin patches, she also has Global Developmental Delay & Epilepsy.



Parent 10



My boy was diagnosed just b4 he turned 4 with autism and global developmental delay



Parent 11



My son who is 9 1/2 has Aspergers.



Parent 12



My son 5 aspergers, my hubby (yet to be diagnosed) aspergers, my daughter NT severe anxiety.



Parent 13



My older son 11 yr old aspergers anxiety OCD and my 3 1/2 yr old son has autism and ADHD with major sensory and processing problems and a hubby who is aspie



Parent 14



My daughter 7 is classic autism..with sensory processing disorder...and my son has severe anxiety too.



Parent 15



My son is 4 1/2 with asd, high functioning, my daughter is almost 30! I mean 3, she's fine! Hehe



Parent 16



My son has ASD and SPD.



Parent 17



My son is diagnosed as PDD NOS high functioning but I have a get feeling there is more going on. Speechie has worked out that he has severe control issues. No surprise there lol



Parent 18



My daughter 6.5 yo was diagnosed just b4 her 6th birthday with HF ASD, auditory processing delay, sever receptive & expressive delay and sensory processing problems. Has extreme anxiety and anger issues, but still looking for a good psychologist to discuss this, no separate diagnosis for her anger. My mum has obvious signs of Aspergers and extreme anger and anxiety.



Parent 19 - or Grandma in this case :-)



Mt granddaughter aged 3 has autism and global developmental delay xxx



Parent 20



My son, 8 yrs old has aspergers and ADHD