Having a grandchild on the autism spectrum
Messages to others
Janet feels frustrated at the lack of awareness of autism among some health professionals;...
Janet feels frustrated at the lack of awareness of autism among some health professionals;...
Helen would like health professionals to be more empathetic with parents, and not focus solely on...
Helen would like health professionals to be more empathetic with parents, and not focus solely on...
Jan says be straightforward, dont mess people about.
Jan says be straightforward, dont mess people about.
Oh I think my message is the one I’ve said really, that, be straightforward, don’t mess people about. Tell them the truth and when you say you’re going to ring back, ring back even if you haven’t got the answer. I don’t think I ever realised the extent to which people are hanging on your words. You know, if you said oh I’ll ring you back on Monday. Okay so you’re busy on Monday, you know, you’ve got 15 other million things to do. So you ring back on Tuesday, and you’ve forgotten actually that person is thinking, oh she said she’d ring back on Monday. And yes, I think being straightforward.
Jan would like health professionals to take a social model approach to autism and not treat the...
Jan would like health professionals to take a social model approach to autism and not treat the...
Yes. I mean I think okay, we’ve had the aiming higher agenda for the last two years, two or three years and I think that’s been really key in advancing the greater inclusion of disabled children within our society. I’m really worried that with our new government we might move back towards looking at children more from the medical model, and that we might go backwards again with inclusion. I am a great believer, that, you know, the earlier that children can be included and the more they can be included the better. It has got to be though with the right support. Inclusion doesn’t work if children aren’t supported and don’t have the right resources. So that’s what I would be asking for and in terms of health professionals, I would be saying very much that these aren’t children aren’t ill [laughs]. And it’s about seeing them from the social model and social perspective and looking at how as health professionals we can support them to be included in what other children do. That’s my main message.
There is light at the end of the tunnel, its a different light from the one you were expecting.
There is light at the end of the tunnel, its a different light from the one you were expecting.
Sally says accept that you cant make everything right and respect the children for their...
Sally says accept that you cant make everything right and respect the children for their...
Janets message is to give your grandchildren love and support and just be positive.
Janets message is to give your grandchildren love and support and just be positive.
Helen feels strongly that the system needs to be challenged by parents and grandparents.
Helen feels strongly that the system needs to be challenged by parents and grandparents.
Dorothy wants to let other grandparents know that the principles behind Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) work.
Dorothy wants to let other grandparents know that the principles behind Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) work.
Rebeccah stresses the importance of remaining optimistic.
Rebeccah stresses the importance of remaining optimistic.
Jan says that its important to focus on the positives; these are very interesting and...
Jan says that its important to focus on the positives; these are very interesting and...
Brenda says remember that the children are not being naughty or horrible.
Brenda says remember that the children are not being naughty or horrible.
Last reviewed August 2018.
Last updated May 2015.
