Sean

This is Sean

Sean is my much loved middle son.

Sean has always been extremely bright!

He  has always been extremely funny from a very young age!

Sean looks  completely normal like every other young boy....but Sean has autism.

Autism is a lifelong developmental disorder. Autism affects communication, interaction and imagination. It is described as a spectrum condition, as people who have it vary in how much it affects them, although they share certain types of difficulties.

Sean has always been an extremely talented guitar player, a brilliant gamer, has an almost photographic memory,is brilliant at remembering number sequences!! very handy  if i forget a phone number! and is an expert in world war two ,!!

Others, who might be diagnosed with High Functioning Autism, or Asperger syndrome, may have very sophisticated language and reasoning skills, and be of average or above average intelligence. However they can find it hard to negotiate the ins and outs of normal life, especially social situations like friendships or school. They may have a very literal understanding of language and miss out on subtleties in social situations. People with Asperger sydrome may be diagnosed later than those with classic autism. They may be thought of as odd, quirky or difficult because people do not understand the way they are thinking or what is causing the behaviour.

The most difficult thing we have found  is the sheer lack of understanding, Mainly  for us  from the people that should be there to help and support! Doctors and professionals and sadly some of the closest people too you including  some friend s  and even family members.

People with autism and Asperger sydrome often have sensory difficulties and may be under-or over-sensitive to noises, smells, taste, touch or visual effects. They may find the world overwhelming and often need to have fixed routines to provide a feeling of safety. Change can be hard to cope with and they may feel anxious a lot of the time. Many people with autism or Asperger syndrome have a narrow range of interests and they can be very good at focusing on their specialist subject, and have an excellent memory for facts and figures.

Life can be extremely difficult  for an autistic person and  also their siblings too.Who ofton  take on a caring role at a very young age.

People with autism and Asperger syndrome may need extra help around their emotions and their mental health. Their experiences of feeling different and their struggles to understand the world and 'fit in' (especially if others do not understand their condition) can mean they are more likely to feel angry, frustrated or depressed. Unfortunately they can be vulnerable to bullying and this can cause low self-esteem. They may need emotions and feelings to be explained in a sensitive and clear way so that they understand what they and others are feeling. In addition, the anxiety that is often a part of autism needs to be recognised and understood so that the person can be supported.

We  have  very happy times and also such terrible lows because Autism is linked with so many other  syndromes which are  extremely difficult for everyone to cope with.BUT we are extremely proud of our son,especially at this moment in time as he battles on to overcome some very challenging  things !

ww.youngminds.org.uk/for_parents/worried_about_your_child/autism_aspergers/supportw

This is a very good site for information on Autism

Sean has achieved some amazing things  this year, hes stopped smoking!! with the help of  a very lovely lady  called Joan who  Sean met at Suzicraft...thank you Joan, he is waiting for a place  as a volunteer and   as one of Sean's other problems is  anxiety based Agoraphobia  we are so proud  of him..

He has went fishing with his good friend Chris,,,an amazing  feat  for Sean the first time in several years hes went out of the street without the support of me or his dad!!Thank you Chris and Helen for all of your support and the friendship that you have shared with Sean

I'm so proud of you Sean  as you seem to be determined to achieve  your goals at last ! Autism  brings with it an awful lack of self esteem!!My boy is slowly building up his confidence,  thank you son for giving me your blessing to put up this post, Sean is always trying to educate the people around him to the  world of autism.... we are so so proud of you son and keep on  striving to reach your goals in life  you deserve the best son and we love you so much mam xxxxx