Ross Fletcher

I've decided to do the walk for autism this year as this last year has been a tough one, both my 4 year old daughter and myself have been diagnosed with autism and ADHD.  My daughter is Non verbal and its been a real struggle understanding Autism. 

I myself have struggled throughout my life in social environments. always being the last person to get the joke, being made fun of or wondering why I dont understand simple tasks or even understand the most simplistic directions and commands and have to be told or shown multiple times before I get it.  I just thought I was "thick" as I've been told multiple times throughout my life or always getting those class reports "Ross would do so much better if he just applied himself more". 

I tried to fix myself back then and knuckle down but since my diagnosis I have realised that I wasn't broken I just thought differently. 

When my 4yr old daughter was born everything couldn't be better she was such a quiet baby, slept all the time, people would comment that she was so quiet and said "you don't even know you have a child". It wasn't untill she was 2yrs old we thought she was deaf as she never once imitated us or answered to her name. It got to the point where I krept up behind her with a metal spoon and pan and tried to scare her. She had no response at all not even fear.  We took her to the doctors where we found out she was very low in iron and that's why she was always sleeping.. our journey  pretty much started there, my daughter was prescribed liquid iron to bulk up her iron and ferritin as she was so low. Around the age of 3 she was still not talking or interacting with her peers. She would get frustrated and headbang and have meltdowns throwing herself on the ground as hard as she could,  she hated open spaces and anything that was out of her routine, she would respond by not eating or drinking. But on the other side of the coin was absolutely amazing and logical thinking and problem solving. She had learnt how to open her baby gate from an early age and would not ask us for anything she would construct levels to get things she needed. Still to this day she will rather get things herself than ask her mum or me to get them, she can pick up any technology and figure it out within minutes. 

We found out at this age she also has ARFIDS Avoidance and Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. She has only 5 safe foods that she eats and these have to be the same each and every time, thame packaging and brands. 

Finally after 4 years of fighting with "professionals" saying "dont worry she will come at it and speak in no time" or "all kids do this, she will eat"   we finally got a diagnosis of Autism / ADHD. (I had to get diagnosed within this period to better the chances of my daughter getting diagnosed).

My daughter is still non verbal and speaks with an communication device and is the most happiest little girl there is, Autism doesn't define her and she just gets on with her life as per usual not giving a care to the world. 

All I want to come of this is to make aware of autism and not to be scared of the unknown. I still remember a "professional" asking me why I want a diagnosis for my daughter, was it for financial gain?!! No it's so she can get all the help in life that she needs throughout her schooling mainly as I know how much I would have benefited from help in school if I had been diagnosed back then. 

If you are still reading this I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

Ross