Yeah, it's like...you can't really arrange anything until you have answers. Everything hangs on the diagnosis. And you hang in the balance of just wanting it to be done and being able to go further and what result do you want? No one WANTS their kid to have Autism, but IF you have a diagnosis there are so many more options than if you DON'T. So you want the diagnosis, but you also don't. I don't know what to hope for and I don't know where to look for help because I don't know yet how much or what kind of help I'm looking for. Do I look for a school geared towards kids with Autism? Or do I look for a regular school just with smaller classes? Or should I not be looking at new schools at all since DS has problems dealing with change? Is the therapy he's getting the right kind? Is it focusing on the right things or do we need to shift gears? I'm just confused, and tired, and I just want to know what the heck I'm doing!! Ideally, I'd wave a magic wand and it would all just be sorted out without my having to do anything, but that's probably not going to happen. So....waiting game. Go team.
I think that's true of really any condition. You don't want to have it, but it's so much worse not knowing what the problem is.
Fyi, I think your DS will be just fine in his new school. My brother switched schools several times because different schools had the programs he needed at the time (high school is now school #5) and he would get anxious beforehand about switching, but he would settle in after about a week. I have a feeling the same thing will happen with your DS, especially since he'll be away from the bullying.
I went out to lunch today, and I saw a young man about my age working there. It didn't take me long to go "Autism!" He had a bit of a speech impediment. He kept repeating to himself "Work now, take a break later" and didn't converse much with customers, except for me (I must be wearing a giant sign that says "Sibling of a special needs child!") But he was working, just doing some simple stuff, wiping down tables, taking plates away from people and bringing them inside (it was a nice day and people, including me, were outside) holding the door open for people...and then his manager came by, gave him a high five, and told him "Good job, my friend." And there was a large group nearby, and they treated him so kindly. Sometimes I tend to worry about my brother, whether he'll be able to hold down a job and contribute to society, or whether he'll always be 100% dependent on my parents, or me if something happens to them. But looking at that young man, I realized that there were probably people wondering the same thing about him, and yet there he was, clearly the product of great programs that got it there. I have no doubt that my brother, and your DS, will be successful in the correct programs. Especially for your DS now that he has a correct diagnosis.
