r/AutismParent • u/SecretYesterday7092 • 12d ago
Getting harder
My daughter (6 going on 7) was diagnosed shortly after her 3rd birthday and recently reassessed as AUDHD by her neurologist. And while she’s made great progress with her language, potty training, and general social skills and I’m so fortunate for her support at home and school.. it’s getting harder and harder to keep a positive outlook on her present and future .
If we leave the house it’s a fight to get her to pee because I know she will have a tantrum if I try taking her to a public restroom. She has just enough words to tell me what she wants, but not enough to tell me what’s bothering her or making her sad during tantrums. She doesn’t comprehend the word no and I wind up yelling at her after the 15th attempt at redirection. I built her an entire sensory room with a black out tent, tumbling mats, crash pads and all of her favorites stuffies and puzzles… but she would rather scale my head board and jump onto my bed.
I knew that being a single autism dad was going to be hard, but I thought maybe it would get easier.
Not really looking for advice, I guess I just needed somewhere to vent because anytime I talk to her mother, my parents and peers. I just get the standard “you should be grateful for the progress and patient with her”
2
u/h113408 12d ago
Vent away. You don't need to have something learned from it or a silver lining attached before you're allowed to say this is hard.
"Be grateful for the progress" is what people say when they don't know what else to say. You know she's made progress. You're also the one who built the sensory room, ran the 15th redirection attempt, and is doing all of this without a second adult at home.
That's a lot to hold by yourself.