My boy

This is my boy! Nathan was 8 in May and he is probably the best and most constant source of amusement in my life!

I knew that there was something “different” about Nathan right from when he was about 18 months old. The first signs were difficulties toilet training him but I also noticed from a very early age that he didn’t integrate or socialise well with other children. He was at a private nursery school from age 2.5 onwards and we had to take him out after he turned 3 because of the toilet issues. Basically we had to either put him back in nappies or pay extra for one to one for him. Needless to say we had no choice but to take him out. Nathan missed out on a lot of early socialisation because of that and I won’t get into what I think of the bastards nursery school who just wouldn’t give a kid a chance.

I’d been back and forth to the doctor about Nathan because it just seemed that he didn’t know when he needed to go to the toilet. Nobody would take me seriously until he was four because until then it was just considered “toilet training.”

I took him down to the doctor on his 4th birthday and basically DEMANDED that somebody listen to me and take me seriously! We were referred to the hospital and one idiot consultant diagnosed him with constipation! Seriously … it wasn’t that he was blocked … it was the opposite but the consultant didn’t want to listen. He was admitted to hospital WITHOUT being examined and spent three days being force fed laxatives and kept in the hospital until I had enough and asked whether an x-ray would show any blockages.

“Well, yes”

Then why the hell hadn’t one been done?????!!!!!! Needless to say I made a scene in the hospital until he was x-rayed and surprise surprise … no blockages. I demanded the paperwork to get him out of there and went straight back to my GP.

To cut a long story short, I basically told the doctor that I thought Nathan had ADHD about two years before they finally listened to me. Several VERY lengthy forms and appointments he was diagnosed with ADHD and Aspergers (on the autism spectrum) just before his 5th birthday.

Nathan is a very special boy and his obsessions and fascinations (part of Aspergers) only make him so much more of a pleasure! He is an incredibly loving and affectionate child who thrives on 1-1 attention (until his boredom level sets in and he needs to do something else!) He gives the BEST hugs in the world and the smallest things are sometimes his biggest achievements.

Nathan is VERY gifted with facts & figures … especially with things that he is interested in! He loves computer games and plays online with adults that have no idea that they are battling in World of Warcraft against an 8 year old boy!

Nathan has made such incredible improvements since his medication was stabilised and his last school report surpassed everything that I had ever hoped for. He is a very VERY gifted boy … if you could just bottle it somehow and give it back to him in tablet form then he’d be a genius!

My love, my joy … my boy!!