‘When Violet was born, I didn’t know she had a disability. As a baby and toddler, she was meeting all her milestones. However, as her mother, I could sense there was something different about her around the age of two.’

Violet was very sensitive to loud noises, which led to frequent meltdowns. She didn’t reciprocate ‘pretend play’ and seemed to fear other children.

When Alison discussed her concerns with her maternal and child health nurse, they were quickly dismissed. Then, when Violet was three, Alison spoke to her kindergarten teachers, but they kept telling her Violet was ‘fine.’

‘I started to wonder if I was going crazy, because nobody else seemed to acknowledge what I could see, and I felt very alone,’ Alison says. ‘Because of the lack of support from professionals, I decided to do my own research and suspected that she may be on the autism spectrum.’

Alison took Violet to see a paediatrician, who referred her to an occupational therapist, psychologist and speech pathologist.

It was a long wait, but when Violet was four years old, she finally received a diagnosis of autism (level 2), as well as childhood apraxia of speech and sensory processing disorder.

‘Her diagnosis came as a relief for me. At long last, I was able to confidently advocate for my daughter’s needs, because I felt like my initial concerns weren’t taken seriously,’ Alison says.

Through the help of early intervention, funded by the NDIS, Violet is now attending a mainstream primary school and doing well.

Alison has also found support for herself via a local Autism Carers Group. The support group meets once a fortnight to discuss the challenges of raising children on the autism spectrum.

‘It’s a safe space to share the good and the bad times, without judgement, and to offer each other advice through our own experiences. I wish I had known that this type of support group existed sooner; it would have made all the difference while waiting for a diagnosis.’

Alison encourages others seeking a diagnosis or caring for a loved one with ASD to join a similar group in their local area, or online.
‘Remember that you aren’t alone, there are other people who are experiencing the highs and lows too, you just need to reach out to find them.’

*Names have been changed by request