Favourite Friday: I don't want another additional needs child

Are you horrified?  I would have been.

"Do you think we should have another?"

"I don't know."

"If we had another like Jane, then maybe.  But what if they were like Anthony... or David...or had greater difficulties?"

"I just don't know if we would could cope?"

"Me neither."

And here is no way to know if our next child could have difficulties until they did.  There is currently some agreement that autism is likely genetic but there is no medical type blood test or otherwise to see if your child has autism.  Autism is a diagnosis decided by a panel who look sat your child's difficulties and discuss whether these represent a triad of impairments that warrant an autism diagnosis.  There is no Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) for autism, although there may be one day.  Even if there was, whatever your view, I don't think I personally could choose between a baby with difficulties and a baby without.  This means, if we don't think we could cope with another child with autism or any other disabilities then the safest option is to not have anymore kids.

Read the rest

Every Friday Rainbowsaretoobeautiful publishes the most popular post from the previous week, just in case you missed it.  See all the Favourite Fridays posts here.

Taking an 'Are you on the Autism Spectrum?' test

Every now and again, there is a test published to help the reader see if they might be on the autism spectrum.  Often they coincide with an article on the subject.  Last year published research showed that parents of autistic kids often have autistic traits too.  Most times that I see a test like the one in The Telegraph online yesterday, I can't help but fill it out or at least peruse the questions.