Were you given information at that point?
We wasn’t, we wasn’t sort of told that it was autism until the diagnosis. The doctor, you know, said she couldn’t rule it out, but they are quite reluctant to sort of tell you, you know, get you along that line unless they are sure. But once he was diagnosed we were given a pack, you know with lots of information, lots of details about you know local support groups, local authorities, and you know, different help he could get. We were given information about, you know, the disability allowances we could claim. But again I am not sure that happens everywhere. You know to be honest, I think in [town] we are pretty, you know obviously it is never going to be perfect but we are pretty well served. There seems to be a lot of help, a lot of positive things. You know, but you sometimes speak to people in other counties and you know they have not got access to the same things really.
And you didn’t know anything about autism beforehand?
No. No.
Did you start to read about it before the diagnosis?
Yes. Yes. I started to sort of – well we want on the inter… well I did know a little bit, because we had, the first thing I heard about it… because just before Louis was due for his MMR injection it was all on the telly all the time about that link that people had made so I knew a little bit. But the children that were shown and a lot of documentaries were very severe. And you know, I think, it scared me a little bit, you know. Oh I don’t want to happen to my child. So we went and paid and had separate injections and then it happened anyway. But I must say now that the fear I felt beforehand it is not, nothing as bad as you fear is it? You know it is not that bad. He will go to school. He will do things. You know, its… you have got to try and stay positive really as much as you can, and you know hope for the best. But yes, we started going on the internet but you just get absolutely reams and reams of things. It is too much. I think we looked for a while and then I stopped because I was just… I don’t know I was just making myself quite anxious about the whole thing so I just sort of, I will wait until you know, the diagnosis and then take it from there. Yes.
