I have to be honest with you, in the beginning, way back before my oldest kids had ADHD or Autism diagnosis when only one was dx with global DD. Lots of the problems we had were caused by US and approaching it all WRONG! Not knowingly but thats the truth of it

They were also DEF caused by lack of support and understanding by services too (and still are) but DEF when it was home and school getting it wrong things were at their worst.

I figured that if everything we were doing seemed to be wrong or to make things worse then what I would start by doing was the total opposite of everything I had been doing!

I binned my copy of Annabel Karmels book and stopped watching super nanny for starters.

These were what I call my “CAMHS moments” when things were at their worst. I held out a lot of hope for Camhs but in the end it wasn’t the solution to our problems I’ve got to tell you.

I’m ADHD and I’m not mega patient and waiting for an eternity for Camhs to fix my family that felt like it was falling apart at the seams was not a waiting game that I could cope with. I’m a “do-er” not a “waiter”

I wasn’t in any parents groups (I am not the groupy type) and my internet (dial up) in 2006 was shockingly sh*te So I began to turn things around at first by using simple logic!

I stopped listening to people who I could clearly see didn’t have the first clue about my situation ie Family and Friends

I couldn’t have told you this THEN I was sure I was doing the right things but I cringe now at some of the way we approached things I really do

The most important thing about all this is the apology I gave my children. In fact I still apologise now for my chronic understanding failures back then. For me that’s CRUCIAL

What I can tell you 13 years on is that classical parenting is almost entirely USELESS for parenting autistic and adhd children. It’s like putting together a flat pack wardrobe with the instructions for a flat pack chair - totally useless, unhelpful and not applicable