I was so looking forward to Christmas in the Appleby household this year.

Ava being three and so much more advanced than she was last year I was hoping she would enjoy and grasp the concept…

Oh how wrong I was. She knew things were going on, but nothing could prepare me for the morning of meltdowns, screaming, scratching me, going blue till she passed out. You see the older she is getting, the more and more these characteristics show through from her condition. Whether she is autistic or not it’s hard to say, because CHARGE is a complete sensory malfunction on its own.

It was hard on her, the chaos, the different scenery from her norm, and maybe that’s my fault because I am very rigid in my routine and house. But I have to be, I have a House to look after plus three small children. If I didn’t do things regimental style it would all fall to pot! So anything outside from that she really doesn’t like, lots of new things to take in and although she couldn’t hear anything, visually it was carnage.

It is thoroughly draining trying to calm a child down like Ava, but we got through the day, a little teary, exhausted, but we made it through another Christmas.