So it's been a while since I had any problems with school. Things have been remarkably smooth since he started in his new class, as his teacher is absolutely brilliant and has had experience teaching autistic children before.
When the children come out of school, she always holds my son's hand and only lets go when I arrive to collect him.
So far, so good.
EXCEPT for when she is not there...
Today, she was not there and the teaching assistant was responsible for lining the kids up at the end of the school day. When I arrived, my son was not with the other children. He was playing on a rocky area a short distance away.
When I confronted the assistant, she told my son off for wandering off. Whilst I agree that he should not have wandered off, I did point out to her, that she was responsible for keeping an eye on him, to which she replied that she has lots of children to look after. Duh? That's her job! Is she saying that a few escapees are an acceptable risk?
I told her I was not happy and that I was going to complain (my husband thinks this is hilarious because I am usually quiet but turn into a dragon if any of my kids are threatened in any way!). I stomped off to the headmistress who was very understanding and gave me yet another apology from the school to add to my growing collection.
I'm going to stop now because words fail me.
Tuesday, 12 November 2013
Tuesday, 3 September 2013
The Big Debate: Video Games in the Bedroom
I know that this is a subject that polarises people. For a long time I was strictly in the "No TV or video games in the bedroom" camp.
I didn't like the idea of the kids having games in their rooms because I thought that they would spend too much time on them and also that the screen would stop them sleeping so well.
However, after much pressure from my son, I have finally given in.
The problem was that we had one TV in the living room and the kids were rotating taking turns on the games consoles. This meant that we never got time to actually watch TV on it and there always seemed to be games running. Having 3 kids, this often led to agitation and arguments. The other problem was that we have quite a few older games consoles, so I would be constantly swapping between the Playstation, Wii and Nintendos.
Anyway, the little one was asking to have a TV in his room so that he could have one of the older consoles connected to it to play games. I asked around on freegle and someone very kindly gave me a little portable TV.
He absolutely loves it. Of course, I am going to impose time restrictions on it, but so far there have been no problems. For some reason, the kids have all been co-operating a lot better whilst crammed into his box room playing on the old console. It also gives him some control and independence.
So far, so good.
Autistic kids love video games, and like 'em or hate 'em, they are a part of life these days. The games we buy are all kiddie-friendly, usually racing games or sports games. I would never buy violent games for him.
Life is a bit more peaceful. My son has his own space and territory. His room is somewhere he can get away from things if they get stressful. I know that not everyone agrees with video games and TV's in the bedroom, but in our case, it works. and it gives us ALL some respite.
I didn't like the idea of the kids having games in their rooms because I thought that they would spend too much time on them and also that the screen would stop them sleeping so well.
However, after much pressure from my son, I have finally given in.
The problem was that we had one TV in the living room and the kids were rotating taking turns on the games consoles. This meant that we never got time to actually watch TV on it and there always seemed to be games running. Having 3 kids, this often led to agitation and arguments. The other problem was that we have quite a few older games consoles, so I would be constantly swapping between the Playstation, Wii and Nintendos.
Anyway, the little one was asking to have a TV in his room so that he could have one of the older consoles connected to it to play games. I asked around on freegle and someone very kindly gave me a little portable TV.
He absolutely loves it. Of course, I am going to impose time restrictions on it, but so far there have been no problems. For some reason, the kids have all been co-operating a lot better whilst crammed into his box room playing on the old console. It also gives him some control and independence.
So far, so good.
Autistic kids love video games, and like 'em or hate 'em, they are a part of life these days. The games we buy are all kiddie-friendly, usually racing games or sports games. I would never buy violent games for him.
Life is a bit more peaceful. My son has his own space and territory. His room is somewhere he can get away from things if they get stressful. I know that not everyone agrees with video games and TV's in the bedroom, but in our case, it works. and it gives us ALL some respite.
Sunday, 11 August 2013
NAS Parent to Parent Service
I just thought I would post this useful information about the National Autistic Society Parent to Parent Service.
The service is a helpline run by volunteer parents who have experience with autism. They can give help, advice and a non-judgemental listening ear. Volunteers are based all over the UK, so parents don't have to share information with someone local if they do not wish to.
The service offers complete anonymity and can direct users to the appropriate services so that they can get help.
The number is 0808 800 4106
The service is a helpline run by volunteer parents who have experience with autism. They can give help, advice and a non-judgemental listening ear. Volunteers are based all over the UK, so parents don't have to share information with someone local if they do not wish to.
The service offers complete anonymity and can direct users to the appropriate services so that they can get help.
The number is 0808 800 4106
Parent to Parent is a
UK-wide confidential
telephone service
providing emotional support
to parents and carers
of children or adults with
autism. The service is
provided by trained parent
volunteers who offer
telephone support from their
own homes. The Parent
to Parent volunteers are
based across the UK, so
parents don’t have to
share information with
someone in their local area
Parent to Parent is a
UK-wide confidential
telephone service
providing emotional support
to parents and carers
of children or adults with
autism. The service is
provided by trained parent
volunteers who offer
telephone support from their
own homes. The Parent
to Parent volunteers are
based across the UK, so
parents don’t have to
share information with
someone in their local area
Tuesday, 30 July 2013
Autism Friendly Film Screenings
Now the school holidays are upon us, we have the tricky task of entertaining the kids. This task is even more tricky when your child is autistic, as the sensory overload can sometimes be too much.
I had an email from our local Parent partnership the other day and it was all about autism friendly cinema screenings. I think these are a great idea as my son often finds cinema frustrating. There are too many adverts and the noise is too loud and scary. We had to take him out of the cinema once because he was screaming and crying because of the volume levels.
Autism friendly cinema screenings have these special features:
1.The lights will be on low
2.The volume will be turned down
3.There will be no trailers at the beginning of the film
4.You'll be able to take your own food and drinks
5.You'll be able to move around the cinema if you like, although no running is allowed.
If you live in the UK, there is a dedicated website showing where all of the special screenings are due to take place nationwide. The site is called Dimensions and the link is here.
I had an email from our local Parent partnership the other day and it was all about autism friendly cinema screenings. I think these are a great idea as my son often finds cinema frustrating. There are too many adverts and the noise is too loud and scary. We had to take him out of the cinema once because he was screaming and crying because of the volume levels.
Autism friendly cinema screenings have these special features:
1.The lights will be on low
2.The volume will be turned down
3.There will be no trailers at the beginning of the film
4.You'll be able to take your own food and drinks
5.You'll be able to move around the cinema if you like, although no running is allowed.
If you live in the UK, there is a dedicated website showing where all of the special screenings are due to take place nationwide. The site is called Dimensions and the link is here.
Friday, 28 June 2013
SMART Targets
An IEP is a document that parents and teachers work on together, creating up to 3 short term goals for the child to work on.
The goals are expected to be SMART, which means:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time Related.
In other words, the goals shouldn't be vague things like:
"Jimmy must improve his letter formation"
Rather, it would be:
"Jimmy must work on writing the letters a, e i, o and u over the next 8 weeks."
It is also a good idea for the IEP to include an idea of what help can be given and how often and also how progress will be measured.
The parent, teacher and child will sign the IEP and everyone gets a copy to keep. The child may be given a "Child Friendly" version.
The goals are expected to be SMART, which means:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time Related.
In other words, the goals shouldn't be vague things like:
"Jimmy must improve his letter formation"
Rather, it would be:
"Jimmy must work on writing the letters a, e i, o and u over the next 8 weeks."
It is also a good idea for the IEP to include an idea of what help can be given and how often and also how progress will be measured.
The parent, teacher and child will sign the IEP and everyone gets a copy to keep. The child may be given a "Child Friendly" version.
Monday, 17 June 2013
Stimming
Not heard of stimming before?
Well, most of us do it!
If you tap your toes, drum your fingers on the table, bite nails or shuffle around when bored or nervous, then you are stimming!
Autistic people do it a lot. When my son was younger, he used to stim by tapping parts of his body with his hands. He did grow out of that behaviour, but sometimes does it if he is very angry or frustrated. Apparently, about 10% of people with autism stim.
This weekend, he started a new one. He started drumming the furniture with his hands. Sometimes he gets quite loud. I don't mind it too much, but it can get a bit disruptive if we are trying to watch TV, or if we are out and about in public.
There are lots of good articles on the internet about stimming. Here are a few of them:
http://autism.wikia.com/wiki/Stimming
About.com article
http://myspecialsweetpea.com/stimming.html
I am not overly worried about his stimming habits and if they help him calm down, then I don't have a problem with it.
Well, most of us do it!
If you tap your toes, drum your fingers on the table, bite nails or shuffle around when bored or nervous, then you are stimming!
Autistic people do it a lot. When my son was younger, he used to stim by tapping parts of his body with his hands. He did grow out of that behaviour, but sometimes does it if he is very angry or frustrated. Apparently, about 10% of people with autism stim.
This weekend, he started a new one. He started drumming the furniture with his hands. Sometimes he gets quite loud. I don't mind it too much, but it can get a bit disruptive if we are trying to watch TV, or if we are out and about in public.
There are lots of good articles on the internet about stimming. Here are a few of them:
http://autism.wikia.com/wiki/Stimming
About.com article
http://myspecialsweetpea.com/stimming.html
I am not overly worried about his stimming habits and if they help him calm down, then I don't have a problem with it.
Thursday, 13 June 2013
Friends at School
Up until recently, my son was a loner and spent playtimes wandering around by himself. I was so concerned that I asked the Senco for help and she helped to set up a "buddy" system at school.
He is now interacting with the other kids really well. I mean REALLY well. He has become Mr popular all of a sudden.
Part of his meteoric rise in popularity is his love of Playstation games. he is obsessed with Skylanders and all the kids like to talk about it at school. Of course, my son is the expert, so now everyone want him to come over and bring his skylanders to their houses.
Now I have a new problem. The idea of him going to the other kids' houses.
On the one hand, I think it would be great. it would help his social skills no end.
On the other hand, I am going to have to explain to the other moms that his behaviour can be a bit unpredictable, he is prone to meltdowns and gets very anxious. Oh, and he is a very fussy eater.
Of course, there is the chance that the other moms will refuse completely and won't want the hassle. I suppose I always have the option of letting their kids come to my house instead.
He is now interacting with the other kids really well. I mean REALLY well. He has become Mr popular all of a sudden.
Part of his meteoric rise in popularity is his love of Playstation games. he is obsessed with Skylanders and all the kids like to talk about it at school. Of course, my son is the expert, so now everyone want him to come over and bring his skylanders to their houses.
Now I have a new problem. The idea of him going to the other kids' houses.
On the one hand, I think it would be great. it would help his social skills no end.
On the other hand, I am going to have to explain to the other moms that his behaviour can be a bit unpredictable, he is prone to meltdowns and gets very anxious. Oh, and he is a very fussy eater.
Of course, there is the chance that the other moms will refuse completely and won't want the hassle. I suppose I always have the option of letting their kids come to my house instead.
Tuesday, 4 June 2013
Volunteering at School
Helping out at school is a great way for me to see my son in his "natural environment". I can see how well he interacts with the staff and other pupils. I have found it a real eye-opener.
The teacher asked me to help out in maths today because they were doing money again and my son really struggles with money.
In one task, he had to add 25p and 10p. He managed to add them up, but was then asked to find the coins to make a total of 35p. He grabbed a 20p piece but then looked puzzled, as there obviously was no 15p coin. He grabbed a 1p and a 5p and put them side by side. "15p" he said proudly.
He presumed that because there was a 1 on one coin and a 5 on the other coin, that it would total 15p if he put them next to each other.
I hope that we will be able to work on this together more in the coming weeks, as understanding money is such a vital life skill. At the moment, it is a complete mystery to him.
The teacher asked me to help out in maths today because they were doing money again and my son really struggles with money.
In one task, he had to add 25p and 10p. He managed to add them up, but was then asked to find the coins to make a total of 35p. He grabbed a 20p piece but then looked puzzled, as there obviously was no 15p coin. He grabbed a 1p and a 5p and put them side by side. "15p" he said proudly.
He presumed that because there was a 1 on one coin and a 5 on the other coin, that it would total 15p if he put them next to each other.
I hope that we will be able to work on this together more in the coming weeks, as understanding money is such a vital life skill. At the moment, it is a complete mystery to him.
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
Sense of Humour.
Jokes and humour are often lost on people with Autism and Aspergers as they cannot always understand what is funny about what is being said. My son reminds me a bit of Data from Star Trek when it comes to jokes.
He came home from school and said he had read a joke in his book, but he didn't understand it.
"Doctor Doctor, I feel like a pack of cards".
"I'll deal with you later".
Once I explained the joke to him, he couldn't stop laughing. He kept telling the joke over and over again. He now keeps making his own jokes, which are sometimes so bad, they are actually funny.
He has a little formula for inventing jokes, which usually involves changing a letter in a word. Here are some of his favourites, that he made up himself:
What do you call Simon Cowell if he is angry?
Simon Growl.
What do you call Simon Cowell if he was something that you dry your hands on in the swimming baths?
Simon Towel.
What do you call a horse that likes Star Wars?
A Force.
He came home from school and said he had read a joke in his book, but he didn't understand it.
"Doctor Doctor, I feel like a pack of cards".
"I'll deal with you later".
Once I explained the joke to him, he couldn't stop laughing. He kept telling the joke over and over again. He now keeps making his own jokes, which are sometimes so bad, they are actually funny.
He has a little formula for inventing jokes, which usually involves changing a letter in a word. Here are some of his favourites, that he made up himself:
What do you call Simon Cowell if he is angry?
Simon Growl.
What do you call Simon Cowell if he was something that you dry your hands on in the swimming baths?
Simon Towel.
What do you call a horse that likes Star Wars?
A Force.
Friday, 3 May 2013
Embarrassing Moments!
My son was on top form yesterday.
I had to pop to the local shop and I took him with me. He was pushing the trolley (rather erratically round the shop) and I was putting the things in. I realised that I needed to stock up on sanitary towels, but didn't really want him to notice me putting them in the trolley, so I sent him off for something and sneaked them in.
Anyway, we got to the till and I started loading everything up out of the trolley. He then spotted them.
"MOM?" he shouted, in front of everyone.
"What is that blue packet? What is in there?"
"Go and put the trolley back." I said, ignoring him and hoping that by the time he got back, I would have squirrelled them away in a carrier bag.
I grabbed the towels and shoved them in the bag, just as he got back, hoping his trip would have erased his memory.
It hadn't. He grabbed the bag and made a grab for the towels.
"Them. Mom? What are they? What's in the blue packet?"
By this time, there was a queue and everyone was staring. I gave him a coin to put in the charity box.
He went to the charity box and carried on shouting, asking what the packet was in the bag.
"I'll tell you when I get home." I whispered under my breath.
Thankfully, I distracted him enough on the way back to make him forget about the blue packet...
We then had to go to my big son's school, because he had lost his blazer and needed to go to lost property. At the lost property office, a rather butch looking lady (presumably a PE teacher), tried to help us with our enquiry.
As we walked out of the building, my son yelled:
"Was that a man or a woman? I couldn't tell!"
She must have heard. I was mortified.
I got him home as quickly as I could and suffice to say we didn't go out again after that!
I had to pop to the local shop and I took him with me. He was pushing the trolley (rather erratically round the shop) and I was putting the things in. I realised that I needed to stock up on sanitary towels, but didn't really want him to notice me putting them in the trolley, so I sent him off for something and sneaked them in.
Anyway, we got to the till and I started loading everything up out of the trolley. He then spotted them.
"MOM?" he shouted, in front of everyone.
"What is that blue packet? What is in there?"
"Go and put the trolley back." I said, ignoring him and hoping that by the time he got back, I would have squirrelled them away in a carrier bag.
I grabbed the towels and shoved them in the bag, just as he got back, hoping his trip would have erased his memory.
It hadn't. He grabbed the bag and made a grab for the towels.
"Them. Mom? What are they? What's in the blue packet?"
By this time, there was a queue and everyone was staring. I gave him a coin to put in the charity box.
He went to the charity box and carried on shouting, asking what the packet was in the bag.
"I'll tell you when I get home." I whispered under my breath.
Thankfully, I distracted him enough on the way back to make him forget about the blue packet...
We then had to go to my big son's school, because he had lost his blazer and needed to go to lost property. At the lost property office, a rather butch looking lady (presumably a PE teacher), tried to help us with our enquiry.
As we walked out of the building, my son yelled:
"Was that a man or a woman? I couldn't tell!"
She must have heard. I was mortified.
I got him home as quickly as I could and suffice to say we didn't go out again after that!
Monday, 22 April 2013
My Little Star Won a Prize!
SO proud of my little boy today. He won an award in assembly for his writing skills. The teacher was so proud of him because, despite his autism, he was able to put himself into character to write a letter for their topic on Vikings. Here is the letter that he wrote:
Dear Mom,
How are you? I miss you so much but I'm having fun with Alfred. The farm here is full of cows. How are the cows at home?
My new friend King Alfred is a bit bossy and a good fighter. He has a very sharp sword which he keeps hanging out of his belt.
King Alfred still feels bad about burning the cakes. But he burned the deer meat.
You send me a letter soon. I cant wait to hear your news.
Ethlebert.
Dear Mom,
How are you? I miss you so much but I'm having fun with Alfred. The farm here is full of cows. How are the cows at home?
My new friend King Alfred is a bit bossy and a good fighter. He has a very sharp sword which he keeps hanging out of his belt.
King Alfred still feels bad about burning the cakes. But he burned the deer meat.
You send me a letter soon. I cant wait to hear your news.
Ethlebert.
Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Latest IEP
Every few months we have to fill in an Individual Education Plan, which outlines the schools targets for my son.
We have had so many issues lately that I was really hoping that a statement might be on the agenda.
No chance.
The teacher and SENCO had already printed off a list of arbitrary targets for him to work on, such as times tables and letter formations. Nothing to address his social and emotional problems, which were conveniently brushed under the carpet.
I was told that if I need help with his anxiety issues, I will just have to go back to CAMHS.
Waste of time. My son hates school and cries every morning about going. The local council is doing some workshops about SEN, so I hope I can attend one of them and get some advice.
We have had so many issues lately that I was really hoping that a statement might be on the agenda.
No chance.
The teacher and SENCO had already printed off a list of arbitrary targets for him to work on, such as times tables and letter formations. Nothing to address his social and emotional problems, which were conveniently brushed under the carpet.
I was told that if I need help with his anxiety issues, I will just have to go back to CAMHS.
Waste of time. My son hates school and cries every morning about going. The local council is doing some workshops about SEN, so I hope I can attend one of them and get some advice.
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
Why Baking Bread With an Autistic Kid is a Bad Idea...
My son wanted to know how bread was made. He is a curious chap and I decided to show him rather than tell him.
I got all the stuff together and we went into the kitchen to make our bread. The trouble is, I didn't think about the fact that autistic kids are hypersensitive to smells, textures and other sensory stimuli.
I put the yeast into the mixture.
"EW! What is that horrible smell. Eugh!"
"Its the yeast. You need it to make the bread"
"IT STINKS! IT STINKS! GET IT AWAY".
Anyway, I encouraged him to overcome his fear of the yeast and have a go at kneading the dough.
"EW! It feels horrible. Oh, it is stuck to my fingers. Get it off! Get it off!"
I finished up the loaf myself. He did eat it and thoroughly enjoyed it.
He says next week we will go back to baking cakes again instead.
I got all the stuff together and we went into the kitchen to make our bread. The trouble is, I didn't think about the fact that autistic kids are hypersensitive to smells, textures and other sensory stimuli.
I put the yeast into the mixture.
"EW! What is that horrible smell. Eugh!"
"Its the yeast. You need it to make the bread"
"IT STINKS! IT STINKS! GET IT AWAY".
Anyway, I encouraged him to overcome his fear of the yeast and have a go at kneading the dough.
"EW! It feels horrible. Oh, it is stuck to my fingers. Get it off! Get it off!"
I finished up the loaf myself. He did eat it and thoroughly enjoyed it.
He says next week we will go back to baking cakes again instead.
Friday, 29 March 2013
Tact
I was hauled before the class teacher again yesterday. I hadn't a clue what my son had done this time and he was keeping tight-lipped.
Turns out he had upset a girl in the class by telling her that her dad, a smoker, was going to die of cancer.
The dad was really angry apparently, and it took a lot for the teacher to calm him down.
Looks like I'd better keep my eye open for lynch mobs in the playground.
My son sees the world in black and white. To him, something is good or bad. There is no in-between.
He knows that my grandad died of lung cancer from smoking and that his own grandad died of smoking related complications. He also know a close friend of ours who survived lung cancer, but has a husband who smokes. This is why he is so anti-smoking. Couple this up with the ads on the TV and radio and it is easy to see why he said what he did.
We had a word with him about being considerate of others feelings. He needs to learn about how words can hurt and to have empathy for others.
I dread these "chats" with the teacher, which seem to be incresing in frequency lately.
Turns out he had upset a girl in the class by telling her that her dad, a smoker, was going to die of cancer.
The dad was really angry apparently, and it took a lot for the teacher to calm him down.
Looks like I'd better keep my eye open for lynch mobs in the playground.
My son sees the world in black and white. To him, something is good or bad. There is no in-between.
He knows that my grandad died of lung cancer from smoking and that his own grandad died of smoking related complications. He also know a close friend of ours who survived lung cancer, but has a husband who smokes. This is why he is so anti-smoking. Couple this up with the ads on the TV and radio and it is easy to see why he said what he did.
We had a word with him about being considerate of others feelings. He needs to learn about how words can hurt and to have empathy for others.
I dread these "chats" with the teacher, which seem to be incresing in frequency lately.
Tuesday, 26 March 2013
Science Day
Today was science day at school and the parents got to go into school to see what the kids had been doing in science.
Talk about organized chaos.
There were tables around the edge of the room with "experiments" on them, but as I arrived mid-morning, most of the "experiments" had turned to mush and slop.
For example, some genius thought it was a good idea to place a vat of cornflakes and milk in the school hall to show what happens to cornflakes when they get soggy. There were lots of big plastic syringes that the kids could use to baste the flakes in milk.
Guess what happened?
My son ended up squirting some poor girl with milk all over her nice jumper. I bet she will stink for the rest of the day. I told my son to be more careful and he descended into a screaming fit. The teacher came over to see if he was OK.
"It's a bit unstructured for him isn't it?" she remarked.
"And noisy."
Anyway., I managed to calm him down and we went to look at another experiment. This time it was about teabags. My son enjoyed poring out the tea...all over the floor of the hall...We quickly moved to the next experiment, a pile of mouldy food in bags. My son went to grab one....we moved on again.....
In the end, we settled for an experiement where he ran round the hall and I took his pulse. It seemed to keep him amused.
Science day was a bit rubbish really.
Talk about organized chaos.
There were tables around the edge of the room with "experiments" on them, but as I arrived mid-morning, most of the "experiments" had turned to mush and slop.
For example, some genius thought it was a good idea to place a vat of cornflakes and milk in the school hall to show what happens to cornflakes when they get soggy. There were lots of big plastic syringes that the kids could use to baste the flakes in milk.
Guess what happened?
My son ended up squirting some poor girl with milk all over her nice jumper. I bet she will stink for the rest of the day. I told my son to be more careful and he descended into a screaming fit. The teacher came over to see if he was OK.
"It's a bit unstructured for him isn't it?" she remarked.
"And noisy."
Anyway., I managed to calm him down and we went to look at another experiment. This time it was about teabags. My son enjoyed poring out the tea...all over the floor of the hall...We quickly moved to the next experiment, a pile of mouldy food in bags. My son went to grab one....we moved on again.....
In the end, we settled for an experiement where he ran round the hall and I took his pulse. It seemed to keep him amused.
Science day was a bit rubbish really.
Wednesday, 27 February 2013
Eating Out
We went to town yesterday afternoon because my son had to have his yearly eye test. He is on a very high prescription for his glasses and needs a new pair every year. He loves having his eyes tested and marvelled at all the gadgets in the optician room. His favourite was the "machine that turns people into cybermen" as pictured below.
The optician had to reassure him that he wasn't going to be assimilated before he put his chin in the machine!
After the eye test it was getting quite late and the kids were hungry, so I decided to take them to a restaurant. My son is a picky eater, so finding something on the menu that he would eat was hard, but in the end he settled for a hot-dog and chips.
Unfortunately, we went in at the same time as a group celebrating a birthday. They were sitting up the corner making a lot of noise, blowing on these squawky little trumpets. This freaked my son out.
"SHUT UP!!!" he screamed to them. "STOP BEING NOISY!!!!"
I don't think they heard him.
He then started screaming and covering his hands over his ears. Autistic kids are especially sensitive to stimuli and loud noises really scare him. He couldn't bear it and was getting increasingly stressed and anxious.
In the end, I had to call a waitress over and ask for her help. She went and got the manager. Oo-er!
The manager was great. I explained the situation and she went over to the offending table to have a chat. Then it went quiet.
I felt like a bit of a party pooper, but they were VERY noisy. They were not being very considerate to anyone else in the restaurant.
So I guess I probably ruined some kid's birthday, but hey, nowadays it is rare for a week to go by without us raining on someones parade.
After the eye test it was getting quite late and the kids were hungry, so I decided to take them to a restaurant. My son is a picky eater, so finding something on the menu that he would eat was hard, but in the end he settled for a hot-dog and chips.
Unfortunately, we went in at the same time as a group celebrating a birthday. They were sitting up the corner making a lot of noise, blowing on these squawky little trumpets. This freaked my son out.
"SHUT UP!!!" he screamed to them. "STOP BEING NOISY!!!!"
I don't think they heard him.
He then started screaming and covering his hands over his ears. Autistic kids are especially sensitive to stimuli and loud noises really scare him. He couldn't bear it and was getting increasingly stressed and anxious.
In the end, I had to call a waitress over and ask for her help. She went and got the manager. Oo-er!
The manager was great. I explained the situation and she went over to the offending table to have a chat. Then it went quiet.
I felt like a bit of a party pooper, but they were VERY noisy. They were not being very considerate to anyone else in the restaurant.
So I guess I probably ruined some kid's birthday, but hey, nowadays it is rare for a week to go by without us raining on someones parade.
Tuesday, 26 February 2013
Developing Fine Motor Skills
Today I went to help out at school. On a Tuesday I usually have half an hour with my son in the mornings to work on things like handwriting and maths. Today we did something different though.
The teacher gave us a coffee jar and some pegs. The aim of the game was to clip all of the pegs on the outside of the jar. The game encourages the development of fine motor skills. My son found it quite easy clipping the pegs on the jar, so I made it harder by getting him to put one hand behind his back, close his eyes, or use his finger and thumb only.
We had a lot of fun doing it and he ended up better at it than me! It is a simple and easy way to encourage children to develop their hand-eye coordination.
The teacher gave us a coffee jar and some pegs. The aim of the game was to clip all of the pegs on the outside of the jar. The game encourages the development of fine motor skills. My son found it quite easy clipping the pegs on the jar, so I made it harder by getting him to put one hand behind his back, close his eyes, or use his finger and thumb only.
We had a lot of fun doing it and he ended up better at it than me! It is a simple and easy way to encourage children to develop their hand-eye coordination.
Monday, 18 February 2013
We Are Outside!
So, we are all sitting in the living room when my son exclaims:
"We are actually outside!"
On seeing our puzzled faces, he went on to explain:
"We are in our house and our house is outside, so we are outside!"
Profound eh?
"We are actually outside!"
On seeing our puzzled faces, he went on to explain:
"We are in our house and our house is outside, so we are outside!"
Profound eh?
Thursday, 14 February 2013
How We Nearly Won £2000....
Back in November, I entered a competition for the Tots 100 blogging network about Britain's best day out. We received free tickets to Waterworld in Stoke and wrote a rather creative blogpost about the visit. The winner was to receive £2000. Very nice!
Anyway, the results are in....sadly I didn't win...but I was chuffed to bits to be one of five blogs that got an honourable mention for creativity! You can see the results here. Lots of people entered, so I feel quite proud of our efforts, and thanks to my kids, who did a good job with the plasticine models and singing!
By the way, I checked out the winner's post and a very worthy one it was too. A blogpost in poem form (darn, why didn't I think of that?) presented beautifully with photos. Congratulations Tired Mummy of Two for your fabulous "Taking the Monkeys to the Zoo"
Anyway, the results are in....sadly I didn't win...but I was chuffed to bits to be one of five blogs that got an honourable mention for creativity! You can see the results here. Lots of people entered, so I feel quite proud of our efforts, and thanks to my kids, who did a good job with the plasticine models and singing!
By the way, I checked out the winner's post and a very worthy one it was too. A blogpost in poem form (darn, why didn't I think of that?) presented beautifully with photos. Congratulations Tired Mummy of Two for your fabulous "Taking the Monkeys to the Zoo"
Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Still Filling in the DLA Form....
Oh my days! This DLA form is long.
And pointless.
Here are some examples of the nutty questions they ask. Try these:
"Count the steps you take to see how far you have walked. If they walk 10 of your steps they have walked about 90 metres. Check the time when you start and stop and see how long it takes."
Daft.
"Tell us how often they need help each day and how long it takes each time".
Then there is a list of boxes to fill in how long each activity takes. The first box is "wake up". How long does it take your child to wake up? It depends how loud I shout from the bottom of the stairs!
The whole form is a hoop-jumping exercise designed to frustrate parents into mental exhaustion and giving up.
It has taken me a couple of weeks and I'm still not finished. I have a whole pile of doctor's reports to photocopy....
Let's hope it is worth it!
And pointless.
Here are some examples of the nutty questions they ask. Try these:
"Count the steps you take to see how far you have walked. If they walk 10 of your steps they have walked about 90 metres. Check the time when you start and stop and see how long it takes."
Daft.
"Tell us how often they need help each day and how long it takes each time".
Then there is a list of boxes to fill in how long each activity takes. The first box is "wake up". How long does it take your child to wake up? It depends how loud I shout from the bottom of the stairs!
The whole form is a hoop-jumping exercise designed to frustrate parents into mental exhaustion and giving up.
It has taken me a couple of weeks and I'm still not finished. I have a whole pile of doctor's reports to photocopy....
Let's hope it is worth it!
Wednesday, 6 February 2013
Old Man
There has been a lot of sickness at the school lately and the teaching staff have been hit hard. It is not unusual to see my son's class come out with a supply teacher instead of his usual teacher.
I asked my son how he got on at school.
"Fine" he replied.
"But we didn't have the normal teacher. We had an OLD MAN instead".
He said this really loud, within hearing of the supply teacher. I hurried him away quickly.
I asked my son how he got on at school.
"Fine" he replied.
"But we didn't have the normal teacher. We had an OLD MAN instead".
He said this really loud, within hearing of the supply teacher. I hurried him away quickly.
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Snow and Logistics!
We are currently experiencing a LOT of snow here in the UK and the school reopened today after being shut during the bad weather.
For a parent of an autistic child, the extra "stuff" that comes with the snowy weather can be a bit of a headache.
Firstly, I have to dress my son for the snow. That involves hat, gloves and wellies. No problem for a normal child, but send an autistic child into school with these items and it is unlikely you will see them again. As well as his snow kit, he also had to take his homework in today, but I didn't bother, as there was no way that he was going to be able to organize taking his coat and gloves off, removing his wellies and replacing them with shoes, putting his lunchbox on the trolley AND handing in the homework. It was simply too much mental overload. So I left the homework.
The next problem was that when we got to the school, they were using a different entrance, a side door. This threw my son completely. When i asked him if he knew where his classroom was, he said "no". Thankfully, the SENCO allowed me to guide my son to his classroom.
Then what do you know? Silly me had forgotten to pack his shoes! Son freaks out: "Oh no! I will have to wear my socks all day!!!!" panic...panic...I sent him into class and promised to get his shoes to him. I sent dad with them a little later. I hope he got them OK. On top of that, his teacher is ill, and I bet the stand-in has no clue about his autism.
Hometime will be the same crazy routine. I doubt my son will come out with all the stuff he went in with. Plus, he also has to remember his swimming kit, which he left behind last Friday.
Roll on the big thaw.....
For a parent of an autistic child, the extra "stuff" that comes with the snowy weather can be a bit of a headache.
Firstly, I have to dress my son for the snow. That involves hat, gloves and wellies. No problem for a normal child, but send an autistic child into school with these items and it is unlikely you will see them again. As well as his snow kit, he also had to take his homework in today, but I didn't bother, as there was no way that he was going to be able to organize taking his coat and gloves off, removing his wellies and replacing them with shoes, putting his lunchbox on the trolley AND handing in the homework. It was simply too much mental overload. So I left the homework.
The next problem was that when we got to the school, they were using a different entrance, a side door. This threw my son completely. When i asked him if he knew where his classroom was, he said "no". Thankfully, the SENCO allowed me to guide my son to his classroom.
Then what do you know? Silly me had forgotten to pack his shoes! Son freaks out: "Oh no! I will have to wear my socks all day!!!!" panic...panic...I sent him into class and promised to get his shoes to him. I sent dad with them a little later. I hope he got them OK. On top of that, his teacher is ill, and I bet the stand-in has no clue about his autism.
Hometime will be the same crazy routine. I doubt my son will come out with all the stuff he went in with. Plus, he also has to remember his swimming kit, which he left behind last Friday.
Roll on the big thaw.....
Wednesday, 16 January 2013
Stroppy Classroom Assistant
As my son struggles with his maths, I often come into school and spend some time helping him. I don't mind doing this, even though I still feel in a way that I am doing what the school should be doing.
The teacher asked me to come in yesterday at 1:00. I trudged to the school (roughly 16 minute walk) in the cold and ice, trying not to slip over as the path was treacherous.
When I arrived, the teacher was there to greet me and told me that she wanted me to work with my son on his letter formations. She was not teaching the class that day, the teaching assistant was taking the lesson.
When I got to the classroom, the teaching assistant looked at me disdainfully, like I was mud on her shoe.
"Are you in the middle of a lesson?" I said. "..only I have come to do some work with my son."
"You are not needed." she snapped back.
I wasn't going to be intimidated by her.
" I have been asked by the teacher to come and work with my son. She has just met me at the door and told me what she wants me to do. I have no intention of going home. I have made the effort to come all this way and I will stay. I don't want to disrupt your lesson, so I will do 15 minutes with him."
I didn't wait for her approval. I just grabbed his literacy book off the shelf, collected my son and went out in the corridor to work with him. I actually ended up working with him for 30 minutes. I bet she loved that.
Honestly, I am doing them a favour coming in and taking time out of my day to do what is essentially their job, unpaid. What the bojangles is wrong with these people? A little gratitude wouldn't go amiss.
The teacher asked me to come in yesterday at 1:00. I trudged to the school (roughly 16 minute walk) in the cold and ice, trying not to slip over as the path was treacherous.
When I arrived, the teacher was there to greet me and told me that she wanted me to work with my son on his letter formations. She was not teaching the class that day, the teaching assistant was taking the lesson.
When I got to the classroom, the teaching assistant looked at me disdainfully, like I was mud on her shoe.
"Are you in the middle of a lesson?" I said. "..only I have come to do some work with my son."
"You are not needed." she snapped back.
I wasn't going to be intimidated by her.
" I have been asked by the teacher to come and work with my son. She has just met me at the door and told me what she wants me to do. I have no intention of going home. I have made the effort to come all this way and I will stay. I don't want to disrupt your lesson, so I will do 15 minutes with him."
I didn't wait for her approval. I just grabbed his literacy book off the shelf, collected my son and went out in the corridor to work with him. I actually ended up working with him for 30 minutes. I bet she loved that.
Honestly, I am doing them a favour coming in and taking time out of my day to do what is essentially their job, unpaid. What the bojangles is wrong with these people? A little gratitude wouldn't go amiss.
Wednesday, 9 January 2013
A Positive Meeting With School Staff
Yesterday, I had a meeting with the school staff following the incident before Christmas when my son was locked out of the school building.
His class teacher was present, as well as the head of year, SENCO and headteacher.
We put a plan in place to ensure that my son will be safe at all times. We covered topics such as how he will cope at breaktimes during unstructured time, help with getting dressed and moving around school.
Many positive steps were put in place which I feel very happy about. I will be outlining these in a future blogpost, as the SENCO is typing them up into an official document.
Another development of the meeting was the fact that the school are now going to consider statementing my son. This came as a major shock, as last time we tried, I was told that he was too bright academically. The SENCO explained that although my son was clever, he was vulnerable because he had a poor sense of safety, was panicky and struggled socially. If we can get enough evidence together over the next few months to form a case, she will consider going for the statement.
This will involve the teacher logging any occasions where she has to go above and beyond her normal duties when teaching my son. I will also be keeping a diary, logging times and dates of any significant incidents.
If he gets a statement, I will be relieved, because I think it would ensure his safety at senior school.
His class teacher was present, as well as the head of year, SENCO and headteacher.
We put a plan in place to ensure that my son will be safe at all times. We covered topics such as how he will cope at breaktimes during unstructured time, help with getting dressed and moving around school.
Many positive steps were put in place which I feel very happy about. I will be outlining these in a future blogpost, as the SENCO is typing them up into an official document.
Another development of the meeting was the fact that the school are now going to consider statementing my son. This came as a major shock, as last time we tried, I was told that he was too bright academically. The SENCO explained that although my son was clever, he was vulnerable because he had a poor sense of safety, was panicky and struggled socially. If we can get enough evidence together over the next few months to form a case, she will consider going for the statement.
This will involve the teacher logging any occasions where she has to go above and beyond her normal duties when teaching my son. I will also be keeping a diary, logging times and dates of any significant incidents.
If he gets a statement, I will be relieved, because I think it would ensure his safety at senior school.
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