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.
Tuesday, 4 June 2013
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.
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