Half Term SEN Parents Support Group

[mumofoneAloneandwell]

Dd(6) who has autism and is non verbal had today had an average day

one meltdown over her hands being sticky after she STUCK THEM IN ICING?! 😂🙆‍♀️

no desire to play with toys with mummy, but happily made cupcakes. Wee weeing on the carpet despite being able to tell me when she needs the toilet (says toilet)

how are you coping? Just 7 days left 😂

Can I join please, my DS is 6 with Audhd, and I really find schools holidays tricky. There’s no SEN school holiday clubs by us anymore, and his needs are too high for the usual clubs.

So glad for a dry day today to go out to the park.

We’re nearly at the half way mark.

Of course you can @2stone welcome 🙂

nearly half way!! Did they used to have autism provisions where you are before? I’ve move across London and tbh, the new area is rubbish!!

ive found a kids museum to take dd to, hopefully we will make it this week

@Helplessandheartbroke oh god, really hope you get some sleep tonight !! - glad you have you grandad there so you at least get a bit of time to yourself 💐❤️

I’m lucky that dd seems to enjoy the tube! - I was worried about the underground noise that you get in central, like the tube gets louder almost, but nothing. The only thing is she does try to bolt out at every stop so must be restrained

Same for me, school is far more stressful than holidays. I genuinely enjoy having them at home, but I know im lucky for feeling that, I have friends who also have autistic children and they really struggle during the holidays

Thank you for asking🥰
it was ok, it was supposed to last 3 hours though and ds was bored after an hour 🤦‍♀️. Lots of gloop and lego mostly. We went to McDonald’s after to length the time out of the house. But no meltdowns and he saw a girl he knows from the sen youth club and went and said hello to her 🥰 (it was his idea!))

I don’t feel lucky, kids are at school way more than they are at home, weve just had 6 weeks of school only get 1 week off 🤷‍♀️

I wish mine were at home more than school 😅. Mine are much happier and relaxed when their off

Woke up at 4am. I was so tired i just gave ipad on dim and had a bit more sleep (he is safe in bed as has a special one). He went to sleep at 8am. Worked for a bit. Tried to engage him with toys, he only wants disney.
7 (non verbal, severe LD)

What a mixed bunch we are. I really struggle in the holidays mainly due to work but sleep too. Have to visit family to help with childcare (live too far to commute) no holiday clubs available as ds isn't toilet trained and needs 121. Anyone else suffer constant muk guilt for everything?

@mumofoneAloneandwell its good dd likes the tube. Im from the north so never needed to attempt it. Ill be on it tomorrow though its loud enough for me lol. Ds is a runner too. On the way into my grandmas today he turned and bolted. I launched my bags and ran after him, luckily she lives in a couldisac (no idea how you spell that!)

Thanks OP, we have been fighting the local authority for 12 months now, it has been extremely draining to say the least. Today hasn't been too bad. The weather was dry so I took both the boys to a local farm park. There was a plane circling overhead which upset my eldest, he has sensory processing disorder among other things and certain sounds are very triggering. Wish he would wear some bloody ear defenders or loops but he wont 🙃 But plenty of fresh air and exercise so hopefully he will give me a solid 6 hours sleep.

ive just made dd some noodles 😪😂

shes refused to go down and eventually said ‘noodles’ so apparently she’s hungry. Despite refusing pizza and chicken offered to her at dinner time

@firstofallimadelight how Lovely he went to say hello to someone! One of the big worries is them socialising isn’t it - glad there were no meltdowns

@TiredYetExhausted 😂 ‘solid 6 hours’ made me chuckle. You poor thing, it’s absolutely exhausting trying to fight for a school place honestly, but I can’t believe how long you’re waiting for a tribunal, it’s awful 💐

Hope you managed some sleep op! Ds managed 11pm until 5am!

Hey everyone 🥰

😂😂 we did @Helplessandheartbroke - dd went down at some silly hour in the am, maybe 4, not sure as i was drifting off whilst holding her hand to restrain her from jumping on the bed!

we woke up just on time to leave to go to the circus - there was a kind of skate acrobat performance near us so took dd to that at 11. Then to Asda. I got a look from a woman for allowing dd to run up and down the aisles in Lidl after - fuck that woman 🖕🖕🖕

she needed to regulate as was excited at me buying her apple juice (it’s the small things 😂) and I needed my hand back!

anyway home now and we’ve got the chase on whilst I mentally plan dinner

@Helplessandheartbroke did you manage to get to work okay?! 6 hours!! Especially after the day you had before

I hope you managed to at least get some sleep on the train 💐💐❤️

hope everyone is okay - hump day!! 🥰

@mumofoneAloneandwell I feel for you. Hope dd sleeps tonight! Good on you for managing to get out today.

I didnt sleep on the train im shattered. The tube to Uxbridge was much quieter than I expected but it was a long day travelling from preston and back.

Im going through a real rough patch with my MH right now so can't wait to see the GP on friday. Im suffering such guilt with ds its on my mind constantly 😪

Oh girl, not long now - have you written down some bullet points so it’s easier for you to tell the doc?

I completely understand - but you’ve no need to feel guilty! You’re a human being, who is working and parenting, but also caring for someone with a disability - it’s not bloody easy!!

the fact that you’re still up and going is testament to how strong you’ve been!

are you able to take some time off from work, even just to help you get through this period of poor mental health? I realise most people aren’t ❤️

there’s no shame in taking medication either, if it’s offered

💐💐 one more day until you’ll at least have a plan going forward xx

Thank you. Its quite outing to go into on here but I blame myself and its so hard. Thank you for being so kind x

Of course girl, do feel free to pm me if you need to vent, and really hope you get some rest tonight ❤️

it’s looking like a late one for me and dd, who has had some cupcakes and is now running from room to room!! 😂😪

Oh hello!! Are you me?!! I feel this post in my bones! I’ve had a hard time with my 6 year old this week - she’s having a rough patch - and balancing that with my 3 year olds needs while my partner works away has been incredibly hard!

Any room for a late comer? We had a successful trip outside the house today, first of this week due to meltdowns and masking at school led to massive over stimulation....single mum to ASD DC and toddler

Can I join. I have a 9yo DS and 6yo DD, both with ASD. DD is very sensory seeking with a PDA profile whereas DS is very anxious, routine driven with OCD. It's a fun combination of DD triggering DS with the constant audio stim, while DS tries insist she wash her hands and follows his rituals, with no understanding of why making lots of demands results in him being hit.

It's been OK so far. School holidays tend to be less stressful then term time for us, but come with there own type of intensity from non of us getting a brake from each other. Sunday was one of their twice monthly visits with their dad, so I managed to reorganise the toys, which has generated a lot more play intrest then unusual.

We have finally had some dry days, so can have some outside time, there's an adventure playground with dedicated sen sessions we went to on Monday, local park tuseday then collage zoo today. DS can only manage a couple of hours out the house at a time while DD has endless energy so we have a gymnastics bar in the living room she can spin round and hang off for hours.

There's a SEN event at a science museum we're going to tomorrow then possibly a SEN friendly screening at the cinema on Friday (if I can convince DS to go, it's more a DD thing)

Welcome @Tiramisuforone @Mera85 and @Sprogonthetyne , all are welcome x

@mumofoneAloneandwellyes there usually to a be brilliant holiday club, it was a private company where you paid per session, and sessions were limited due to demand, but it closed down last year. 😭

This week hasn’t been too bad so far, when it’s only a week I can power through, but in my mind I thinking it’s not far until Easter holidays and then summer holidays!

So we were due to go swimming today as it is one of the few activities my eldest will actually do. He has just told me he doesn't want to go, and wants to stay at home. I suspect he is retreating, we have been out visiting relatives and to a local kids farm thing so far and he probably wants to stay at home to self regulate and stim. Communication with him is limited so a lot of it is guess work. My 7 year old is probably going to be disappointed too 🫠
So we are staying in. All day. Pray for me.

Yeah thats exactly it. I'm powering through this week like you. But I'm so aware that the 7 week (7!!) summer holidays are fast approaching, and how in the hell am I going to survive that

Hey 👋
Just wedging myself into this little corner if that's ok?
Ds, 15 has barely moved off the sofa all week. So suffering a little bit of guilt over that! He did manage a game of Fortnite with a friend from school (yay! Socialising!) and has had a daily video call/game with his oldest sister who is at uni... but it's been impossible to get him out if the house.
Yesterday we made bagels, but that led to him having a night of anxiety over having to do cooking at school when he goes back.
I'm lucky in that I have managed to go for a coffee with a friend when his other sister is home. Ds is extremely clingy, and it gets very exhausting!!
It does help to know that other people 'get it'!!