to be annoyed at Occupational Therapy

[countydurhamlass]

just before xmas had a letter from OT to say my ds had been invited to a "group" to do activities etc for his fine and gross motor skill delay. (i wont go into all his problems) They asked me to call them before 4th to tell them whether he would be attending but didnt give me a telephone number!

there is no way i can take him.

it starts at 4pm on a Tuesday for an hour, for ten weeks, it would mean having to take half a day off work unpaid, if work will allow me so i will lose money, as well as take ds out of school early. it would mean me getting two buses and a twenty-thirty minute walk after that. ds gets pains in his feet if he walks too far. there is then the travel home again walking twenty to thirty minutes and then a bus journey home. we would not get in until 6-6.30pm at the earliest. ds would literally have his tea and go to bed (bedtime is 7.30pm).

they rang me today as i hadn't been in touch (due to not having a telephone number) and i explained he wouldnt be going because of the above. she got really annoyed and aggressive because i had said no. i told her if they did it on a Friday i could go because i dont work a friday and her response was that it was a Tuesday they did it at the moment and that the only other thing they could do was a one to one with at school in school time! but then he wouldnt get the full benefit of being in a group. one of my son's many issues is that he doesnt like being in groups and is often very intimidated by it and refuses to join in or concentrate so surely one to one would be better (all the other professionals involved work on a one to one with him). She obviously has no notes on my ds and not aware of his situation and when i tried to explain she was even more aggressive. In the end she said she would have to speak to her manager and come back to me and cut our conversation short.

both my parents and my dh were in the room when i took the phone call and all could her her voice tone and commented when i hung up. i am now really really annoyed at how someone could be like this.

ds has many hospital appts (average of one/two a month) and it seems they expect us to turn up to appts when they want us to regardless of whether we work or not

AIBU to be annoyed!

Yes and no to this one. Unfortunately its par for the course with these type of groups to have to take it or leave and not be consulted about times etc beforehand, and for it to be at whatever random children centre they can book a room in. I had to get two or three buses for ds salt groups, but at least i wasnt working so had the time

I am training to be an OT and she should have both had the notes and familiarised herself with them before calling you. She also should not have spoken to you like this. She probably has to organise the group based on demand, when she can book the room etc so this can't be helped unfortunately but it sounds like she needs some training on how to speak to people and needs to appreciate that every situation / child is different. We are not all like her I promise