Special Needs

[bournemouth]

ok not sure how to write this as i do not want to offend any one. But if you can read what i am trying to say and help please do.

I have a nanny that is 50 plus that cares for my son for 5 hours one day a week if that, the rest is night times. I also have a special needs child that when in his home inviroment can be kept very calm. His need is ASD. He is very impulive and active at times. My nanny has no experience of special needs but she is very calm softly spoken and patient and does not get flustered when he becomes hyper.

The thing is she keeps asking me if she could take him and the rest of my children out and i have always been able to get away with saying the house and garden are really big and every thing he needs is here because when he bolts he is fast really fast and no softly calling him is ever going to work. He can also be walking down the road and decide that he wants to throw a leg at an on comming car.

You aways have to be talking with instructions to him, making sure he is right by your side, correcting him all the time and never taking your eyes off him as he is so unpredicatble.

What should i say to be kind. She needs to be able to do all this be able to run after him, grab him etc. Everyone that i knows her says that she would not be able to do all this.

I think it is lovely that your nanny wants to include your DS in her plans and not exclude him, but I totally understand your concern.
Maybe you could suggest going to the park with her, she probably doesn't understand what it is like for him to be out of his environment.

I was also wondering about going out together a few times.
So she knows what she's taking on, learns from you and you can see how she does.

If you're not happy then you're not happy, but I think the above suggestions are very good.

Do you think sh'es physically not up to running after him? We had this question on another thread and I personally feel that if you're not in good enough shape to ensure a child's safety you shouldn't put yourself in a position where you might need to react that way IYSWIM.

i am a special needs nanny.
i am fine with both children out and about but do have different ways of working things if out with siblings.
if out with said child he has my attention 100%..obviously with another (whos younger) he doesn't
i always have to have a plan/ suitable location etc in my head for dif situations
ask yourself 'if one child was to bolt, what would happen to the other child/ren?'
i look after a 5yr with Special needs, and 2yr...i can't leave the 2 yr old to run after the other.
is your son /other children at an age where a buggy is used? i use buggy for the youngest, but in certain situations i know i can trust the youngest to walk better than oldest so swap them over
i would also maybe suggest a park or somewhere either indoor or away from roads/ponds etc.. for her first few trips, and maybe as others suggested you could do an outing together so she could see how you work?

hope my babbling on helps