Testing is so traumatic for son

[raincitymum]

We just did our 2nd test and it was so traumatic for all of us. His brother got ill over the weekend after stating reception on Thursday. According to school rules they both need to have negative tests in order to return to school. I don't know how we're going to manage this all winter. He screams before we take any sample. This happened the first time as well and always happens during jabs etc. We had to hold him down this time. He was screaming and spitting. I felt awful and am so upset and depressed. I tried talking him through it but nothing is working. I don't know what to do. Does anyone have any advice?

None. My son has autism and had a bad reaction to a nasal flu vaccine a few years ago. There's zero way he'd take this test.

Test yourself twice, put your son's name on the second test!

If he isn't the one with symptoms he shouldn't be getting tested in any case so the advice in that case would be to speak to the governors and tell them to implement a policy that is compatible with government guidelines.

Agree with Billy. Stupid rule anyway.

It is so hard. I have a child with ASD and have raised this with my MP. I do feel that there needs to be a way to get people who, for whatever reason, really struggle with the home / drive through testing tested in a sympathetic and non time-pressured way (ie not as part of a queue at a test centre). The alternative here is a family of 5 isolating for 2 weeks, which would be disastrous for my other DC if it happened regularly.

On a positive note, the drive through test centre only managed a nasal swab for DC (badly, with him fighting them off) and it was still enough to give a negative result.

I agree with Billy, too.