Autistic daughter seems to want friends 🥺🥺

[MumOfOneAllAlone]

Hi everyone

I don't post much but I'm a Sen mum of one 4 year old (5 next month). She's so sweet and loves cuddles and music. She goes to a special needs class in her school (an ARP) so is around autistic kids.

Most of them are speaking and say hello to eachother at drop off. Mine seems to want to engage but doesn't understand how to, despite my kneeling down and encouraging a 'hello'. She kind of leans into their faces making intense eye contact - which is obviously awkward for the other child and they just ignore her. I'm almost crying writing this.

She's officially non verbal but is learning new words and has started saying some in context. She even says hello to her cat.

Does anyone have any tips, if you've been in this situation at all? 🙏🏾 I'd be grateful for some advice on getting her to say, at least 'hello' at the school gate.

Thanks xx

Exactly that - I'd geared myself up for a terrible time, couldn't believe it when I saw she was happy 🙂

Have you considered rainbows?

Rainbows is an interesting idea actually, my autistic dd loves guides but we didn’t have the younger groups locally. I suspect she will go on to rangers and perhaps become a young leader she loves it so much. Kindness and inclusion are very much the central pillars of guiding, it is an oasis from the modern world.

Do rainbows work with pre verbal kids though? When I went to the cubs as a kid, it was lots of sitting and talking

They are so inclusive! I would definitely look into it. I say this as a mother with an autistic daughter (she is now verbal and now at brownies) but limited with speech when at rainbows.

Ok then, I'll defo check it out 🙂, we're in London so I'm sure there's one that's local - thanks

Nowadays there is a lot more understanding around sn and nd. The world has changed a lot and there is now so much more inclusivity thankfully.

It's true, it's just my experiences holding us back! No more of that, I've had a look on the website and found that the local one is 0.3 miles from us! I've registered our interest 🙂

No advice sorry (looks like you’ve had some great advice already) but just wanted to say you sound like a lovely mum and your daughter is lucky to have you x

Oh 🥺🥺🥺 thank you! I'm so worried, all of the time! Thank you, that's so nice xx

act it out with someone and film it on an iPad and let her watch it back so she knows both ‘ roles’ and how Its likely to go.
but also saying ‘ hello’ doesn’t really serve a purpose in a sense so may be better to have pity irises for her to play alongside other children without worrying too much about the social rules . 5 is little …. Things can change in this world of autism xxx

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