***AMBERLIGHT***

[colditz]

You have given me such a fantastic insight into my son's problem with using a fork.

Today I asked him outright "What is it about your fork that you don't like?"

And he told me that it's too hard. He doesn't like the feeling of the fork in his hand. it's too hard where he holds it.

So I wrapped a flannel around his fork handle with masking tape, and he happily used it.

And if you handed posted a reply to my whining the other day, I'd never have thought about it and I would have carried on assuming he was being lazy.

So thank you.

Yes Amberlight - it was a great insight. I had a wry little smile to myself when he put his PJs on inside out. I didn't make any comment at all. didn't have such a wry smile when i asked him to use some form of cutlery last night. He speared a sausage, held it to the plate like a totem pole, then put his head to the sausage to take a huge bite out of it. I suppose it's the not liking the fork in his mouth, but i stayed reasonable because as he said, he was using his fork to eat it!

Glad to be of some small help.

re the antics of the young ones, and the novel solutions, too.

A well known national department store whose name begins with D were doing a range of cheap knives and forks that have larger-grip soft-touch handles on them, which I think are just great. Still 'normal' cutlery and not very robust for heavy duty use, but so good to use. I think it's called the "everyday 16 piece" range.

the thing is, he's been telling me "It's too hard" for years. And I've been replying "Darling, I know it's hard but it will get easier the more you practice".

It didn't occur to me that he meant the fork was uncomfortably hard, I thought he meant "too difficult"!

Ooh, please would you be able to give me the link about the fork and what Amberlight said, I missed that one, and would love to understand better.

We have been so baffled with our DS (9) who struggles with cutlery. Meals are amazing - food and drink everywhere, can't consistently be r or l handed, stands up, eats with fingers even if actually holding the cutlery at the same time, etc.! Used to think it was fine motor skills but the same child can sit for ages and do the most amazing neat tapestry with my mum so we are sure it must be something else!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs/1064555-Newly-diagnosed-AS-how-to-forgive-stop-resenting

Thank you

(plus forks etc have shiny surfaces that glisten in the light, which is really really distracting.
We're often good at "really small things" (tiny patterns, tiny observations, tiny details) and get worse and worse with bigger and bigger movements or 3-D movements. Not all of us - some are really coordinated.

It's a bit like you trying to handle a slippery wine glass whilst wearing thickest of thick gardening gloves and wearing glasses where you can only see a pinprick of light in the middle and nothing else...whilst standing in a vat of perfume and being scratched to distraction by scratchy clothing. You'd get the wine everywhere. We often get food and drink everywhere. We often end up exhausted trying to eat and drink using normal methods.)

That's really useful, Amberlight. I often tell DS1 that I don't care if he eats certain foods with his fingers, so long as he doesn't start playing with them. Heck, I usually give up and pick up things like asparagus and tenderstem broccoli, myself!

And DS1 does fit the profile of superb fine motor skills (was writing at 3, for example, even though his technique was rather unconventional and took him the whole of his reception year to unlearn) but really poor gross motor skills, mostly down to poor motor planning and a lack of proprioceptive sense. He got all that stuff off his mum

amberlight Thank you so much

Today, for the first time ever, I understood why getting dressed for AS DD is such an issue. I had read about sensory issues but the way you described it on the thread from yesterday (linked above) really made me understand.

Thank you.

One of the most useful threads ever Amberlight.
That's my ds as well, same style of trousers and top every day as they're comfortable.
Seams and labels, textures and fabrics. Used to take off as much kit as he could get away with.
He's getting a bit less sensitive as the years roll by, he can cope with the kettle and minor keys in music, and I can use different perfumes. Still hates spices in food.
It never caused a problem because I worked out what the problems were as they arose and most of them were easy to accommodate.

P.S. Diabetic socks don't have seams.

Awesome thread!

How do you know if your socks are diabetic?

It's rumoured that Lord Kitchener was a sock seam hater. He has a method of closing toes on socks and otherwise invisibly grafting seams in knitted items named after him!

Yes, there are seamless socks made especially for people with diabetes.
Beg pardon for my slovenly sentence construction.

Thanks from me too Amber

Have found the thread I think:

24 hours in the life of Amber

and this one:

Another day in the life of Amber

Thanks again x

Ooh thanks Graveyard for the links. I am learning so much!

Amberlight how's the book coming on? I've just read the 2 threads above and they are fascinating. So many times I thought 'oh, so that's why he does that'.
I did get worried at one point as i recognised things that i do as well. But i studied art - so my fascination with textures, colours, visual stimulus in new places is coming from a completely different place.

The book is just about there, but there's too much going on in my life for me to want it published right now.

Another saying thank you to Amber !

We have used the wrapping up and toe wriggling when ds wasn't well.. To get him to drink...

And today ( it's an inset day here).. He is sat in his shortie pjs and I've left him to it.. Even though we have a chappy coming round for a meeting.. Ds is comfy and he'll cope better with new person if he is.. So I don't care!