It's started..

[Spinkle]

Now DS (6, ASD) has reached his limit at school. We're going down to half days there now

He just can't handle the lack of structure and the noise at the moment.

School can't handle him not handling it.

And to top it all, just got some bumpf through the post offering us a 'post diagnosis workshop'

Workshop? what the heck are we going to make then? A new kid?.......

Sheesh.

Heck...what on earth is a Post Diagnosis Workshop?! Let's hope it's got some good ideas.

Have they done a sensory autism access survey of the classrooms and school day to help him? If not, why not?

I did one for home - showed up hearing sensory problems. I shall be badgering about one for school (great idea - thanks I think also the 25 hours of support he is supposed to get is not happening. He needs 1-1 at the moment

25 hours 1:1 should easily cover 5 hours a day at school, which is not just mornings. They should be able to provide a quiet place for him to go if he is stressed - reception area, staff room, head's office, space in the corridor...

Yeah, they should, but they don't.

Thing is, when he kicks off he makes a load of racket himself. They don't understand this part of it at all.

We've just had to ditch the childminder who, it seems, has been giving him totally inapporapriate care. He was getting more and more anxious there - constant tears and shouting.

I just don't know if this is a phase or I need to look around to find for another school for him.

I know I always say this - so please ignore if you've already heard me bang on about this...

But my son had hearing sensory problems which I didn't realise. He used to walk out of class up to 5 times a day. We did Auditory Integration Training and pretty much cured his hypersensitive hearing. He no longer walks out of class and copes far better all the time.

Previously sounds in the normal speech frequency were hurting his ears (like fingernails down a blackboard...) So no wonder school was so horrible for him.

If you can afford this it really is worth doing.

I guess that's London based?

Unless it's local we can't do it - DS does not travel well.

I would happily sell a kidney if I thought it would help him - we'd find a way somehow.

Will speak to his SALT (who is clued up with this stuff) and see if he thinks it's worth a crack.

Thanks Indigo.

My DS didn't travel either. Aparantly this was due to vestibular problems (which we have also solved at the sound learning centre by doing their retained reflexes program)

It is in London. If you're not able to make it to the sound learning centre you could try theraputic listening or the listening program.

As far as I can tell they're similair-but-not-as-good as auditory integration training.

Auditory integration training is specifically designed for your son, wheras the other listening programs are generic...

So a reasonable place to start....

Not sure if your SALT will know about this, but OTs often recommend these programmes....

Nah, SALT is ASD-tastic and so is well versed in the different therapies.
We've yet to see an OT - they wouldn't accept our referral and we can't quite stretch to £400 just for a private OT assessment (who looked a bit vague when I mentioned sensory stuff anyway)

We're in East Anglia and too far from London to travel every day (without sedation for me, at any rate...)

Thanks for the heads up about therapeutic listening.

Sorry - when I say he does not 'travel well' I mean after about half an hour in the car he pretty much starts a meltdown.

Don't fancy that much on the tube