Had to physically manhandle a screaming DS1 onto transport this morning :(

[loueytb3]

Hoping someone has some advice. DS1 goes to school in a taxi. We had a few incidents last term when a girl in the taxi was shouting and he got upset by the noise. He can be noise sensitive, particularly when he is tired/unwell and we got back from holiday on Sunday night so he is pretty tired.

Monday was the first day back at school. He apparently got upset on the way because this girl was shouting, it was bad enough for the school to phone me to tell me about it. I pick him up on Monday afternoons so he didn't come home in the taxi. Yesterday morning, the girl had dropped something and was shouting and he just wouldn't get in the taxi, very distressed and I decided to take him to school. Had a chat to the school and they talked to the girl and to DS1 and apparently it was ok again on the way home.

This morning, he was upset before the taxi got here, asking for me to take him to school. Despite the fact that the girl was quiet, he was just screaming he didn't want to go in the taxi, it took 3 of us to get him in his seat and it was awful. I was in tears after he left He seems to be scared of this girl now and I don't know what we can do to sort it out. I know its not her fault, and I'm not blaming her at all. She is probably going to move school at the end of this term so it may only be a relatively short time when he will be sharing with her.

School suggested ear defenders/ipod but we can't do that because he has had AIT and the one thing they say is not to listen to music through earphones. We are going to start some more listening therapy relatively soon (I hope) and I know that the sensitivity will improve once he has caught up on sleep but my worry is that he seems to be scared of her.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Pipin - the AIT did really help, in the sense that he doesn't scream at handdryers etc anymore but it certainly hasn't cured it. He is very sensitive in the last week and has been crying when his twin DS has been crying for example. He is only 4.5 so we are still having difficulties with getting him to understand things - not sure whether the breathing techniques would work? The girl has already been removed from a previous transport because of similar issues. The taxi driver thinks she needs to go in a separate transport with her own 1-1. Its really difficult because whilst I don't want my DS to suffer, I don't want to cause problems for this girl either. I also wonder if we persist whether in the long run it will help him adjust to these kind of issues. I honestly don't know what to do for the best.

louey if you have a root about on the IPSEA site you will find references to "non stressful" transport so that the children can fully access education.
It sounds like transport is stressful for both your DS and the other child so might be worth speaking to the transport office about separate taxis or changing who travels with who. If the school are supportive then they could also talk to transport and tell them that the situation is having an impact on his whole day at school to add weight to your argument.

Thanks starfish - will have a look. I think if we kicked up a fuss they would have to sort it because I would have the support of the school/taxi driver too.

However, I've just spoken to the escort who said that he did calm down and although there was noise he didn't react. So it may be the thought of getting into the taxi is worse than actually being on it. Will have a chat to the school later and see what they say.