SENCO visiting this afternoon - what should I mention?

[coppertop]

Got a phone call this morning to ask if the area SENCO could visit this afternoon. I said yes but now have only 3 hours to think about what to ask (and to tidy up!). Ds1 is 3 and has sensory problems, and possibly has HFA (due to be assessed in just over a week. Does anyone have any ideas?

DAVROS or someone equally fantastic ( ) suggested i print off some mumsnet posts- that would be a very quick way of finding you 'descriptions' of the things that are hard for your son and for the family etc

Also if you can , write an acct of a 'typical' day- right down to toilet/feeding/supervision etc-to make it simple just do it as a 'time line- so you can idicate how through the day there are all kinds of difficulties... not just the obvious???

At least you're on the road to recognition!

Now as far as tidying up goes.... i am AKA as mrs muddles... if like me there's ironing piled up (socks to sort ) and washing up piled high.... then
A) get a bin bag and put all the ironing in there with the socks and hide it in a cupboard where she won't look and you won't give it to the bin men by mistake!
B) Wash up!! (he he he!! :0 got to make you do some work!
C) hoover!!!! always tricks my family into thinking i do housework ! (we know i really just visit mumsnet!!! SSShhhhh!!!!)
D) Get a big bag/toy box and just start in one room and put anything in it that's not rubbish- but looks muddely....then hide that with the laundry and socks!!!
D) turn up the Ambi purs to MAX!!! (or start the coffee machine...bake some bread (only joking!!) so all smells gorgeous!

Hope you actually wanted my kind of input!!!! I am a bit obsessed with how people 'see' my home- so i'd rather they just turn up as otherwise i worry a great deal about 'what they think'- i'm just hoping you are a bit the same- as i think that's why you mentioned 'tidying up'

Good Luck!!! x

DAVROS or someone equally fantastic ( ) suggested i print off some mumsnet posts- that would be a very quick way of finding you 'descriptions' of the things that are hard for your son and for the family etc

Also if you can , write an acct of a 'typical' day- right down to toilet/feeding/supervision etc-to make it simple just do it as a 'time line- so you can idicate how through the day there are all kinds of difficulties... not just the obvious???

At least you're on the road to recognition!

Now as far as tidying up goes.... i am AKA as mrs muddles... if like me there's ironing piled up (socks to sort ) and washing up piled high.... then
A) get a bin bag and put all the ironing in there with the socks and hide it in a cupboard where she won't look and you won't give it to the bin men by mistake!
B) Wash up!! (he he he!! :0 got to make you do some work!
C) hoover!!!! always tricks my family into thinking i do housework ! (we know i really just visit mumsnet!!! SSShhhhh!!!!)
D) Get a big bag/toy box and just start in one room and put anything in it that's not rubbish- but looks muddely....then hide that with the laundry and socks!!!
D) turn up the Ambi purs to MAX!!! (or start the coffee machine...bake some bread (only joking!!) so all smells gorgeous!

Hope you actually wanted my kind of input!!!! I am a bit obsessed with how people 'see' my home- so i'd rather they just turn up as otherwise i worry a great deal about 'what they think'- i'm just hoping you are a bit the same- as i think that's why you mentioned 'tidying up'

Good Luck!!! x

Hope it goes well coppertop I don't knoe what a SENCO is, so I wouldn't be muchg help. If they are like an ed pysch you could ask about possible nursery and schooling issues and what is available to your son. If they would provide transport for his journet to and from the school etc.

lol mrsf

fio2- i'm trying to drag myself away from mumsnet- muddles creeping up my legs as i speek- but i'm scared i might miss something...yeah...I know i can reda them later...but I LOVE THE FACT THAT WE ARE ALL SAT AT OUR P.CS TYPING AWAY AND THINKING OF EACHOTHER!!! sounds a bit sweet i know...but i'm so easily pleased!

mrsf, you've obviously been to my house before! The socks and clothes are in huge piles, and the carpet has disappeared under the toys. I'd just got the new air freshener out too when I read your post. I'll just stuff all the clutter in the bedroom!

me too mrsf

Now come on Coppertop- get off the P.c....You've got work to do....and you're stopping me doing mine!!!!! It's got to the point now where my husband actually tries ringing me just to see if i'm on line! I know we sould have a 2nd line then i could get away with it- however h'e probably just take the keyboard to work...then i'd just buy a spare one!!! Of i go again!x

Now i AM going....BYE BYe!

what about broadband mrsf?

I can't even use ds1's hoover hatred as an excuse - he's at pre-school. Ds2 is looking concerned at this sudden flurry of activity. He didn't even realise we HAD a carpet!

I will have to escape b4 any more posts are left....i will leave it dialed up so every 5 mins i can refresh the page! Another obsession in the open!

Beginning to think I should fake a migraine as an excuse to keep the front room in darkness. Then no one will see the clutter!

Aaagh! I've been out, what happened? Agree with MrsF about hiding stuff. Get lots of boxes and stuff everything in them, it always looks better even though its the same rubbish. I also use the bedspread trick which means you put anything in the room under the bedspread, flatten it out and the beed looks made and the room looks tidy
I suppose you should have been thinking about how things are different for your son opposed to NT kids. Maybe how sensory issues may be involved in some of the unusal behaviours and his need for things to be done a certain way or how using certain language, visual cues, warnings about stopping things etc all help him (on the assumption they do). I think sometimes people are scared when we talk about things needing to be done a certain way and think there's too much pandering to the child's ridigity. I think its good to say that their rituals etc do need to be changed but with planning and in a careful way. Also maybe talk about how to handle problems I'm assuming the purpose of the visit was for HER to get info from YOU?

I remember using the 'stuff it in the bed' trick a while ago. Our lease was nearly up and we had to let prospective tenants look around. Unfortunately I did it a little too well and forgot all about it - until I climbed into bed in the dark.... The visit went really well. The SENCO arrived with our Early Years Inclusion Service worker, who has already met ds1 and so was able to make more suggestions to the SENCO. It was also good because it also gave the EYIS a chance to see how different ds1 is when he has his usual routines (ie he'd been to pre-school). The need for exact routines can be hell but breaking them is far worse. The SENCO was also interested in dh's aspie/autie ways and the differences between ds1 and ds2. She will be talking to the pre-school so hopefully they'll stop thinking of me as Mother Neurotic.

glad it went well coppertop

been thinking of you heaps!! (no not heaps of washing!)I am glad you felt it went well!

DAVROS- yet again you have said something so well!!!! The bit about people thinking we pander to rituals etc... what i do is go with a routine 90% of the time then when i can work through the meltdown i 'tweak it' and sometimes its successful- however sometimes i choose to leave the routine alone as it's just not important to change it!! It's important if we expect our kids to have some kind of independance that they do learn that things aren't always the same- but this is easier said than done-the 'proof'that we don't pander to rituals etc is how well it can go if like you said we plan any change- and how terrible it is if something happens unannounced- even plans have to change!