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SN children

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

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Original poster

what on earth do you all do in the school holidays.....

21 replies

anniebear · 20/12/2011 21:25

can't go to the cinema, can't go shopping, can't go bowling, can't go for a walk , can't watch a christmas film together at home.

One of my Twin girls is now too tall for indoor play area's...they used to be the thing we could do!

Im at a loss and struggling, Im sure lots of you are also :(

OP posts:

lisad123 · 20/12/2011 21:31

We do the following; horse riding, roller skating, ice skating, swimming, farm, zoo, cinema, visit friends, go to local pot painting shop, go charity shop hunting, park, pj day, woodland walk, paint, and sticking, panto, and museums.
Hth

Original poster

anniebear · 20/12/2011 21:42

would love to do all those with them, but can't do it with one of them having a disability, which is why I am struggling

Hope you enjoy your couple of weeks :)

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ArthurPewty · 20/12/2011 21:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lisad123 · 20/12/2011 21:44

What's your LO disabilities? My two both have autism.

Original poster

anniebear · 20/12/2011 21:51

she had Meningitis when younger, has severe learning disabilities....(suppose with some autistic and ADD traits, but hasnt been diagnosed) and Hydrocephalus

She cant concentrate much, cant sit through films, can't do physical things like skating , she does disabled horse riding , but it is too expensive to do it otherwise as she needs 1-1 lesson with one leading and with one alongside. Has meltdowns..hurts herself.....is very hard work!

I cant take them on bikes (has an adapted one) or scooters as she screams when her twin sister goes ahead or , well even moves!!!!!!!! bangs her ehad on handle bars! I could go on!

She is lovely also!!! But much better just on her own 1-1 with an adult

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Original poster

anniebear · 20/12/2011 21:54

also can't entertain herself atall :(

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FrothingBeserker · 20/12/2011 21:56

Annie, do you get Direct Payments?

I don't fully know how they work, but I know some posters on here do get them - payments to hep out with eg having an extra person along, so that your dd could still be 1:1.

do you get any respite? that would at least mean you could get to do some things with your other dd too.

it must be so hard, and school holidays can be difficult at the best of times

lisad123 · 20/12/2011 21:57

That's got to be so hard. As for the roller skating out local SN group hire the whole place and we go on with the wheelchairs

Original poster

anniebear · 20/12/2011 22:02

sounds great, she wouldnt be able to roller skate though, but how fab that they have an SN session :)

we get DP now, not lots, but her carer came today and took her swimming so I did have a bit of peace today!! Her twin was at the stables at the time.

but its when we are together its getting so hard

I have always been used to doing loads with them, but its just getting harder

thanks

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FrothingBeserker · 20/12/2011 22:08

how old are your girls, Annie?

I can see how it must be hard, and you have them together (especially in school holidays) more than you have DPs/respite to cover.

what things does your dd like doing, if she has 1:1? is there anything that could be differentiated reasonably well between the two ability levels, that your other dd could get on with minimal input, so that you could be the 1:1 focus.

I know I have found it very hard, and my 2 aren't twins! but we can sit and do some crafts now, as I can give my disabled dd a lot more support while the other one gets on with things more successfully alone for a bit. I have had success recently with simple (very simple!) sewing kits - hand puppets, felt shapes to stuff - with pre-cut holes it is a bit like an extension of threading beads really. still takes an awful lot of encouragement and spurring on, and support etc to keep her going, but we get there in the end. would anything like that work?

Original poster

anniebear · 20/12/2011 22:23

they are ten, but Ellie a lot lot younger with her development

she loves swimming and going on her bike and obviously her twin sister doesnt need support doing that, but its often too awful the gettting changed bit afterwards!! we do go to a special needs swim session in the hols but they havent done them over the christmas holidays. She normally gets taken out on her bike on her own because of the hassle she causes

yes she will do some crafts and we have got some gingerbread stuff coming in Fridays shopping delivery so we are decorating gingerbread houses then

Just her twin sister is now watching all the christmas films with me...even sitting through Kirsties Homemade christmas lol lol, but DD with Sn can't do that...she wants peppa pig and c beebies on :(

thank you everyone xxxx

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Original poster

anniebear · 20/12/2011 22:27

we do sewing...well in a fashion!! I got some plastic embroidery stuff for T1 to do and got a big blunt (ish) needle) as I started sewing, T2 then wanted to and she is doing well, So T1 ca do that, it just doesnt last for long then "what are we doing next 2 " what are we doing thursday" "where are we going" "what are we doing" agggghhh!!!!!

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ineedstrongcoffee · 20/12/2011 22:35

My ds cant participate in lots of activiyies that involve others but we try to fill our time by long walks in the countryside,farms,going to feed ducks,strolls along beaches(quiet this time of year),playgrounds when quiet and football in the back garden..all i can say is roll on summer when i can ditch the wellies,coats,hats and gloves

betternextlife · 20/12/2011 23:16

We usually do museums and zoos over christmas. They are usually quieter (especially on Christmas eve and boxing day) cos everyone else is busy shopping so better for DS2 (ASD).

lisad123 · 20/12/2011 23:29

Has she got a visual timetable? We have one for dd2 as she is forever asking what is happening next. Dd1 confessed to me that she likes the visual one better than her written one and even sneaks a peek at another SN childs visual timetable at school
Can your other dd swim on her own? Maybe bring a friend so they can go and swim while you have other dd? That's what we did this week.
Horse riding therapy is cheaper here than riding with RDA, so might be worth a look. And if your within driving distance of London, there is a massive sn park, which is gated, safe and lovely way to spend the day.

Original poster

anniebear · 21/12/2011 12:25

we cant even do walks as she can kick off big time, especially when dogs appear!

she doesn have a visual time table but maybe its something I need to look at

Just had the worst morning ever, I cant even see us being able to go out anymore in the school holidays whilst she is like this. She was awful, then we got in, other T2 showed me some of that popping plastic stuff and T1 has screamed and banged her head on the walls lots and the fridge :( I have just been sobbing on the phone to my Mum, so my Dad came down and collected DD and has took her to theirs for a bit :)

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Eveiebaby · 21/12/2011 20:43

Does she like music - if you played a CD would she sing along or dance around the room?

Original poster

anniebear · 21/12/2011 21:53

loves it....would dance for about 1 minute if that !!!!

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ouryve · 22/12/2011 08:59

Pretty much all we can carry off is walks around the village. If we have nowhere else to go, DS1 demands a walk around the block. It's like having a couple of energetic dogs!

Anything more adventurous than that without DH is out, though. We can't even take advantage of things like story time at the library because DS2 can't sit and listen. The boys have such different needs and capabilities that even if something happened locally that one could do, it would be impossible because of the other.

So, apart from our daily leg stretch, we potter around the house.

loka · 23/12/2011 17:02

I have a question to lisad123 about that sn park you mentioned.could you give some more details please? It sounds just like a place we need.

Original poster

anniebear · 23/12/2011 19:50

very hard isnt it ouryve :(

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