Tricky outing today.

[Sassyfrassy]

Just needed to share ...

I took Katie and her sister to our local museum today where they had reptiles, spiders and such on display and children could hold them and touch them. Katie was hugely excited. When we got in one of the men was showing a scorpion which he then put back in it's box. Katie just burst into tears and wailed loudly. It took at least five minutes to calm her down. She wasn't scared, she simply wanted to keep looking at the scorpion. She was so loud and sad and seemed suddenly so different to other three year olds there in my eyes. We then moved on to snakes and she kept shouting me me me (one of her very few words) and finally got to stroke the snake. She was just so excited. There was a lot of tugging, signing and squealing going on.

I feel ashamed of myself, but I kept thinking of what other people must think when they see this 3 and half year old squealing, wailing and going on. I wished I had a big sign saying, she can't talk but she is at least as clever as you. Rationally I realise that most of the other people in there were much to preoccupied with their own children to pay any notice. The man in charge of the snakes did say she was lovely though and good at stroking snakes =)

Bless her :) I thought you were going to.say she squished one of the animals. Lol.

I have sometimes wanted to shout at starey people but as Dd3 had no dx until recently I found it hard to know what to shout.

You will grow a thicker skin and be able to enjoy her when she is happy and just take her away when she is not.

Try not to worry about what others think.

Took my kids to the cinema today - both SEN, wanted the ground to swallow me up most of the time.

Have learnt to try and not think about what other people think. as I say - i TRY - but doesn't always work. Sometimes I don't care sometimes I really do. If you went back and had the same experience next week it might not bother you then as much as it did today.

Key thing is she showed a reaction and emotion to everything taking place and showed alot of interest in something - thats a huge positive.

Negative/positive. (depending on how you feel about snakes) is she clearly loves them and these could be a key to working with her to engage her on speech etc - books on snakes, pictures of snakes, cartoon drawing of snakes with different expressions on them, the options are endless.....

we all feel ashamed and have days when you feel like this, don't cut yourself up about it. look on the positive side of what she did achieve today. If I'd have seen her I'd have thought OMG how friggin brave is she touching a snake (although I wouldn't have seen you as I hate the things so would have been screaming and wailing 10x louder than her!)

Bless her! I love snakes and reptiles but to be honest anything with more than two legs is out on the creepy front and I would have screamed well above your DD and probably make a whole in the wall as a way out

You are not alone in the "ground please swallow me up" front x

I had a birthday cinema trip for DD followed by soft play a couple days ago and DS was in full meltdown mode due to his aunty arriving late and another friend added on the guest list and he was not forewarned. (is having a phase of getting to front door quick and telling people there is no one in and slamming the door shut) Needless to say DH and I were carrying around a 6.5 year old yelling and screaming trying to rip his clothes off as they were biting him etc.

Heart goes out to you xx

Thanks for the kind words. I know that Katie's issues are really quite mild compared to what many on these boards have to deal with, but it's still just hitting me that she does have special needs. Logically I've known for ages, but emotionally it takes longer, and also I suppose as she is getting older the differences between her and her peers are more pronounced. I will take your advice and enjoy her as she is and ignore other people.

You'll gradually grow a thick hide I barely notice people gawping these days. She sounds lovely!