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

Original poster

Growing Minds 2

14 replies

sphil · 24/04/2006 23:38

Jimjams - I'm going too! Had a proper look at the bumpf and it looks great. My parents have said they'll look after kids while DH is at work and I can stay with my brother who lives near Woking.Well, haven't asked him yet, but I'm sure I can. Thanks so much for flagging it up - and see you there!

OP posts:
Jimjamskeepingoffvaxthreads · 25/04/2006 00:02

Hoorah! :o I'm not sure where I'm staying yet, I have a friend who lives reasonably nearby, but as there are lots of evening sessions I may go for the hotel if it isn't hideously expensive, and then treat it as a luxury break :o

Davros · 25/04/2006 18:47

Oooh, you two having a mini-break together then Envy

Blossomhill · 25/04/2006 18:51

What is growing minds?

Original poster
sphil · 25/04/2006 22:15

Jimjams started a thread on it a few days ago and has given a link below.

OP posts:
Original poster
sphil · 25/04/2006 22:20

Hee hee Davros I know! Will be most time I've ever spent away from kids (or DH come to think of it!) Jimjams - I did think about hotel too. Don't want to miss any late night drinking/gossipWink. Feel I can't justify cost if my brother will put me up, but if he's away or something I will def do it. Or we could take over his house come to think of it!!!
Can you tell I'm getting rather pathetically excited...?

OP posts:
Jimjamskeepingoffvaxthreads · 25/04/2006 23:00

Apparently there are special rates at the holiday inn. The person running it rang me today and I was saying I wasn;t sure whether to stay at the hotel or with a friend. initially she said save money stay with a friend, then she said that there is lots of late night networking going on and that can be useful, then when she heard I had 3 kids told me to splash out stay and use the health club - so unless its hideously exoensive that's what I'll do!

Davros · 26/04/2006 20:50

Hotel, Hotel, Hotel!!!

Blossomhill · 26/04/2006 21:48

I live in Surrey so this is well worth me looking into.

Thanks for the info jj :)

Jimjamskeepingoffvaxthreads · 26/04/2006 22:30

PMSL- I've kind of decided that Davros. Hmmm mini-bar, kingsized bed (with no snoring dh, or crying ds3), and TV. Bliss. :)

Original poster
sphil · 26/04/2006 23:27

Jimjams - have just spent two hours reading through the Growing Minds website! Do you think there will be an opportunity for us to follow up the training course in Woking with some sort of individual package? (I guess it would have to be the Distance Learning option.) I looked at the discussion forum and there was some talk of Growing Minds programmes being funded by some LEAs - do you know anything about this? My feeling is that if DS2 is going to cope in m/s school, he'll need to be following a similar programme there to the one he's doing at home - the problem I have at the moment is getting him to generalise what he can do at home when he's at nursery. I can see the Growing Minds approach being workable in school (well early primary at least) because it combines play based approaches with adult directed tasks. This is quite similar to what we're doing with him at the moment: a mixture of Floortime and what we call 'Table time' - adult led activities. Floortime is usually successful; Table time often not! I'm hoping the course will give me some ideas on that, though tbh I've picked up quite a lot from reading through the discussion forum threads.

One more question - have you (or anyone) heard of the Dr Danczak that they mention on the website? (I'll probably be really embarrassed now because he's hugely famous...)I tried to go to his website (autismmanagement.com) but it just says that the domain is for sale. Am becoming more and more frustrated by my inability to creack the diet/behaviour related issue with DS2. His sleep had improved so much but it's like we're back to square one - completely hyper for two hours at least when he goes to bed and waking anywhere between 3 and 5am. Doing a lot more spinning during the day too with some periods of loud hyperactivity - unusual for him as he's normally quite placid.
Sorry - long post Blush

OP posts:
Jimjamskeepingoffvaxthreads · 26/04/2006 23:31

I have a friend who used dr danzack and said he was good, tried to persuade me to use him. I didn't because he said all children should be vaccinated so I didn't think we'd get on. :o

I used Nutrilink. Michael Ash REALLY knows his stuff when it comes to biomedical autism stuff. I would say he is the best I have come across in the UK. He's in Devon, but does everything by phone. \link{http://www.autismfile.com/nutrilink.htm\nutrilink}

When ds1 was a m/s I talked to the school about using Growing Minds and they were happy with doing that, in the end it didn't happen I did ABA P/T at home anyway.

Original poster
sphil · 27/04/2006 21:06

Really useful as usual Jimjams - thanks! Will prob avoid Dr D for same reason...

OP posts:
Davros · 27/04/2006 22:36

I have heard of chicken danzack... a bit too hot for me Grin

Jimjamskeepingoffvaxthreads · 27/04/2006 22:52

PMSL

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