So it turns out that DD2 is not 'fine' according to the OT!

[lougle]

Potted history:
We suspect ASD
School agree off the record but deny on the record
SALT disagrees with us & says she's 'fine'.
In a meeting, SALT asks what OT thinks. I say 'haven't heard anything except that she's a fidget bum'. School SENCO says "that's just what DD2 said!" and the OT says she's fine.
I withdrew DD2 from school to HE.

Roll on to a new term, when I get a phone call from the OT to arrange 'feedback'. I'm clearly confused because 'she's fine'.

Long story short, the OT days that she was cleverly masking in class, that she's got quite significant proprioceptive difficulties, that her manual dexterity is on the 9 th centile and that she has a list of recommendations, including weighted lap pads, chewies, theraputty, therabands to strengthen her shoulders, move n sit cushion, making sure she's sitting in a chair with arms and a platform for her feet, etc.

She also suggested referral to an ASD specialist (private), rapproching ed psych team and contacting the SENCO of a local primary school to see if we could desensitise DD2 to the school environment.

I'm not quite sure if I should be hanging on to the HE (going well, DD2 enjoys it) or trying to get her back into a school with decent support.

Thanks, Polter. We'll see.

Nothing like making a decision lougle!!

I really hope it works for your Dd's

great news, I hope they are both very happy there.

DD3 is wobbling hugely. She is so close to her best friend at school. I don't mean the 5 year old 'she's nice' sort of best friend, but the 'takes 30 minutes to drag you away from each other in the car park because you keep hugging each other' sort of best friend.

She's not feeling so good today, and has interpreted a scowl from BF to be an indication that she doesn't want to be friends.

I wish I had half your decisivness! Best of luck you birth your girls

Thank you. I don't know if it's decisive or desperate! I just think that she's got the best chance of settling if she integrates at the beginning of the school year, before friendship groups are set and she's missed lots of the curriculum.

I think I'm finding it so difficult because DD3 is expressing emotions in a way that dd2/dd1 never have. She's just said "but what if Katie is the best friend I'll ever have?", which I think is quite profound for a just turned 5 year old!

She'll be fine. She's a very sociable little thing.

Wow!! That is deep for a 5 yr old!!

She will be a great friend to someone else when she moves to her new school

Well this morning was suitably awful.

Dd3 wouldn't get dressed for school. I persuaded her to dress for school, so when I got her to she could hug Katie. Then she'd already gone into her classroom. So we had to break in to the classroom for a hug.

Meanwhile, her Mum was in tears about it all. As was I.

Any way. It will all be ok.

Wow, lougle!

Hopefully the girls will settle well. The other kids will be fascinated by them, so I'm sure that new friendships will be forged.

Wow, Lougle what a turn of events!

Did the OT try and give any sort of explanation about the delay giving feedback?

Best of luck for tomorrow!

Honk honk honk honk

I can only imagine it was because she was at school so the OT must give feedback to the school, which meant she waited until term started

Good luck lougle. That is a fast turn around. I hope it all works out for the best for both dds.

Thank you!

We've got a very excited girl, so I just hope it lives up to her vision.

hope it goes well, good luck

Will be thinking of you and DD2 and DD3 tomorrow.

Good luck for the morning lougle and your Dd's

Oh good idea, zzzzz. Macaroni cheese is her favourite. Super easy. Monday is swimming lesson night, which she adores.

I am shattered. And broke! 2 full sets of uniform plus PE kit.

I think I'm a bit emotionally broken, tbh. My sister is very unhappy (understatement) with my decision to move DD3 and feels we're effectively sacrificing DD3 for DD2's sake. So that's not easy. Plus the knowledge that DD3's friend is really sad and her mum was really upset (but lovely).

I'm going to phone the OT tomorrow and hope she hasn't left the NHS yet ask her to make an appointment with the new SENCO to share the report.
You're all fabulous, you know. Have some honks for your week ahead.

Well they went in. DD2 was hit with nerves at 8 am. DD3 was fine, but worried that she didn't know where the toilets were .

They were met by the HT (previously hadn't met her) and the office lady. She took them to their classrooms, all sorted.

DD2 is going to be exhausted, isn't she? She's used to doing 30 mins - 1 hour of maths 1:1, then pretty much free learning. I'm wibbling.

It will be ok. It will be ok....