You know you have special needs child when......

[ShinyHappyRocketsGoingBANG]

(a thread like this was the first I ever encountered on MN and I cried with laughter and relief. So can we have another one? It's too long ago to be able to find and resurrect..)

You know you have an SN child when...

..everything in your house is getting higher and higher in order to keep it out of harm's way.. so high that even poor-little-short-DH can't reach some things...

.. your storage cupboards are fixed together with hair bobbles...

..you have a whole filing cabinet devoted to the your SN child's various reams of paperwork...

When;
Your child has more letters after their name than your GP
your child gets more post than the rest of the house.
All the windows in the house look like they've been invaded by slugs.
your house constantly smells of stale, smeared milk & food. No matter how hard I try I can't find it all.
The only considerations when buying a new car is the size of the boot & lockable rear windows.
You've constantly got a back ache & bags under your eyes.

All the windows in the house look like they've been invaded by slugs.

I am laughing so hard in agreement to that right now, can I add the tv looks like it has the same treatment, but with some snails thrown in for good measure

When toys cost a fortune and only avaliable from specialist suppliers.

When nappies have 4 tapes instead of 2.

When you have a PHD in Thomas the tank engine studies.

When you can spot a Maclaren major from a mile away.

When you get to jump the queues at theme parks.

When you find yourself on MN SN board!

Our tv was the but dh has just justified buying a flat screen so we can have it mounted on the chimney breast out of tongue reach
dh is going to be so angry when ds2 works out how to reach it!

And you don't even have an SN child do you Supportman? You are just a wonderfully dedicated, indeed supportive professional! Wish they were all like you!

Thanks shiny, no I don't have a SN child, although my little brother has autism does that count?

Is that why you chose to works with SNs SM?

My two think that escalators and lifts are a great treat too, Bullet.

• Your child wears clothes that are two sizes too small because they point blank refuse to wear anything else and aren't fooled by newer and bigger versions.

• Your book shelf wouldn't look out of place in a medical reference library.

• You can recite the scripts of entire films word-for-word.

When you read a post like this, and realise how lucky you really are.

Not really Shiny, I suppose it's because I was the other side of the fence as a child and I wanted to give something back.

Yes, I had special needs as a child and went to a special school from the age of 10 to 16.

Really? Wow.. good on you. You really have made a success of your life against the odds

you know every pead within 30 miles by their first name.

teachers in the upper school know you and your child by name even though he is only 7

the trolley man in ASDA knows that he is not allowed to help put the trolley back snd has to just watch in amusement as DS manouvers it unecessarily around 4 p[osts in order to put it in the corner of the trolley shelter.

when you have to buy 2 pairs of the same trousers because he spends more time on all fours than he does standing so he will wear a hole in them too quickly otherwise.

when every door in your house is closed ALWAYS.

When your 3 year old knows to just stand still and wait

Thanks again Shiny
I think thats why I am so good at my job (or so I am told , because I have been there and done that and can empathise.

you can only go to a park after 5pm.

your daughter has never seen the inside of a soft play centre

you have to turn every item of clothing inside out to check for "nobbly bits" before you can purchase.

you eat the same meal you ahev already had3 times this week as you are too tired to fight tongiht.

your 3yo is toilet trained but your 5yo is not.

you do not think anything out of the ordinary if a child goes into meltdown in a shop.

your 3yo is more capable of a variety of things than your 5yo.

you are amazed at the verbal skill of your 3yo and find yourself having amazing conversations.

instead of going to a pub for a Melbourne cup luncheon - your fabulous Down Syndrome association puts on a pamper morning tea with scrummy food, champers ( for those drinking) and wonderful therapists offering massages and facials.

when your 3yo thinks she too will go to a special education unit when she is as big as the 5yo.

when your 3yo thinks going off to see a doctor at the hospital is what everyone's family does.

when your 5yo sn child is still in a 5pt harness car seat whilst all her peers at kindy are in booster seats.

you have a lock in your fridge.

When you have to unlock the kitchen to make a cup of tea...... Very apt for us at the moment.

Thanks shiny and electra- think I'll stick to SN though. Am thinking of ignoring the rest of the site (can you ignore whole topics?)......

Oh and another - when you don't think its weird to be talking to someone in New York about whether or not she can teach your non-verbal child to read and write (she can teach non verbal children to read and write- she has- I just want to know whether she can teach 'this one' )

...When you live for Monday mornings and dread the school holidays in a way that makes you feel ill...

when you can't just go and wait for a bus into town but must phone the bus company first to find out when the one low floor bus will be along cos dd's wheelchair doesn't do 'normal' buses.

I have a bolt on every door in the house except for the lounge!!!! PMSL

and as for baby gates well no use in this house, he could scale them just a few months after he started to walk at 13 mths!!!LOL

You have biceps that you can crack walnuts with.....

When you feel you live on a roller coaster in a parallel universe to everyone else, and you just want to get off.

and when you spend your time reading messages by amazing people in the other carriages that you are never going to meet