Reception auties 2018/19 - thread 2

[openupmyeagereyes]

Thanks to LightTripper for the thread title. This is the continuation of the thread for parents and carers of dc with autism in their reception year at school. Please join us if you can or, if you have dc due to start reception in 2019, feel free to drop by and ask us questions.

Thread 1

I can understand that dimples. Our ds uses a baby bjorn insert for the toilet and a little step. He can manage without but it’s much more comfortable for him rather than trying to hold himself up with his hands while doing a poo. Plus he often takes a book or the iPad to the toilet

The good thing with the Tripp Trapps/Baby Dans is they are really strong, so grown ups can sit on them too (I quite often just perch on DD's Baby Dan if she is sitting on my chair or if we have adults over in the evening and I CBA to get a fold-out out of the cupboard). So hopefully wouldn't seem too babyish but would give a bit of support?

Otherwise you could try just a step under the chair? We've got this one just as a step up in the bathroom and kitchen to get the kids to counter-height/sink-height. Cheap and cheerful and not too babyish.
www.amazon.co.uk/CHILDRENS-TRAINING-KITCHEN-BATHROOM-Impressions/dp/B00C4CR9X8/ref=pd_bxgy_img_2/278-4544982-0133003?psc=1&pf_rd_p=07e3e597-b71b-4701-a3fd-d79c50f48406&_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_wg=z1n80&pf_rd_r=3JANAS0JYYNTQN0HQCD1&pd_rd_i=B00C4CR9X8&pd_rd_w=oO4C7&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&refRID=3JANAS0JYYNTQN0HQCD1&pd_rd_r=4bfc64b5-4964-11e9-ac16-e5e50e8372e3

Ds was up for the day at 2:30 today. He’s gone into school, goodness knows how it’s going! I’m feeling a bit guilty about sending him in but it’s so hard to know what to do. I didn’t want him to get the idea that waking super early gets him off school but maybe he’s just not feeling well?

I keep hoping they’ll call me soon to come and pick him up.

Ouch open! I think you were right to try to keep the routine though. Hopefully he'll be tired enough to have a good night tonight though I know it doesn't always work out that way!

Thanks Light. He was ok today apparently though very tired. He fell asleep on the way home and is currently asleep on the sofa. I’ll let him have an hour then wake him. Hopefully some melatonin tonight will help get him to sleep at a decent time later.

Wow Open - I’m amazed that he made it through the day okay. Hope that he has a better night tonight.

My boy is sleeping well at the moment but I’m not - so frustrating.

Another toileting accident at school today - I don’t know what I can really do. He was accident free (daytime) from Easter to September last year but then when he started school accidents began again at home and school. Since November he’s been fine again outside school but the accidents have persisted at school - it’s been 2 or 3 times a week for about four months now. Do you think it’s worth involving the school nurse or a continence service?

It can’t hurt to speak to the continence service? Surely it’s an anxiety thing? Or maybe he’s just concentrating so hard at school that he’s missing the signs?

Ds is still wet most mornings since starting school when previously he was dry most mornings. Thankfully he’s ok during the day so far.

This morning actual light could be seen at the top of my curtains when I woke up around 5:55. A rare thing here though, obviously, it’s getting lighter earlier. I’m slightly concerned about this as ds woke shortly after me and then came into our room and opened the curtains and blind because it was ‘morning’. Slightly dreading it being light at 4am over the summer...

Thanks Open - going to the toilet was a real flashpoint at nursery and it seems the same at school. I have had frequent accident slips relating to falls/slips etc in the toilets (we get loads of accident slips any way but a large proportion seem to relate to the toilet). I think that I'm going to have to push the toileting issue at the EHCP review...

DS was mostly dry in the mornings before he started school and then wet every morning. For the last couple of weeks it's been 2 or 3 dry mornings a week.

I'm worried about the clocks changing too but more about going to bed - in DS's mind if it's light he should be up

Well that’s strange, isn’t it. No wonder he’s not keen on going there poor thing. Definitely bring it up at the EHCP review.

I should have asked, but why are you not sleeping well?

Thanks Open - no real cause for my insomnia I just keep waking repeatedly during the night and having really odd dreams that I feel the need to analyse!

dimples I hope the insomnia has settled down.

How is everyone?

We met with ds’s new teacher this morning. She seems very nice and said she has a similar child with autism in her current class which is good to hear. She is planning on keeping everything the same, though they do a lot of work next term to prepare for the transition to year 1. We discussed him repeating reception and his current teacher thinks there is no need. She said he will/may find aspects of it difficult and he will need an individualised curriculum, and of course he will get a lot of support. The head teacher also said he will keep his current TA support which is a relief.

I’m looking forward to the Easter holidays. It will be nice to have him around more.

That all sounds really positive open.

Sorry I've been a bit quiet, we've been in family norovirus hell for the past week or so and are finally coming out the other side!

Otherwise all is ok here. It took me 25mis to get ds home from school today (it's normally a 2 min walk). Lots of dramatic collapses on the pavement coupled with trying to run off to the park . Anyway I miraculously kept my temper and we're home in one piece.

On another note I just read Phillipa Perry's book 'The book you wish your parents had read...'. I thought it was amazing. Not about special needs at all but really interesting about acknowledging children's emotions and seeing all behaviour as communication.

liv well done for keeping your temper with such a tricky walk home ! Thanks for the book recommendation, it looks good. I still need to finish the Michael Rosen one, I had a slight detour onto lifestyle books...

Yes, it was really positive. He has made great progress. However, while we were waiting we were looking at some ‘good’ story writing examples from each class and the reception example was miles away from where he is now. It’s a bit sad to think that your child is on the bottom end of the scale (I know someone has to be) but pointless to dwell on it. He is happy and healthy and that’s what’s most important.

The teacher and head are very good to point out that lots of children have different (and similar) issues and that it’s not the case that all the other children are doing miles better than him in every area.

Sorry, and I’m glad you’re all recovering. Norovirus is awful.

Yeah I know what you mean. I think in our case ds is so far off the end of the chart he not comparable to the other children really. I just keep reminding myself that he has some skills that the other children don't.

Exactly. And I saved this quote from a poster on another thread:

Try not to compare her with her peers. That way madness lies. Instead concentrate on what she can do now that she couldn't do last month or last year.

Wise words I thought.

Wise words indeed Open.

Liv glad to hear that you are shaking the noro virus off.

DS fell asleep yesterday afternoon and then didn't settle at night. I found him in his tent with his favourite toys 'at worship'. I was so pleased to see him engaging in imaginary play more - some definite upsides to being the parent of a child with SEN when you can feel joy at all these little steps.

My DS goes to a CofE school but I'm not religious. He told me that they had been learning about Easter today. I asked what he had learnt about and he said 'Easter eggs and some stuff about Jesus'

Easter eggs and some stuff about Jesus 😂

dimples we’re the same, CofE school but not religious. It’s just such a lovely school that I don’t care.

He's got the premise of Easter down dimples

Amazing !!

We have some religious relatives who got DD a proper Easter book when she was about 3 that has the whole story (cross, nails, the lot) and she loved it. She is very interested in Jesus ("but who killed him?" "but why did they?") - and not being religious I always struggle!

Although we've also just done the discussion about why, no, actually, it's not that funny that there is a food named after chickens called "chicken" because, erm, ....

That's just reminded me that the Easter book is hidden somewhere ... maybe I should get it out again (or maybe I should let her think it's all actually just about chocolate and chicks/bunnies!)

I'm also looking forward to the holidays. DD is very tired, bedtimes are getting really tricky the last week or so. She will really benefit from a proper rest!

Light I would get it out, discuss with dd and then donate it if you’re not keen. Do they touch on the roots of Easter at non-CofE schools? It’s good that your dd is curious anyway.

I got ds a visual weekly calendar today to help him see which days are school days and which aren’t as most days he asks where he’s going today. It will be interesting to see if it helps. I got it on Amazon but I’ve just ordered a holidays expansion pack from their website. I probably could have printed some from Twinkl but I wanted them all to look the same!

He’s had a slight cough the last couple of days, mostly at night but it’s worse today. He woke coughing at 2:30 this morning and I though that was it but he went back to sleep after almost an hour and then slept until almost 6. I think tonight might be worse.

@openupmyeagereyes we have twinkl too.

danni I haven’t used it much lately, I must do as I pay £9.99 a month for it.

liv I downloaded the Philippa Perry book and am really enjoying it. Very similar to the Aha Parenting approach. Psychologists seem to have similar views which are very different to the Supernanny type approach.

Amazingly ds slept well last night despite coughing awfully up to going to sleep. He’s been off today due to cough and runny nose. Hopefully he’ll be improved tomorrow.