You know your are an parent of a child with Special needs when.......

[mieow]

your mobile contains phone numbers for physio, SALT, Ot, hospitals etc

You are on a first name basis when all the people involved with the care of your child.

When your house is full of equiment and you really can't fit anymore in, but you will take more in coz you have to...

Hee hee - agree with all of those mieow! Our consultant phoned yesterday and introduced himself by his first name for the first time.... guess that means I'm now well and truly part of the club.

How about....

Most of your conversations include at least one acronym and you know what SALT, ASD, DS, SN, NT, OT, DLA, CP, SENCO, SEN, AS, ADHD all stand for.

and your pinboard is full of appt letters etc as well mieow?

you have to look at the calender everyday just to check there ISN'T an appointment

lol. any today my dear?

are you picking me up this evening?

Yes one appointment today with Dd1 education advisor, and two on thursday

yes i'll pick u up

I think its funny when you start talking to people and use the acronyms and they look at you strangely!!

I decided against a new diary in January,instead I have gone back to my old filofax!! It just seemed easier to keep track of all the names,numbers and appointments. That reminds me - I must get next years soon - I am taking "bookings" already!
My dinning room (where the computer sits in the corner) has been taken over by books about SALT, DS, I have my felt board lurking around the house with laminated cards stuck everywhere!!!I have categorised toys in baskets in a attempt to be organised,this basket is for working on things like matching(colours,same as...)this basket is for self help skills, pretend food, dressing up clothes.....
Shalll I go on..

.....you're not embarassed about talking about teasing out constipated poos (in the pub).

.....having sworn that you'd never go digital, at the mention of cbeebies you say 'where do I sign?'

IKWYM about the equipment - it seems to breed.

LOL at this thread!

Another one here with a pinboard full of appointments!

.....leaving the house always requires a full-scale military operation.

......you see a child screaming on the floor and think "Well that doesn't even come close to a meltdown".

.....you never take anything at face value.

I have just got rid of the two bath seats that the kids had to use when they were younger!!YAH!!!

Was talking about buggys today! Still on waiting list for a referral for a major, [hopeful emoticon]just glad I found this one to make do for now as dd had outgrown most standard buggys.
One of ds's little friends came up to us and asked how old dd was. I said 3, she replied that her little sister was 3 and that she was walking, why was dd still in a buggy, I replied that she needed extra help with walking!
Wouldn't it be marvellous not to have to clamber over the buggy as soon as you step in the front door. I would leave it in the back of my car but it takes so long to try to squeeze it in there!
He he....don't quite know what I'd do if we ever get a major-no chance that would fit in!
Have aqquired some more flash cards on loan from Portage this afternoon, there are now spread all over my dinner table. Suppose I'd better get off of here & tidy then if I plan for us to have dinner tonight.

You think its great progress when DS laughs at his own farts!
You get excited by laminators, velcro and other practical, not pretty, stationery
Because of being TOO physically able you've got a strapping DS squahsed into a supermarket trolley (just given this up at 9yrs old)
You're always ready with a retort to anyone looking at your child or your blue badge strangely

Davros!

You accept that whilst watching the Rembrance Day Service, the RAF with flat caps are 'Postmen Pats' and the Marines in their white helmets are 'Firemen Sams' ... according to dd whilst she's giving you a really special cuddle with her single bed groaning under both our weight!

Top tip Dingle. Forget the filofax and calendar. I use a Yahoo internet calendar, sends me email reminders and can be set to repeat appts and each appts has room for location etc. Still haven't cracked using the computer to store all addresses, phone nos etc though.

OOh Davros, too technical for me! She says as she was surprised by the knock on the dorr this afternoon and even more surprised to find my Portage worker on the other side of it!
Even my filofax is too technical for me ATM it seems!
Might have to investigate though!

Darvos, in Morrisons they do "disabled kids" trolleys, for big kids. I use them for Ds and DD1

They've never had one at mine mieow and it is one of the supermarkets I have used most as its near (although I hate it!). I have totallly stopped going there as the staff are soooo rude. I have modified the shopping I do with DS, we just do "foot/basket" shopping together now which is fine, he enjoys it and its good practice!

one of your double kitchen cupboards is set aside for medicines etc, and you still run out of room.

You have a filing cabinet (well a large folder at least) full of reports on your child!

when you find yourself using signs with the shop assistant ect. when you are up at four every morning. when you are still putting nappies on your kids and they are six years old. when you have a lock on the outside of your bathroom door.

When you spend three weekd filling in the dreaded DLA forms and then spend the next 4-12 weeks panicking that you didn't do it right and you are sure they will turn your child down

When the phone rings during the day ..you just know its school saying come quick he's done a runner!!!

When you go to wash your hair and the shampoo bottle you brought yesterday is empty because it's been smeared all over the shower wall!!!

When your pre-children friends don't invite you round for barbies in the summer cus they can't cope with your childs behaviour!!!!

When you spend all night trawling the net for answers!!!

When your child tells you he "sometimes loves you more than Bart Simpson" and then bites your leg!!!

When your high 'safely out of reach' areas just get higher and more cluttered. Meanwhile all your friends have got past that stage and have lovely ORNAMENTS! (remember those?)

WE laugh about the minimalist look.
We decided to have wooden ornaments in the conservatory because the ledges were so low.
We joke about "sky hooks" because of the "safe places" are getting higher & higher.
Had to apologise at ds's school the other day as dd had ripped out a page of his school book and shredded it!
Our neighbour broke our doorframe of our bathroom door-just couldn't imagine why anyone needed a lock on the outside!
The need to re-assess safety,as dd can now open yet another safety gate.