Primary school auties thread 9 - spring / summer 2022.

[danni0509]

Thread 9.

Links to previous threads below.

For the parents / carers of children with additional needs, most of us have asd / adhd children in primary school, but anybody is welcome to join us to chat x

Thread 1
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs/3080753-DS-with-ASD-starting-school-Sept-2018-I-am-feeling-overwhelmed

Thread 2
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs/3451020-Reception-auties-2018-19-thread-2

Thread 3
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs/3628263-Auties-transition-to-Year-1-thread-3

Thread 4
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs/3748449-Primary-school-Auties-into-2020-thread-4

Thread 5
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs/3953023-Primary-school-auties-summer-and-beyond-thread-5?pg=1

Thread 6
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs/4166833-Primary-school-auties-spring-2021-and-beyond-thread-6?pg=1

Thread 7
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs/4303826-Primary-school-auties-summer-and-the-new-academic-year-thread-7

Thread 8
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs/4422100-Primary-school-auties-step-into-Christmas-and-the-New-Year-thread-8

Yes, crashing about ha! We got one of these body suit stretchy things that DS can get in if he needs the input and he still puts that over his eyes but at least its pretty much transparent!!
I just had the nicest bath after cold showers at the campsite, bliss!

Was there no hot water, you almost had sold this glamping malarkey to me Susan….??!! 🙄🙄🤣🤣🤣

Same here carrie, we had no hot water whilst we had our boiler and cylinder replaced last year and it was miserable!

susan glad you had a great week.

carrie glad that ds recovered, but sorry you found it a bit difficult.

We haven't been out much this week, ds hasn't wanted to do a great deal. We did manage 45 mins at the BBQ but ds refused to go out in the garden and stayed inside watching the TV so I'm not sure it really counts. It was quite busy so I can understand but it was a shame, regardless. There are a couple of children in the extended family that are less than a year younger than him and they are completely different. I have been trying to think of ways that I can gradually get him to socialise more but not having any real aha moments. Just baby steps is the best way I suppose and still giving him the opportunity, even if he doesn't want to participate.

Thankfully ds can be left to his own devices at home and he rarely gets up to mischief. A good job really since he's not at school much at the moment.

Hope it went OK @carriebradshawwithlessshoes

School Susan? It’s Weds……will update after that…

Sorry @carriebradshawwithlessshoes ha I'm terrible with remembering details, I was thinking about how your DS might be getting on and I've got the day wrong 🤣🤣
Ignore me!!

Back at his usual delightful school today!! Fun as ever! Thank you for thinking about us though and I’ll let you know x

I hope back to school is going ok for everyone. I didn't expect ds to go at all but he did. He needed 20 minutes persuasion to go and join his class outside and then only stayed for 20 minutes. Better than nothing.

I have started to fill out the DLA form which needs to be sent back next week. Any words of wisdom from anyone? Based on what it says, I think we are entitled to high rate care, just counting the school non-attendance and v early rising, but not sure we'd get anything for mobility.

Open Definitely use the cerebra DLA guide. I found there was lots I didn't think about putting in until read it.

Ds was back to school today. A bit miffed about going in but hopefully he's had a good day.

Thanks liv, we’ve downloaded the Cerebra guide. Do you have an example of something you wouldn’t have thought to put in otherwise?

@openupmyeagereyes think about everything extra you do and all the adaptions etc. Like with mobility, DS can physically walk, but I have to provide a substantially higher level of care in terms of watching him, predicting any running, not causing meltdowns by issuing too many demands, choosing and planning quieter routes, etc. I put it all in.

Eating: restrictive diet means separate meals for DS, specific temp to serve food, extra outlay on drinks bottles because he's not able to use normal cups due to motor skills issues, extra cost of sensory stuff he needs, chewelry, etc.

We get lower rate mobility based on the supervision DS needs to walk anywhere safely. He can walk long distances but without any impulse control. I think because his vestibular sense and executive functioning is weak and because of his attention issues he frequently has accidents, e.g. the other week he walked into a handrail causing a nose bleed because he was fixated on a doorbell and not paying any attention to where he was walking.

Just dropped DS at his transition morning 😬😬. Went in to reception ok, grinned at everyone but then proceeded to jump up and down and was reluctant to take the teachers hand to go in. Eventually she sort of hauled him off still bouncing around.

to say I’m nervous is an understatement! I really am not sure what they will get out of him if anything! Will report back later…. 😬😬

Fingers crossed carrie

Fingers crossed Carrie

Well he’s back (in his current school…) was only there a couple of hours but they said he was absolutely fine. They looked at some number work (didn’t say how he had done), then some outdoor stuff then a dvd. We expressed surprise he had sat, but they said yes, for all of it and showed a pic of him sitting nicely on a chair with other children. We said did he try and abscond and she said no! At current school he will only sit on someone’s knee (if at all) apparently.

So hopefully that wasn’t too bad?!?? I know it will all take time and apparently the first 6 weeks in Sep is really only about staff watching them.

That sounds fantastic. Well done him

Thanks Open. DS has form of starting out well then things going downhill once he feels his feet but I’ll keep you all posted either way.

Hope your application form filling in is progressing..!

When is he back there?

I haven’t done any more today yet but plan to do another 30 mins.

School continues to be one step forward, one step back, unfortunately.

Next weds. Has DS been in today Open?

He did but he refuses to join his class for outside time (I spent half an hour trying to persuade him) and when they went in he apparently stayed in the side room. He only really wanted to go for swimming which he loves. He seems to think he can just do the things he wants and opt out of the rest. Sigh.

He's anxious, that much is clear. And scared of some of the other children but impossible to get him to talk about it.

Do the staff have any thoughts? I know you were due a meeting with them, has that happened yet?

sorry if you have talked about this upthread but have you considered/ would you consider an EOTAS arrangement? I only mention as I seem to have spoken to loads of people recently for some reason who have one and say how well it works, with the DC opting into some school parts like the swimming but still getting a LA obligated education at home? I know v little but have just been listening in to others about the benefits…

They were going to start some Lego therapy for him (as a small group thing) and get him seen by EP and SALT. I need to follow up with them this week to make sure it happens.

I would prefer to have him in school if he is able to access it. He is an only child and being autistic, he's already socially disadvantaged. This may just not be the right school. If it comes to it, and is best for him, then I am prepared to home school him but I think there are more options before that. I'm keen to see what changes are made to his class and if this will help.