Bizarre co0mment that made me fume but I don't actually know what title to give it.

[Peachy]

We took the boys to the Glastonbury Extravaganza on Saturday, not through wanting them to go but having nobody else to take them and not wanting us not to go, iyswim (DH big fan of The feeling). Bloody mindedness, my Mum would call it.

After the holiday, ds3 lost his recently gained continence completely (sigh but we'll live with it), more surprisingly we necame acutely aware how little time ds1 hazs (he's nearly 9) between knowing he needs the loo and wetting- about 2 minutes I guess, on one occasion we were on a boat and there was no loo so he wee'd everywhere- terrble for the poor lad .

Anyway, at interval time the toilets were heaving, massive queue and so DH took ds1 to the disabled toilet (if anyone doesn't know, ds1 does get DLA, AS / HFA plus other stuff). Steward comes bounding round corner- 'Oh-ha! I'll let you off this time'

DH- ' what on earth?'

'he can't use the disbaled olet'

dh- 'He's registered disabled' (sends ds1 in as ds1 clasping armsx and bounding desperately)

'he can't use them'

'He has autism'

'oh that's nice' [big grin from lady], 'you have been warned'

I know I coul;d kick up stink as I was once friendly with Head Stewrad; I also know they're volunteers as I have (and Dh has) Marshalled the event myself in the past. but WTF?

Until very recently we very rarely used the disabled loo's, we use them now mainly for ds3 as noew he is beigger it's hard to fit in a cibicle with hima nd if we don't he just piddles on the floor- and in last few weeks, he has needed them to have his nappy changed.

Bizarre indeed - did she just really not get what autism is or was she being sarcastic? I don't think I'd bother kicking up a stink but if you know the Head Steward perhaps you could mention that they should make sure stewards know who exactly is entitled to use the loos.

Since going on holiday my ds has developed a thing for weeing on bushes (we let him do it once as no toilet for miles). Admire you ability to get your kids in a toilet!

I wouldfind out who emplys/recruits stewards and send them aletter.

Oh I know very well who does it, have his mobile addy etc- although not spoken to him for years.

Write, don't phone.
AlsoCCto disability rights group.

I was considering a note along the lines of very good event, well marshalled but felt Stewards (he's a trainer of stewards br profession) could do with a bit more training on the matter? I guess my worry is that if I had send ds1 alone (unlikely but I guess someone might) we'd never have got him in a loo again.

Seuss- hope you have a lot of ushes and a big agrden.......

MD- can I pick your brains? School says they wasnt to withdraw DS3's statement next year as it's 'just a speech impediment'. Latest SALT report (received when we were away so bang up to date ) givves him 2 first percentile rankings (linguistic conceopts pre school, word structure), one fifth (sentence structure) one second (formulating labels)n and one sixteenth (basic concepts). Therew's nobody to explain it to me- I didnt even know they'd been in to assess!

That's NOT just a speech impediment!Education folk know very little about comm. issues. Ring salt and ask her to go through report with you.

Note idea is good. You will alos feel better for doing it.

His reception teacher gsranteed he'd recover in a year.... fortunately I am Not Stupid!

Will call salt yes, seeing Paed next month too

Well don't expect him to have anything useful to say on communication either!

agree with Moondog re:taking it up with the stewards.

and that "speech impediment" label is baloney - it's a language delay or disorder your DS3 has - speech impediment would surely just be a phonological problem - i.e. physical problem producing speech. and there are some kids on here who have statements for verbal dyspraxia anyway so saying speech impediment = no statement is rubbish anyway.

(Our salt last year implied that 1st centiles for s&l was enough in its own right to be entitled to apply for a statement)

that's interesting

he has a statement atm, but the 1-1 has been promoted- there's a massive shortage of lsa's here so I think they're thinking ds3 won't kick off as some would. Very true. I would however. He's a bright little soul witrh some real strengths that might just give him a chance (IT n particular, can quite envisage him working on say, program development from home). But he needs the input.

It's stupid; I wanted to be a TA or lsa next year for a year before my pgce but you have to ave a job before the course will tae you; however the course has been switched from evening to day so you cannot combine, and the schools don't recruit unqualified either. In contrastt, my ex-cm mate in somerset is qualified and desperate to be an LSA but there's 50 applicants to every job there!