GROUP POST

[Guest guest]

I have always felt that (7 AS) would do better in a mainstream school mainly because there are no specialist schools near us. The only alternative is putting him in the local special needs school which caters mainly for children with learning difficulties and he is far in advance of his peer group now so I didn't wan him to be pulled back again. Hopefully our local authority is opening a school unit for kids with Autistic spectrum disorders next year so I might have to reconsider then. The main problem with 's schooling is because there is nothing visibly wrong with him, both teachers and pupils forget that he is different and he often gets confused or left out of things.

Look forward to hearing from you all as your posts are a great support to us even if we don't post as often as we should!

Beth

[Guest guest]

I have always felt that (7 AS) would do better in a mainstream school mainly because there are no specialist schools near us. The only alternative is putting him in the local special needs school which caters mainly for children with learning difficulties and he is far in advance of his peer group now so I didn't wan him to be pulled back again. Hopefully our local authority is opening a school unit for kids with Autistic spectrum disorders next year so I might have to reconsider then. The main problem with 's schooling is because there is nothing visibly wrong with him, both teachers and pupils forget that he is different and he often gets confused or left out of things.

Look forward to hearing from you all as your posts are a great support to us even if we don't post as often as we should!

Beth

[Guest guest]

Hi Sharon:

Thanks for the nudge to post. I am sorry that it has taken me so long to

respond, just kids and work etc. To answer your question about dealing with

other peoples opinions about my son's behavioural issues, depending on how I

am feeling, I just tend to ignore them. I agree completely with the others

on the list who have a) developed a thick skin, increased their selective

deafness, and c) just believed that my son and I are doing our best. I

don't even try to educate people about his condition unless they openly ask

questions. My mil will make all sorts of comments about what we should or

could do with him, but won't do any of the reading that I suggest or check

any of the sites that I send to her. I just won't allow the 2 of them in

the same room alone together. It does tend to be a shame, but it really is

her loss. She is losing out on some neat experiences with a really cute

kid. I won't even enter into parenting debates or discussions with my

friends because my son doesn't fit the norm and parenting is such an

individual situation that I end up coming away feeling judged, I will

protect myself and my son from that situation. I guess that my biggest

support is my mother, and some tremendously close family friends who are

kind of act like my mom and dad. They have loved my son since he was a

newborn and support us wholeheartedly, even to the point of coming to IEP's

with me. I am very blessed to have them. Thanks for all the effort that

you put into this list, it does make for some interesting reading. God

Bless You Sharon.

Barbara.

[Guest guest]

Hi Sharon:

Thanks for the nudge to post. I am sorry that it has taken me so long to

respond, just kids and work etc. To answer your question about dealing with

other peoples opinions about my son's behavioural issues, depending on how I

am feeling, I just tend to ignore them. I agree completely with the others

on the list who have a) developed a thick skin, increased their selective

deafness, and c) just believed that my son and I are doing our best. I

don't even try to educate people about his condition unless they openly ask

questions. My mil will make all sorts of comments about what we should or

could do with him, but won't do any of the reading that I suggest or check

any of the sites that I send to her. I just won't allow the 2 of them in

the same room alone together. It does tend to be a shame, but it really is

her loss. She is losing out on some neat experiences with a really cute

kid. I won't even enter into parenting debates or discussions with my

friends because my son doesn't fit the norm and parenting is such an

individual situation that I end up coming away feeling judged, I will

protect myself and my son from that situation. I guess that my biggest

support is my mother, and some tremendously close family friends who are

kind of act like my mom and dad. They have loved my son since he was a

newborn and support us wholeheartedly, even to the point of coming to IEP's

with me. I am very blessed to have them. Thanks for all the effort that

you put into this list, it does make for some interesting reading. God

Bless You Sharon.

Barbara.

[Guest guest]

Trish, it was so nice to hear from you and know all is o.k. Give rh a big hug

for us. Thanks for responding to the group post, and wow. I think it's neat

you forget about everyone else and concentrate on making RH feel secure.

What a great mom. A week off, wow again, and autism conferences. Please let

us know how things go when you get back, and God bless, Sharon

[Guest guest]

Trish, it was so nice to hear from you and know all is o.k. Give rh a big hug

for us. Thanks for responding to the group post, and wow. I think it's neat

you forget about everyone else and concentrate on making RH feel secure.

What a great mom. A week off, wow again, and autism conferences. Please let

us know how things go when you get back, and God bless, Sharon

[Guest guest]

Ha List, yes Sharon, I am STILL here and finally I sit down for a little bit

of writing (for in a few hours I leave my family here, to have a little

break of a week (amazingly!!) gone and far away, being such a tourist and

even do two conferences on autism... (yeah I know this is once in a life

time I guess....) )

Now RH is being 5, and his odd behaviour is being noticed by lots and lots.

For one: I just hate the supermarket so to do shopping with RH, it is like

the 2 of us against the enemy )

RH hates it too. Too much people, noise, colours, and things. With his tall

appearance, he just finds his safety in the little kids seat in the kart,

and he may (although the boy is getting too heavy here ))

RH will always draw some attention. If he doesn't feel well, he is angry a

lot, and everybody will know for he talks loud....

And if RH feels just okay, he SINGS quite loudly )

So one way or another, people look, see, stare. And at first I saw ALL those

faces, being irritated (I think). Nowadays I don't look anyone in their face

anymore. THAT safes a lot of stress with the mama here....

And if I notice someone is looking at RH, sometimes making remarks, or even

TOUCH him (wrong wrong wrong) I just put my arms around him, give him such a

sensory integration squeeze hug, and tell him, as loud as the other people

will hear, that I know that this situation is extremely difficult for him,

but that he is doing GREAT and that I am ever so PROUD of him....

Trish

(so for a couple of days, I have set my membership on NO MAIL/WEB ONLY

business, but thought to pick this one out, and let you Sharon and other

know I am still around (like tumbleweed ))

Oh and I changed my address into trishalina@... for the other one

bounced to much (so this is just the same old Trish)

Be back in some more than a week...