Tilly

I must admit that this topic is because I have been thinking a lot about the hand flapping thread. When my dd was first dxd at 3 and attended the CDU she was repeatedly told 'good looking' everytime some one spoke and I was told to back this up at home. This carried on when she went to mainstream nursery and for the following 2 years at mainstream school, even the other children would say it to her. At the time this was the 'right' thing to do, and to help my child I went along with this. Now we have come full circle and the 'professionals' have decided that this need not be done now The point I'm trying to get across is that we all want what is best for our child and do whats right for us at the time. Has anyone else been told to do certain things with their children and now been told thats a practice they don't endorse anymore. Tilly

Does anyone know what the guidelines are relating to the banding of difficulties. My dd can read and write has some general knowledge but non of these are age appropriate. I would say she was about 3 - 4 years behind her peers. She can do quite a few things independently washing, getting dressed, going to the toilet etc. On one of her reports it was written that she had moderate ld but on another it said severe and this was from the same department! Has anyone elses child got learning difficulties as well as ASD. Tilly

SHOULD HAVE GONE TO SPECSAVERS

Well I did attend this conference on Friday. I found it very informative and was pleased that it finished on a positive note, and our children can reach some of their goals. I'd be interested to know if anyone else went and what were their views of the day. tilly

Does your child look forward to going back to school or loathes it. My dd creates something terrible on school mornings. Sunday evenings use to make me feel physically sick knowing what she would be like on Monday morning. So today I woke up with that lead feeling in my stomach ready for WWIII to break out. She did ask whether she had to go to school today or not and when I explained she had to she wasn't best thrilled but put up no resistance. I'm praying and keeping everything crossed this is what it will be like on a morning from now on At our coffee morning parents would tell me that their child really enjoys school and couldn't wait to be back and would be waiting for the transport to come and collect them. Tilly

How about one of those smoke bombs the gardeners use in the greenhouses to kill all the bugs, I would do it in the evening but I would warn your neighbours in case the call the fire brigade. I also went to Herrington Country Park today if anyone lives locally its a fab day out and there are a pair of swans with 9 cygnets. Best of luck Gardenia Tilly

I must admit I stop Dd from doing certain things, and now I'm feeling a bit guilty but on the other hand I've had to stop her doing quite a few things that she 'enjoyed'. i.e. walking around naked, constantly fast forwarding and rewinding dvd, chewing her hair. When I do stop her doing her 'stims' I always try to give her an alternative. She was always told if she wanted to chew on something to get some chewing gum. I think it depends on the childs understanding whether to stop them or not. In my case I do try to stop what I think is unacceptable. I must admit dd has been on the receiving end of hand flapping and came home from school with a bashed nose as a boy in her class was very excited at the thought of going swimming and began flapping furiously - bless. Tilly

ALWAYS

My daughter is the complete opposite. She absolutely hates school and lets them know it. Home is her comfort zone and she comes in kicks her shoes of T.V remote in one hand, slouches on the settee and says "Ahh this is the life". Some might think I'm lucky but I often get down knowing how upset she is at school but most days that is the only time she goes out I wish I was a stonger person and home ed her but I don't think that would do her any great favours at the moment. Tilly

We took both our daughters to Euro Disney when dd was 6 and they loved it and dd was beautifully behaved. We asked if she had a nice time and she said yes, but I won't go again. Three years later we decided to go in December we booked the tickets etc. and told dd where we were going. She promptly told us I told you I'm not going anymore. Dh was all for making her go but to tell you the truth the idea of it was making me . So my sister and her granddaughter took their places and I went with dd1. We had a wonderful time and dd1 got to do many of the things that she couldn't do last time. You are so busy and occupied at Eurodisney I didn't have time to dwell on dd2 but we came home with a bag full of goodies. So I would recommend taking her. Tilly P.s dh said that she was no bother at home and he took her places which she enjoys.

I don't give these to my dd but she does take the eye Q fish oil. Like your little 'un her hair and also her nails are beautiful and grow really quickly. I don't know if it has improved her concentration or not, but as her diet is so poor I will keep giving her a spoonful a day as long as she takes it. I must say that before dd started taking the oil she was constantly constipated and this is now a thing of the past. My friend has stopped giving it to her ds as he is prone to diaorrhea and this became worse when taking the oil. Tilly

March

As I have mentioned lately I have been reading a book about sensory issues from the childs experiences. The boy in question says that he found certain pyjamas or sheets uncomfortable and a big help for him was to sleep on flannel sheets, or his pjs were warmed in the tumble drier before he went to bed. He also says dim lights or tiny noises at night time were a big problem. The same boy also had trouble with having a bath until his parents used cool water. He also had his body brushed regularly with a special brush to educate his body to feel things like other kids do, - although he does say it was the longest six weeks of his life and that it felt like dinosaurs nibbling at him!! Its a good read Tilly

No I wouldn't put my daughter in one. In the past I have given one of those Toby Henderson Trust cards to a couple of people when she has kicked off big style. Tilly

Fall-out

Bay

I have this problem too I've been known to brush her hair in her sleep - Very carefully. I use the detangler. leave in conditioner, plait for bed etc. but no matter what she has a big tat (thats what we call them up here) in a certain part of her hair. At one point when she was on school holidays and didn't want her hair brushed she looked like a little cave girl. For the people who live in our neck of the woods and know of the fella with the otters tail for hair (honestly you have to see it to believe it) I pointed out his hair to dd and I told her she would end up with hair like him - so far so good. Happy brushing Tilly

Court

Lovely post Lauren. I'm delighted you have got the school package you wanted. Well done and I look forward to reading more of your posts. Tilly

Exhibit

I'm reading a book called Sensory Smarts. Much of it is written from the perspective of a 12 year old who has suffered from sensory integration. If you can borrow a copy from your local library I would give it a read. It is very enlightening to hear it from the horses mouth. SENSORY SMARTS (A Book for Kids with ADHD or Autism Spectrum Disorders Struggling with Sensory Integration Problems) Tilly

I attend a very informal coffee morning which is a giggle a minute from beginning to end. We have a chat tea and biscuits and have had a few occasional nights out together. I've made some really good friends there. We have invited people to do a talk on varying things. We have had a social worker, a leisure link worker, the schools SALT and we are inviting a teacher to discuss social stories. Sometimes having other parents know exactly where you are coming from is a comfort, and picking up hints and tips from others who have been there done that, got the t-shirt is a great asset. I like to attend a light hearted meeting as I have too many heavy moments at home. I'm sure you'll make it a great success T-M Tilly

I love it. Sometimes its the only time I hear an adult conversation!! Unfortunately dd hates it and is already getting upset about the big countdown. Tilly

Following on from another topic I thought it would be interesting to know what words are best not said. These are the current ones in our house:- MIDNIGHT - Something to do with the witching hour I think DUCKS - bird flu? FIRE SMOKE BURNING and of course the one thats been ongoing for years SCHOOL For me I don't allow the F word directed at me FAT Tilly

Tricky one isn't it? I haven't told many about dd dx as I wanted to be the one who told her and for her not to hear it from anyone else. I had to stop using the word special as dd sister wanted to know why she was more special than her I've had to start using the word 'additional' needs to stop the green eyed monster resurfacing. I tell you in our house you have to think twice before you open your mouth so as not to upset the apple cart. Good Luck Tilly