Eva

Hi everyone, Sojourn came round for dinner as planned, yay, and now he's gone out with dh for a drink. I think I drive him a bit crazy with my constant barrage of questions and suggestions - but I can't help it! (I'm very proud of myself; at least tonight I didn't go on and on about how he should eat something.) We'll help support Sojourn as best we can - he's a great guy, (wicked sense of humour), but it's up to him to accept - isn't it Sojourn! I explained that people want to help just because they do - no other reason. Thanks for all your support - we all appreciate it. Eva

Hi, Sojourn is a lovely guy and this is really worrying. He's not answering his phone at the moment so don't know if he'll get in touch again. He's supposed to be coming over round 7pm so we'll wait and see. If he doesn't turn up, then I'm going to go round to the place where he was originally staying and see if they know where he is now. If we do locate him, what do people suggest? I could help him find a support group but what else? I'm thinking of an AS- friendly doc. Keep you posted, Eva

Hi Frangipani, hey, you've forgotten about Don Chipp - a politician (but a good one). That was sad too. Cheers, Eva (I'm in Melbourne, where do you live?).

Do the molars fall out as well? Eva

Hi, my son stims mainly when he's happy. He paces/skips back and forth and hums tunelessly at the same time. It's a really nice headspace for him to be in. Eva

I made a big deal about how his new teeth are grown-up teeth, what a big boy he is and how exciting the whole event is. My dh got all cross with me when I didn't mention in the letter that the tooth fairy uses the teeth to build her castle - blimey, who comes up with this stuff?! Now that J has two new teeth growing, I can see that orthodentist fairy will be paying a visit one day. Eva

Sojourned, you're going to have Aussie chicks falling at your feet!! Australia needs more imported spunks! Cheers, Eva

Hoodoo Gurus

Hi, today my son's OT gave us a 'sensory diet' for J - that is a list of exercises that he could do throughout the day to help improve his concentration, sitting still, and all that sort of thing. For example, before going to kinder we should do for 20-25 mins stuff like wheelbarrow walking, pushing a washing basket full of wet clothes around, bouncing a large hard ball up and down and over and over, play wrestling with lots of pushing and resistance and pulling objects tied to end of a rope. During the day there's other things like bouncing on a mini tramp and running up and down stairs (gee, I should be doing that, not J ). Before going to sleep she suggested a pillow fight, head stands on the bed, firm body hugs and sniffing lavender oil. Does anyone else's kids do these sorts of exercises? Do they help? Are there any other ones which are good, (and preferably doesn't involve me wrestling with my son? ). Regards, Eva

Hi Sojourned, the girl in your avatar looks very gorgeous! Is she Australian or English - how did you guys meet? Reservoir is a fair way from anywhere, woops, sorry, I mean a fair way from the inner city. It's a working- class outer northern suburb of Melbourne and not exactly what rural England is like, (I'm only guessing here by the way. I have read lots of English pony stories, so I know all about stiles and fox hunting). Feel free to contact me on my email address - (what are the rules about giving someone an email address?). Not long to go now! Do you know where your passport is?! Cheers, Eva

Hi Sojourned, good luck working through all the boring logistics! Reservoir is a bit of an uninspiring suburb - (but I'm sure the people who live there would disagree!). Where are you going to be moving to in summer? Will you be staying in the area or moving to a different suburb? I'm very impressed about the leather furniture by the way! I smiled at your comment about the dog - I hate them doing things like that, and putting their snouts in your groin. In fact, I've decided that I don't like dogs at all. They're too smelly and too demanding. I'll remember what you said about fixing computers - it's always good to know someone who knows about that sort of thing. Is that what you're trained in? Regards, Eva

Hi Sojourned, yes, Reservoir is pretty close to Thornbury! In fact I went to Reservoir just the other day to do some shopping. Make sure you ask your friends if there's a fan or air con in your flat - summer can be revoltingly hot at times. Last NYE it got to 43 degrees! Spring can be very changeable too, in one day the weather can be showery, sunny, windy and stormy so make sure you bring a raincoat (don't worry about the gumboots). Oh yes, and expect people to offer you vegemite. It's like mamite but made of yeast by-products or something. It's thick and black (and very yummy) but you have to have it on buttered bread and with only a thin layer of vegemite. Beware anyone who says it's chocolate! Don't forget to ask if you've got any questions about anything - I'll try and help. Cheers, Eva

Thanks Eve and Shona for your suggestions, they came in handy just yesterday actually! I think the main problem I'm having is that J has started hitting me. What happens is that I'll tell him not to do something, or I'll tell him something that he doesn't want to do or hear, he snaps and gets very angry and hits me. Then I tell him hands are not for hitting etc but by this stage he's on the ground sobbing, demanding that I say sorry. I've written out a social story so hopefully that might help. I did say in it that if he feels angry he can stamp his feet and yell or take deep breaths instead of hitting - hopefully he won't try doing those things all at once...is there anything else I can tell him to do which have worked with other children? Cheers, Eva

Thanks for those suggestions, I'm going to find those books! J does need some calming techniques. One minute he can be happy and laughing and the next minute if something goes wrong, such as a toy falling down, he snaps and becomes really mad. Cheers, Eva

Hi Sojurned, I'm from Melbourne Australia and as I'm writing this the sky is grey, it's windy and it's going to rain soon! (Not trying to put you off or anything!). Where about in Melbourne are you staying? I live in Thornbury which is sort of near Melbourne. If you've got any questions let me know - I hope I can be of some help! Eva

Hi everyone, I need some help with my son. He's 5 and a half and goes to kinder. Sometimes he's delightful to be around and sometimes he's a total monster. When he's in a monster phase life here is awful . He is really difficult to discipline and this is becoming an issue in our house. The moment we tell J off about something, he becomes upset with US and starts getting all teary and demand that WE say sorry because we didn't (or mostly me) use a happy tone of tone voice . It's very hard to tell someone what they're doing wrong and the right thing to do in a sweet tone of voice, believe me. Also, we are not allowed to look angry either, so despite the fact that J has deliberately done something wrong, such as hit his brother or destroy something, he's become totally unaccountable for his actions. Does anyone have a discipline method that works? I've also been thinking of doing more social stories too - does anyone have one for anger management and another one about getting into trouble and repercussions? I never know what's just 5 year old behaviour and what's AS behaviour. Oh well, thanks for any ideas!! Eva

I'm pretty sure Epsom Salts are harmless but you might want to get that checked by a professional! My other son is 2 and he doesn't have a problem with them in the bath water! Eva

Is there any food that induces sleep?! My son's still buzzing and it's 9pm (and he hasn't eaten any apples today). Last night he didn't get to sleep til nearly 10pm. That's interesting about the bananas - one fruit we don't have to worry about though. (Bananas now cost a fortune here because the bananas crops were wiped out in a hurricane). I thought cheese might be a good snack due to the protein in it. Not that I have a clue! Eva

Hi Lynden, I was once told how Epsom Salts work - something to do with the magnesium in them - but can't remember the details. I do remember being told though that if your child drinks the Epsom Salt infused bath water, they could poo more! (Epsom Salts are apparently good for constipation). Eva

Hi, I recently heard that eating an apple before bed is like drinking coffee, (if you know what I mean). Has anyone else heard of this before? Cheers, Eva

Hi Stephanie, no I haven't been doing any of that. I was told to start off with a small amount of Epsom Salts but I've stopped using the stuff now. I'm too scared to rub the salts into the boys' skin - they'd be off their rockers! Eva

Hi, my son can be like that too. He has to get in the bath first, (with my other son that is), if you read something or say something he likes, you have to repeat it EXACTLY like you did the first time, and just yesterday he wanted me to rewind the video because DS2 stood in front of the tv for a milisecond and he missed a bit. (I didn't though, stood my ground on that one!). Eva

Thanks for your replies! The last time we went to the zoo, Joe promised me he'd visit the Australian Native animal section, (we were discussing this inclusion a few days prior to going), however when we got there he lost his nerve and refused to go in, as it just wasn't part of his route. I didn't make a fuss, (was relieved actually), but now he's talking about seeing the native animal section AND the penguins again. I'm sure it's just a ruse to get us to the zoo again! We can never go to the zoo with other people - they can't keep up Eva

Hi, I am curious about how other children visit the zoo. Joe has a set route which he doesn't vary from, and he runs virtually the whole way, (it's about 1 k, so a pretty good workout). He stops to look at the animals on his route for a few seconds but he won't linger unless the animal is doing something really active. By the time we reach the Big Cats I'm usually begging him to slow down and last time he told me I can rest at home and this is exercise! I'm always amazed at families who are strolling round the zoo or are standing in front of the enclosures discussing the animals in detail! Anyone else have a similar experience? Eva

Things have been a bit better over the past couple of days - seems like a friendly poltergeist has taken over Joe. He's suddenly stopped demanding things in a horrible voice and is being polite. Hmm, wonder what's going on now?! We've been telling Joe what to do next much more and this is really helping, so thanks for the advice Oracle. I can understand how J doesn't get the idea that if he hits someone he can hurt them. I know it depends on the individual child, but how long does that sort of understanding often take with an ASD child? NT kids usually are about 8 when they start getting the idea of cause and effect and about being responsible for their actions. (Some people never, I suppose!). Eva