ellisisamazing

It's made me smile, cry and snort with laughter! Brilliant! Mark Haddon is a genius, and the two main characters are so well cast! Yes, it does make you see both sides of the picture.

LizK, You summed my feelings entirely!! I wholeheartedly support wearing a badge or some small acknowledgment even the NAS umbrella (I will order that!), I just don't like the label idea, it's a bit too "in ya face" for me and El, and I find a lot of them tee shirts are..." I am cute and AUTISTIC too! , a little bit much I think, and again will provoke unwanted attention for us. I want him to turn heads for his good looks, nothing else!! Again, I respect we all have different reasons for using them and NOT using them!

<'> Shell <'> Thank You, for your insight! I love your posts, helpful, knowledgable and kind! Lisa xx

That's brilliant, Cariad! If they work for you and your boy that's great! Each to their own, and all that! <'>

I think that's a good way of going about this, Pets! I would be the wearer too, if we were to buy...... Lisa xx

Shell, You are lovely and have done nothing wrong. It sounds as though this woman is clutching at straws and burying her head in the sand, maybe she is so desperate for the ASD to go away, but that's not reality is it?! Don't change for anybody, you are you, and you are fab! Lisa xx <'>

Hi Di, I think the usual is to backdate upto three months, but I have heard of certain exceptional circumstances when up to a year has been backdated. In the meantime try not to worry, you will soon find out one way or another! I am just not going to think about it in our case, what we never had, we'll never miss...and all that, but if Ellis gets lucky then that's a bonus! Take Care Lisa xxxxx <'>

That sounds like a great success, JsMum! Well Done, and it's nice to have you back! <'>

El was fab as a baby, ate whatver you gave him! Then around 18 months old was refusing anything except Weetabix, Digestives and Toast! Nowadays his diet consists of Toast, Dry cream crackers, breadsticks, fromage frais, sausage roll (except he removes the sausage, so pastry!), He will eat a sausage not in pastry though, but only the ends! ,popadums, plain biscuits, pringles (we have to limit them), Occasional slivers of wafer thin ham or chicken and lots of milk. He is seriously lacking iron and has to take a supplement plus Ensure meal supplement drinks that his dietician provides. I am just grateful he eats something right now, but I always leave lots of fruit and other choices on the table....just in case! He occasionally will sniff a "new food" with curiosity, so I live in hope!

I will bump this thread a few hours before as a reminder, Dooday! Just for your sieve!

Don't worry, Di! TBH, I doubt I would apply anyway, I hate filling all the forms in! And we just replaced both our dryer and washer just before finding out FF exists.....typical! I end up in tears and stressed out, or really snappy! Will definatley have to do the FF ones again, though! Hopefully when, or if El's DLA reconsideration appeal is increased from Middle to High rate, that will be enough for what he needs, and of course the CTC increases on High Rate DLA too. But Thanks Anyway! Lisa xx

Just had a nose, It looks like it's for the FYLDE/WARE area only! Still haven't sorted the FF out yet, I found the forms I'd completed in February and forgotten about last night! I am so disorganised and bit embarrassed (silly I know!) when it comes to asking for help/assistance, just used to managing on what we have already, I guess!

The first screenplay from Mark Haddon (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time) features Nicholas Hoult (About a Boy, Skins) as teenager David and life couldn't be better.....the only fly in the ointment is his older 17yr old brother Ben (Tommy Jessop), who has Down's Syndrome. The Family's world revolves around Ben's needs while David's are unwittingly neglected by their parents. They decide to move the family from London to the "back of beyond" for the sake of Ben's education. David loses love, friends and his school. His antipathy to Ben grows and grows to the point where he decides to push him off a mountain, and get rid of him once and for all. The drama takes the two boys on a journey to the dangerous and strange wilderness of Snowdonia. Mark Haddons says, " I began writing 'Coming down the mountain' with the idea of writing a meaty role for a young actor with Down's Syndrome. "It ended up as a film about the stuff of every teenagers life....love, sex, friends, school, depression, anxiety, parents, parties, siblings, mountains, murder, ice cream, Darth Vader and nipple rings!" Coming down the mountain looks at a family unit where one child is different - but which child? And it challenges the causes - but to which child?

I don't really like the sound of the tee shirts, again I think it labels the child and encourages stares and attention WE don't want! Also I think if people do notice the slogan, that you're bound to get some ignoramus claiming, "OOOh, but he looks so normal!" , and at that kind of comment I am afraid I would retort in a very strong manner! (and then you also get the people that don't notice what the child is wearing, so the tee shirt wouldn't make a difference...the number of times I've been told, " What a lovely daughter you have!", whilst Ellis is wearing army style, spiderman dressup and typical boy stuff! I find the cards more discreet, I used them a few times, and they were helpful. If anybody overstares or comments nowadays I just say "He's Autistic, nothing to worry about, ok?!" (soon shuts em up!) or my fave from a few weeks back....."The special needs show is over now, thanks for looking/judging/interfering...Bye!" At that, nosey parkers will beat it!

I'm not sure of anybody other than FF that fund driving lessons, I know you can get mobility towards car finance, but don't think DLA offer lessons. Is your friend not able to go down the FF route? (no pun!), she could claim for both of her children.... Lisa xx

Wow! Well Done to JP! Pearl, I hope you have signed up for this years Crimble party....You are a absolute hoot when sober but you totally excel yourself when drunk! Pleees du it juste four mea, Uu ara lufflee drunc! Alcohol and Forums do not mix!

NT Mum of two, ASD Son aged 5 and NT (and so dramatic!) 3 year old Daughter, Hubby has DX'd Aspie traits! I am the one who needs certification though!

Hi jo! You're welcome and Good Luck with it all, it drives you mad doesn't it?! When I called them I was originally going to appeal but the rep said go for a Reconsideration so I can avoid filling the dreaded forms yet again! They are just adding the additional info to the forms already submitted and the two support letters from El's consultant are included, also one that she wrote to the OT as we have been waiting for 5 months for a Major Buggy and apparentley there at least a further four months to go! The fact El eats dust, soil, grass and lies down on roads and crossings is serious issue, but apparentley not serious enough to warrant him recieving his buggy promptly! I'll keeps my fingers crossed for you! Lisa xx <'>

Frangipani <'> Gosh, You must be in bits about this.....thinking of you both, with positive vibes. <'> <'> Lisa xx

Hi Jo! Welcome...I am also going through an appeal process of sorts right now for my son, what a pain in the bum! I called the DLA and was put through to the RECONSIDERATIONS department, who spent almost an hour going through lots of questions and they gave me lots of advice, really helpful...and kind, I had a major crying wobble while on (t'was a bad day!) and the lady rep was lovely! They told me to put all my concerns and gripes onto paper and do a "day in the life...." also, so they have a concise overview. They told me that the High Rate Mobility was awarded for blindness, inability to walk and severe mental impairment (SMI being the catergory my lovely El falls into) and High Rate Care for Night Time Care of at least 5 nights per week I'm up for all 7 with him! . Luckily we have a great consultant who is willing to support us and has written letters to back us. El was on Mid rate care for past two years and had it reawarded a few weeks back at Mid rate care again with low mobility, his Doctor really disagrees and the lady at the DWP did too! So fingers crossed! Good thing though is we don't have to apply again till 2012!! Good Luck! Lisa xx

It's hard going isn't it, pets?! What with just trying to function on a normal level and then wanting to spend quality time with your kids without shouting about how tired you feel! Hubby is on 12 hour days at the moment and he is frazzled when he gets home too! My Mum and Dad are off to Rhodes tomorrow for a fortnight, so no emergency back up!!! I don't have a SW or respite, or any outside help....it's not for me, and El is too young I think...The whole OCG and bean issue scares me... There is always somebody in a similar situation, or worse...I'm grateful with what we have, but a little sleep would be a luxury!

I am dreading the shoe shop as El has a shoe compulsion.... he wants to lick them! Our Local Branch of Barretts are used to him! They always go out of their way to be nice and last time they said there was a job as a cleaning supervisor for El anytime he wanted it! So we avoid all other shoe shops now really....Next are ok too! All depends on the staff! He goes into an excited frenzy, and I get very red faced!

We are currently going through a terrible time with no sleep! El was a bad sleeper from birth to 3 and a half, he was hard to settle and a light sleeper who would wake several times a night. At 3 and a half 'something clicked' and he started to sleep at least ten hours a night with no wake ups! This was without medication! Only problem was my NT daughter has never been a good sleeper, so we were still up and down during the evening and early hours, but one was better than two......... Anyway around 8 weeks ago El started to become hyper when put to bed, and we would hear him laughing and trampolining on his cot bed in his room, it was taking around 4 hours a night for him to fall asleep. Me, being too optimistic believed it was a 'passing phase!'....but unfortunately 2 months on, nothing has improved , I have been having to stay up until 2-3am every night and last Monday we put El to bed at 8.30pm, only for him to be still thrashing around his room and ours all night until he gave in to sleep at 5.40am!!!!!!! Rob has to be up at 6am, so he was in a foul mood and Romy wakes early so I have been like a living zombie...had a head cold for a month I can't shake off, have got spots on chin....I look and feel shockingly awful! We also discovered him pulling the hall rug threads and trying to unravel it, running the bathroom taps last wednesday(He had finally calmed down and I decided to lie down on the spare bed to shut my eyes, and woke up to the gushing water sound!! His consultant has prescribed Vallergan, Melatonin ......nothing works! It's like he has superpowers!! This has been every night barr four in 8 weeks! I am astonished that he has any energy left.

pets, You just pop in when you can and when you want to! No pressure here, just likeminded Mums! If we can't spill our feelings on here, where can we? Lisa xx <'>

Hi Janey, I also don't really know how to word this one....My darling son is just turned five and his NT sister was 3 a few weeks ago. But I think you will find children are very perceptive and in their own way they will know something is different. In our case, my then two year old who is extremely advanced for her age and peers picked up on Ellis's difficulties without any word from me and Hubby or anybody else (I would have no idea how to explain to a toddler about ASD!), But she would watch Ellis intently and one day told her Dad and myself that, in her words..."Ellis is broken....He can't talk, so is broken"....that for a small child to pick up on is incredible! She is fully aware of what upsets him and is sooo gentle with him and very comforting when he is in meltdown. It is so lovely to see the close rapport they have with one another, both of them are beautiful and amazing! Lisa xx