KateBall

We have a state run boarding school within 15 miles of us and I am seriously thinking about the possible benefits to my ds (probable aspergers) of him going when he gets to year 7 (he's in year 5 now). I've briefly discussed it with his present teacher and she thinks it might be good for him (and us!). He would come home at weekends. I just wondered if anyone has their child at a boarding school other than a special school and their opinion on its effect. I'm thinking the set routine would be good, socialising with and copying good peer behaviour. Also not coming home every day to a non rigid routine.

My ds obviously had picked up a bug of some sort and spent all of yesterday in his bed watching tv interspersed with running to the loo to be sick. However what I found different was that he didn't want us around at all to help him. He wanted to be on his own. Also he took all his clothes off - pyjamas and all - and had to be naked all day. Thankfully he's fine now but it was very difficult not being able to comfort him whilst he was sick but that's what he wanted - absolutely no fuss. Just wondered if it's typical AS type behaviour at all?

very large hailstones now. Went very dark about 1/2 hour ago and now hailstones - big as gobstoppers!!

Pugh Pugh Barney McGrew, Cuthbert Dibble or Grub? Oh but they were in Trumpton?

Make the most of it - we had it early here in the South West and it's mainly gone now.

doll

Well it was today. And it was no big deal. It went ok. He said he was really nervous and had stagefright but thankfully his group were early on so he got it out of the way. And it was actually ok watching the other kids too - none of them were precocious or anything. They all cheered for everyone so they were really a very good audience. Actually I thought many of them were doing sketches which were very "silly". I thought my ds was more mature. Took me by surprise since he is supposed to be the immature one!

Great news - must be a relief for you. And its nice to hear about good news as it seems like our good news too as we are one big (dare I say happy) family!!

My ds (9 1/2) is taking part in some sort of talent show/ entertainment in front of school and parents. They do this in groups / pairs / individually and I suppose I am pleased he was able to find someone who would do something with him but I am dead scared it will all end in tears. He thinks he can do things which he can't - so he is fairly confident but the reality might not be good and I just can't imagine how it will turn out. They have told me at school that he will be fine so I suppose I had better wait and see and maybe it will go ok. I'm just worried that everyone will laugh at him for the wrong reasons. Also - and I'm sorry for being so selfish here - I don't think I can bare to watch all those other children perform their little routines for me to think how clever they are. It makes me feel like they are rubbing my nose in it - the fact that my ds isn't as capable as them. I hate it. I will feel like walking out when I have seen ds perform his piece cos I don't want to see the others but I probably won't. If I did I'd feel guilty at being so selfish and if I don't I'd feel so rotten and sad for my ds. I hate these type of things.

"Pensioner" - too close to home but very funny

Thanks so much - Kathryn and Karen - much appreciated.

I wonder how near we are? Close to Glastonbury?

I liked it too - very good. I hesitate to say this one thing - just one or two of the words overwritten I couldn't quite read sometimes - might just be me as I am colour blind but just check with everyone else its all clear. I did really love it though - and the music went really well too.

My ds does this too - and he picks things up kisses them and puts them back again

My ds is 9 1/2 and is on SEND+. We are still going through dx proces and expect him to be diagnosed AS or HFA although there is always the chance they will still refuse us a dx. At the moment he travels on the school bus as school is over 3 miles away. He is causing some problems on the bus - due to being stressed at things going wrong - sometimes other children misbehaving and last week because the bus route was blocked and the bus had to reverse to allow a lorry and tractor to get by. When he gets stressed he either hits out at someone or shouts foul verbal abuse or both. The family complain or the driver makes a report and ultimately I feel we will be told ds has to get to school by some other means. Do we have a right to ask for taxi transport? Or what are our alternatives?? Is it down to us to transport him? What if we can't afford it? Have any of you had similar problems?

Zummerset also have connections with Cornwall - Penzance

Oh yes yes yes. We were clearing out my son's bedroom last week and found lots of old containers. I didn't realise it was quite a problem until then. I knew he didn't like to throw things but thought he was. He keeps drink containers, cake boxes, plastic containers which had sandwiches or cakes or whatever, polystyrene stuff used for packing in boxes, drink cans etc etc. He says "reduce reuse recycle" and I think there is so much pressure on not throwing out rubbish that perhaps he's taken it too literally. So we are keeping an eye on him now and making sure he will co-operate with us in putting things out for recycling. Not sure how it will go. I hope it is not ocd although wouldn't be surprised if it were as he is a bit funny about washing his hands, keeping clean etc.

I was finding it difficult to fill in my DLA form. The date my DLA is due to end is June. If they don't get the form in time then they will stop the DLA. However they do backdate the DLA to when you do get the form in its just that they have to stop it if they haven't processed it by then. I received several reminders too - the first back in January when I had only had the form about 2 weeks. I rang them and they said they simply wanted to make sure we get the forms in as soon as possible because it takes them about 10 weeks to process the form once they get it and they try and send it out early and get it back early to avoid any of us being cut off before they have processed it. Bear in mind that I think Carers Allowance will also stop and have to be reclaimed if DLA not awarded by the time DLA runs out. I would do what you can to get the form in. That can be something you will feel good about when done. And remember to keep a photocopy of it for the next time as it makes completing it again easier (not easy by any means but at least a bit easier). Good luck.

Aww happy birthday to Connor. A teenager

Sorry to hear this Pearl. My mother has no short term memory now. Has had terrible illness over the past 10 - 15 years or so but now is in a local nursing home and is really fit and happy. Lets hope you can get through this with your mum. Wishing you all the best.

Oh and sorry Jonathan - can't offer any help to you but hope you find it somewhere. I'm sure you will.

I'd never heard of pansexual either (pans people yes but thats a whole different thing- I think ). Anyway I found this interesting because my ds has no clue about who he is or isn't "supposed" to like - ie girls or boys. He is nearly 10 and will often say something about a boy in the way you'd expect it to be about a girl. I just wondered if this was an asd thing. Up to now I had perhaps put it down to maturity - or lack of it.

Ha Ha, what is it with Tesco. My ds just drops in "You shop we drop" in the middle of a conversation. They must have very powerful advertising slogans. We also visit other well known supermarkets and their slogans aren't as memorable or so it seems.

I'm trying to persuade my ds to come with us to "see Granny" who is in the nursing home. "Why" he said "I know what she looks like".

Just my own feeling - that if you "have" autism it sort of makes you think that it was acquired or could be taken away neither of which I feel describes the reality. I think you either are autistic or you aint (or according to the so called professionals who don't know one way or the other how to explain what you might be - instead you might "have" autistic traits ).