LittleRae

Hi JsMum This is definitely a sensory thing - problems with his proprioceptive system. This covers things like the awareness of his body & where it is. My DS was just the same, would fall over his own feet and hit both side of the door frame coming through the door. Everything seemed to be in his way. He has been having almost weekly sessions of OT for 18 months now and the difference is amazing. He never bumps into the door frame now and I can't remember the last time he fell over... Have you considered OT? If this is the problem some sensory integration therapy is also a must. A

One thing struck me about what the father said 'well, if they want to keep their 'young carer' title, they know they need to do things around the house' - of course, I'm sure their goal is to be called a young carer! And the mother - the interviewer had to ask her if she was going to check the little boy's bleeding mouth. And she constantly said things about the girls helping out when parents were busy to give them a break! The woman never left her chair the entire programme except to get a cigarette... and how proud they sounded that their kids were big even though she smoked... I was hoping to hear at the end that the kids were in care - it couldn't have been worse than the life they're living...

Happy Birthday Hev - hope it's a good one

Just been watching this programme on Channel 4. Has anyone else seen it? I have to say I was horrified by the large family with the parents who were blind - I felt so sorry for the girls. After hearing so many people who have to fight for every bit of help they get, I couldn't believe they turned down help and only accepted 2 hours cleaning a week. I could go on about it all night, but I'll only upset myself again. i understand where some parents have no other choice but to depend on their children, but there is something seriously wrong with that family.

Thanks for the replies. Baddad, we use wordshark here - I wasn't aware of Numbershark - I will talk to the school about it. I did find one software program in the US called MathPad, but I need to check out which grades it covers. Thanks Krystaltps - all input gratefully received. My DS is 11 and therefore still in primary school (we're in Ireland). He has this school year and next to do before he goes to secondary in 2008, so the references you gave should be of interest. I'm surprised his own school has no software ideas to offer. They have lots of info on packages to stretch him, but he can source his own information online without these. It's the basic 'how to get use of the laptop at school' that I'm in the dark about...

Hi Mumble Rocks. Thanks for your reply. I haven't used the software myself although I did hear DH telling DS he'd need to be patient as it would take time to get used to his voice. However, as DS speaks very clearly, he seems to have no problems with this and I've heard no complaints about it. Well.. one complaint - it didn't understand when he wanted to type 'eustreptospondylus' Honestly, the limits of technology...

Hi Just wondering if anyone has kids using laptops for work in school and how this is working? I've just purchased Dragon Voice Recognition software for DS (11) for use at home - obviously this cannot be used in a classroom situation. I'm now looking at getting him a laptop for some of his schoolwork and wondered how other kids are managing with this; what's the best one; and which software have you purchased? I know about the Alphasmart but won't be going down this route - I'm looking to get a regular laptop. I'm interested in particular in whether anyone (primary or secondary) is using it for Maths & how this works. Thanks

That's great news Loulou. I'm so glad things are working out for him. Make sure you rest up now.... A

Hi Nellie You will be missed. Hope you won't abandon us totally. Enjoy your family time, you've certainly earned it. Thanks for all the wonderful posts and your tireless research A

Hi My son knows his diagnosis - at least he knows of the AS (he also has ADHD, ODD & Dyspraxia, but didn't want to overload/depress him, so we only told him of the AS). He doesn't like it mentioned & often denies he has it. He has a number of books on the topic - one 'Can I tell you about Asperger Syndrome?' and he has written 'NO!!!!' in giant letters after it... I'm sure it's as everyone says, that they don't want to be different. When I told my son, I tried to promote the positives. I found this website which lists the Asperger Advantages http://www.coachingasperger.com/ Sometimes he's not in the mood to listen, and we often don't mention it for months at a time, but you can introduce them one at a time when it's appropriate: FOCUS Your ability to focus on one objective over long periods of time without becoming distracted allows you to accomplish large and challenging tasks. UNIQUE GLOBAL INSIGHTS Your ability to find novel connections among multi-disciplinary facts and ideas allows you to create new, coherent, and meaningful insight that others would not have reached without you. INDEPENDENT THINKING Your willingness to consider unpopular or unusual possibilities generates new options and opportunities and can pave the way for others. INTERNAL MOTIVATION Rather than being swayed by social convention, other's opinions, social pressure or fears, you can hold firm to your own purpose. Your unique ideas can thrive, despite naysayers. ATTENTION TO DETAIL Your ability to remember and process minute details without getting lost or overwhelmed gives you a distinct advantage when solving complex problems. 3-DIMENSIONAL THINKING Your ability to utilize 3-dimensional visioning gives you a unique perspective when designing and creating solutions. CUTTING THROUGH THE SMOKE SCREEN Your ability to recognize and speak the truth that is being "conveniently" ignored by others can be vital to the success of a project or endeavor. LOGICAL DECISION MAKING Your ability to make logical and rational decisions and stick to your course of action without being swayed by impulse or emotional reactions allows you to navigate successfully through difficult situations without being pulled off-course. THESE TRAITS ARE INVALUABLE LEADERSHIP AND ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS.

Elanor Something else I just thought of. I'm in Ireland, but my DS does Saturday & summer holiday classess for gifted children. I think the UK gifted Association does the same: http://www.nagty.ac.uk/index.aspx These classes are not school subjects, but he just loves them especially Marine Biology, Archaeology & Chemistry. I also find that if I buy Educational software or even download free trials from the internet, he learns so much - doesn't seem to pick up much at school. Did you try the BBC websites - A

Happy Birthday

Hi Elanor I would challenge your school about what they said about the G&T program. Not from the UK, but just watched a very interesting program on Teachers TV last week. UK schools are being encouraged by the government to name the top 5% of kids and provide enrichment programs for them. See here for guidelines http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrd...-04071-2006.pdf

Simon <'> <'> Look after yourself. Take care

Thinking of you and your family Simon. Take Care

Hilarious! What about the guy behind, glued to his computer game? AS....?

One good thing about being in Ireland - we have a tax on plastic bags so no one uses them anymore. Tesco delivers all groceries in baskets - all neatly packed, easy to see and divided according to type. Hope you get sorted Hev - they are usually good about these things. A ps. to avoid substitutions, there is a 'no substitutes' button you can click when you get to the checkout area

Hi My DS was almost 7 when DD was born. He was quite excited by the prospect of a sibling and we made sure the initial meeting was positive cos she brought him a present I tried to involve him as much as possible, getting him to think up names (though I did tell him we would pull suggestions out of a hat - cos he had some very weird ideas (Comet and Cranky Frankie come to mind!)) Things went well as the others said until she began to use 'his' playroom! They love each other dearly and often have cuddles - usually just before they're tearing each other's hair out! I don't think they are much different to other siblings, though DS has a very short fuse and cannot 'ignore' any annoying behaviour & usually resorts to squealing at his sister. They are just getting to the stage where they will watch some of the same TV programs - up to now I was running a rota system BTW, he still talks to her as if she's a year old! That said we are very conscious of the fact that he was on his own for 7 years and we often take him out alone for dinner, movies, etc. Good luck A ps had the back thing too - still a bit dodgy after 4 years

My first reaction is that if his dad is not experiencing the problems, is not willing to have his son stay with him & is not willing to contribute financially, then I wouldn't consult him!

Not making an official entry, but couldn't resist... Cat looks less than impressed so..''Hhhmmmm ... Meat, poultry or game, where do I start?'

No experience of this personally, but I have heard that when the ADHD symptoms are 'dealt with' by medication, the more AS symptoms become more obvious.

Just a quick reply. If this happens in our house, usually the other parent (not the horrible one ) goes in and says something like 'wow, wasn't that a great party? Wasn't Mum/Dad great for arranging that? Remember....' Then we go on to point out some of the good stuff that happened, and some of the things he did, like 'wasn't it amazing when you got to the top of that slide' or 'didn't xxx look funny when he did xxx'. It won't stop him remembering how awful it was in 10 years time but it helps to sort out the initial meltdown & the good memories come back to him. Hope that helps A

Hi T Nice to 'see' you on again. Glad things are going well for K. Have a great Christmas A

Hi Loulou It's a tough decision to make, but you have to consider yourself and the baby too. Why don't you try it for a while - you can always cut down his days it it's not working. Don't take this the wrong way but.... If Kai is aggressive to you, what will he be like when the baby arrives? Any child will feel put out by the arrival of a baby, it's only natural. If you don't have the time or energy to spend the same amount of time with Kai, what effect will this have on him? Also, if you wait until after the baby is born and then feel you have to send him 5 days, how will he look at that? He could feel that he's being displaced by junior... If you do it now, he will not erroneously make a connection between junior's arrival and his departure. If he comes home for 2 days you can make it very special for him. You will be more relaxed (apart from night feeds.....etc ). It may be possible to have the baby looked after on a saturday for a few hours, when you could devote quality time to Kai. And about him being Your child and You having to look after him... If it improves the quality of Kai's life, then you ARE looking after him. As many people have said here before, they have found that by sending their kids to residential school, they have given them a future. I think if you look at Kai's possible life in 10 years time, with residential school and then with things continuing the way they are, it may help to see the problem in a different light. After all, puberty is just around the corner !! I don't envy you your decision - I hope it's one I never have to make. Thinking of you. <'> <'> <'> A

Congratulations!! <'>