Zemanski

do they have any strategies on the IEP for ensuring he meets these ridiculous targets? targets on an IEP should be short term and achieveable, he should have already done optional SATs this year, how long are they expecting to work on these? Z

remember that funding is not your concern - they like to use it to make parents feel guilty but even if they delegate all the funding meeting a statement is still the LEA's responsibility, they can't delegate the responsibility to assess for, make and maintain a statement whatever their policy is. stay strong Z

take him to a good garden centre? Z

They're a real pain to get through to but you just have to keep trying - I use the redail immediately tactic but even so it can take up to an hour to get through. Apparently it's easier in the evening good luck Z

I had driving lessons - they set it all up with BSM and BSM contacted me. FF paid for 40 lessons (you take them as doubles with BSM so it's 20 weeks worth) and 2 of each test. After that I got a reduced rate on lessons. I just got a new trampoline for Com, FF wanted to do it through argos but he has specific requirements and is so big now that we asked for a superior quality one and they sent us a cheque to cover it plus some extra the FF lady who came thought we should get for a holiday The money came 2-3 weeks after the visit I also know that they now have a contract with a scottish company to provide holiday bookings at a special rate and with specialist facilities if needed in a similar way to the BSM deal. Zemanski

this site is obviously just about perfect Z

yes it does have a genetic factor but also probably environmental triggers. http://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=8512 Z

the book is worth investing in - and it has a very useful sensory profile at the back one of these days we'll get sensory issues recognised in the diagnostic criteria Z

Olga is lovely and definitely on the side of our kids - she has an autistic son of her own so she really does know what it's all about Z

It is more common for HFA kids to have additional learning difficulties but not necessary so it isn't a difference between the two in diagnostic terms. I agree that autism is a learning difference but I also think that it does imply a learning difficulty; a social learning difficulty rather than an intellectual learning difficulty. AS people are not considered to have a learning difficulty unless there is a comorbid one, in fact it is one of the main reasons that adults get so little support - there are 2 main services for support for adults, the mental health services and the learning disability services. Neither sees AS as its responsibility; mental health because it is not a psychological disorder but a neurologically based disability so they say learning disability services should take responsibility even when a person has comorbid mental health problems but they in turn say that AS is not a learning disability. I think that if social learning difficulties were recognised, as they are in New Zealand, then adults would have more chance of getting support. Zemanski

Com has had CBT from the LEA specialist in ASCs for the last year. She uses a combination of Tony Attwoods anxiety based programme and another AS specific programme (sorry can't remember which one) and she adapts it to his specific profile and issues as they arise. Also she uses me to inform her of where to go next with him so it is very closely based on his needs and reactions and is carried over to both school and home environments which I think makes it easier for Com to generalise the skills he is using. (part of the programme she has developed includes training the LSAs by involving them in the CBT). Com loves these sessions, both the 1-1 and the group social skills she runs, and it has really helped him build his awareness of his own feelings and those of others. She concentrates on his strengths and is fantastic at building his self-esteem. She recognises when things are getting too personal to handle and always backs off, pehaps taking a different approach another time. CBT done properly and from an AS perspective can be brilliant, as it has been for Com, but there are too many people who try to use it without really understanding the person they are working with. Com has been very lucky to meet someone who wants to learn from him as much as she wants to help him Always make sure the programme being used is ASC specific and that there is good communication between you and the therapist Zemanski

'Living in a fool's paradise' is living in a fantasy world where everything is wonderful because you ignore anything bad - with the implication that it'll all end in tears. I can explain the phrase, but I can't explain why they might have used it nemo

This was last discussed here in May. nemo

You'll have to count us out as we haven't got a sofa, just a sofabed

Do we have to wear lipstick? - shudder, don't like gunk on me Z

The safest time to do it is after dark - wasps do not fly at night. We've used a burning stake and just set fire to them but in a shed that might not be the safest way to get rid of them Z

We're in a similar(ish) situation with Com Com has been struggling for the last 2 years and we finally got decent provision in place but the LEA failed to amend his statement and the school, in spite of repeated warnings, kept Com with another autistic child for break and lunch even though they were aware of the clash between their presentations. The end result was an incident which led to Com exploding and assaulting the boy (who had provoked the incident deliberately) and lashing out at members of staff. Com was excluded but no action was taken against the other boy. Com sees exclusion as the ultimate failure and sees it as unjust because he feels (rightly in my opinion) that the other child was at fault but got away scott free. Com was off school with anxiety for 3 weeks after the exclusion because he could not let go of the anger. When he returned he found it almost impossible to settle again and developed serious OCD symptoms. The school took steps to separate the boys (who are friends but clash badly - the other boy is all touchy feely and slobbery and persistent in his pursuit of Com as his friend, while Com is tactile defensive and fastidious and needs a lot of personal space) but it was too late for Com (they don't understand that Com cannot see it as over and just get on with things again). Com is now out of school indefinitely and we are facing a second emergency review next week. We already have it in writing from the LEA that there is no other place within the authority for Com - no unit or special school, and this is the ASC school for the authority - and have not offered any alternative as yet. You can't keep him at home to 'prevent another exclusion' but you can take him to the doctor and get him signed off sick with anxiety/stress if you feel he isn't ready to go back or won't be able to cope any longer. Each exclusion needs to be looked at carefully - the school have a duty of care towards your child and this includes a responsibility to not place him in situations that they know may provoke reactions because of his autism, and also not to punish him for things directly relating to his disability. The disability rights commission have a code of practice which covers exclusions - it can be downloaded from their website (Com's exclusion fitted the example of the child lashing out in the lunch queue almost exactly!) Also there is a document available from the DFES called Improving behaviour and attendance: guidance on exclusion from schools and pupil referral units. Links are on Phas's illegal exclusions thread in the pinned topics on education. You can still ask for a unit to be named in the statement - it is immaterial whether or not there is a place, if everyone agrees that is what he needs than that is what he needs and it should be in the statement - contact IPSEA, they will talk you through your rights on this. They cannot restrict what he needs just because it isn't available at this moment - although obviously they will try but it is their job to make it available if he needs it. They know this which is why they offered you a,very expensive, alternative (which many people here would die to be offered without a fight - but it's no good if it isn't the right thing for him). The one positive about him getting excluded is that it backs up your concerns that the mainstream environment is not working for him hope that helps - keep phoning the IPSEA help line, it takes ages to get through but they are brilliant with this sort of stuff Zemanski

great hand flapping BD!!!

autism is not a mental illness, it is a neurological condition

definitely <'> z

mine was on the economic influence on demography in relation to chinese special economic zones got over that some time ago glad you both had such a good time Z

great idea!

Hope Phas got you something really nice!? Happy Birthday

most people stim for a reason - relaxation, stress relief, concentration, distraction from sensory overload, to fulfill need to stimulation of senses which are hypo-sensitive ....... Com's main stim is thumb-sucking, school tried to stop it as 'inappropriate' but we persuaded them to leave him alone as he was getting stressed and doing it more and now we know that he has a very good reason - he uses the pressure to make his eyes converge properly when writing or reading it is not a good idea to stop stims unless they are very inappropriate (I think people probably know the sort I mean), in which case helping a child transfer to another stim is better than stopping them completely Zemanski

so what was the proposed PhD? Z