where is the best place to live for a family of autistic children?

[bjkmummy]

ben is high functioning and has a statement for 1:1 - could probably go to a mainstream school with help

 

where is the best place in theuk to live?? in terms of school , support groups, help for our kids, days out etc - the fullpackage? does anyone feel like they are getting the full package??

 

i thought i was but living in the smallest county in the uk means that everyone knows you and talks about you and i feel claustaphobic at the moment like i cant breathe and want to move!!! hubbyin the raf and he is entitled to a posting now and i want to move but not sure i could put ben through moving - that said he has no friends etc and is lonely anyway so hopefully if we move he might get some friends!!!!!

 

i have beenlooking at hampshire but would like to hear what everyone else thinks is good - mind you cyprus sounds good too!!!!!!

[pearl]

Well after my transition to adulthood day, I wish I lived in Blackpool ... I'm only 20 miles away but the provision seems so much better there. I think so much depends on the right people being in post.

[keepingmesane]

stockport seems to have very good support and is often one of the first areas to try out new treatments

[Zosmum]

Dunno but Cyprus sounds good to me

[Sooze2]

In a commune with no schools apart from the school of life - MAN

[Enid]

In a commune with no schools apart from the school of life - MAN

 

Ist time I`ve laughed all day, thanks! Enid

[worn-thin]

Anywhere you can get them free entry to a Rudolf Steiner school.

[BusyLizzie100]

Anywhere you can get them free entry to a Rudolf Steiner school.

 

I'm intrigued - I know nothing about Rudolf Steiner schools. How do they differ and what are the benefits?

Lizzie xx

[CarolineJ]

Bim's only had his diagnosis this year, so we're still finding our feet. As for location and camps, this place is perfect! But then you already know that

 

Good luck. I hope you get a good posting. Where are you now?

[pim]

I have read a bit about Steiner Schools as I was considering it for my DD, but I don't think it would be a good place for kids on the spectrum. I've heard that some may be good. But overall I've heard more bad things about them than good.

 

Their teaching is based on Anthroposophy ( I hope I spelt that right). It informs everything they do. Such things like they don't teach or encourage children to read or write until they are 7 as they don't believe the childs body is ready until they lose their milk teeths.

 

I popped into the local Steiner nursery and I felt it was so weird. I told them DD has speech dyspraxia. The teachers reply was oh we don't believe in labels.

 

I hope that helps.

 

pim

[BusyLizzie100]

I hope that helps.

 

thanks, Pim!

 

I'm obviously clutching at straws here (that's Hertfordshire for you)

 

Lizzie <'>

[NickyB]

I have a son with high-functioning Autism, and since his dx, we've found that the professionals and school staff in Tunbridge Wells have been brilliant - at the last meeting at school we had someone from all the relevant agencies present - 7 in all - and thay were all really positive and helpful. He might need 1:1 when he goes to yr 1 in Sept, and the headteacher and SENCO have said it's no problem, and he can have whatever support he needs (he doesn't have a statement)

I know there are a couple of specialist schools in the area but I don't have personal knowledge of them.

 

I don't feel that we could have had better support

 

Hope you find a place that's good for you

[cmuir]

Hi

 

I might be taking this too literally or too specific, but whilst I can't give advice on country/county/etc, I (along with my husband and 6 year old son who has AS) used to live in a mid-terraced house in a cul-de-sac and it was horrendous. Not everyone can afford to move house (it took us 1.5 years), but I found that kids tended to congregate and would run around day and night. R couldn't understand why he couldn't do the same. Neighbours kids used to bully R and leave him standing howling - R had no idea he was actually being bullied and still wanted to 'play' (provide entertainment) with them. I think cul-de-sacs tend to attract families because other than residents cars, there's generally not much traffic - considered to be safe and as a result attracts lots of kids. The adult neighbours were awful and downright rude to R even after my speaking to them about Rs difficulties and providing them with leaflets. We've now moved to a street that unlike a cul-de-sac and it's done wonders for my nerves!

 

We live in Edinburgh and have a fantastic consultant. Mainstream school could do more to support my son, but I also recognise things could be a whole lot worse.

 

Caroline.

Edited July 4, 2008 by cmuir

[JsMum]

ben is high functioning and has a statement for 1:1 - could probably go to a mainstream school with help

 

where is the best place in theuk to live?? in terms of school , support groups, help for our kids, days out etc - the fullpackage? does anyone feel like they are getting the full package??

 

i thought i was but living in the smallest county in the uk means that everyone knows you and talks about you and i feel claustaphobic at the moment like i cant breathe and want to move!!! hubbyin the raf and he is entitled to a posting now and i want to move but not sure i could put ben through moving - that said he has no friends etc and is lonely anyway so hopefully if we move he might get some friends!!!!!

 

i have beenlooking at hampshire but would like to hear what everyone else thinks is good - mind you cyprus sounds good too!!!!!!

 

Dont look in east yorkshire, there not even diagnosing HFA!! the criteria for services here HFA AS ADHD dont event touch the tip and are not considered for support, yet the local Banardos says HFA/Challenging Behaviour, but to get that service you have to be referred to the childrens Disability Team, to have access to the CDT the child has to have an IQ below 70, that isnt going to happen with children with AS/HFA so they dont even get passed the first referral, so how can Banardos say they help HFA Challenging behaviour?????????

 

We have no money here at all, no funding at all, schools are giving less statements, assessing less and giving money to the schools direct, without a statement families cant access other services like family fund, DLA is harder to claim, and more surplus places in special schools in years to come, that in the end they will close because they will be saying there is no children requiring them, not without a statement they cant.

 

Our area is digusting, its letting families go into crisis because quite simply there is money then, but that isnt fair, its truamatic and its certainly not cheap, if anything more expensive, lately there has been massive progress at home, the support gradually withdrawn and im suspecting to be discharged by the summer holidays, and part me wants to be because Im sick of the unavailablity of the services, reduces to calling the duty team, Im in that posistion when I dont have a social worker, so Im thinking what is the point of having a social worker, all thats left now is Js sessional worker, which Ive had to place an official complaint in to keep it running, as the benefit to J is massive but I really do think that will be withdrawn by the Summer Holidays, I daught very much that he will have it in the key times we actually need it.

 

The summer activities that are available over the holidays have inconvieniant times, locacations, and the children who do require supervisions, support, assisitance can attend, wait for this, its absaloutly mad, One Day a week, so in the summer holidays they get a weeks worth of activies out of the whole six weeks holidays.

 

To access the disability activity clubs you need to be with the Childrens Disability Team, again J doesnt meet the criteria.

 

He wont be in any kids clubs this year, were doing all activities one to one together, and a holiday away where there is support and activities all planned, paid for from our own family budgets, I did request from the social worker some support but it was a flat NO FUNDING Sorry!!!

 

I dont have a clue how our area are protecting children or supporting children the reports and service assessments says our areas is the BEST and provides OUTSTANDING services, I dont experience that at all, and feel badly let down.

 

Dont even think about East coast because its just not there for Higher functioning and if anything its getting harder, and less cooperative, as the local services all club together to ensure resources dont get used in all areas of Education, Health, social services.

 

What the system doesnt seem to realise, by not providing services now, increases the likelyhood that they will spend it one hundred times more when our children are damaged throw not having the support they required as young people, thats what annoys me the most.

 

 

JsMum

[Enid]

Thats terrible J`s Mum You must feel so let down when you have had help only to have it taken away when you still need it, did you see my post "help at last" I have been told that someone will ring me on Monday and that I will get support a couple of nights a week! allegedly!! Enid

[JsMum]

Thats terrible J`s Mum You must feel so let down when you have had help only to have it taken away when you still need it, did you see my post "help at last" I have been told that someone will ring me on Monday and that I will get support a couple of nights a week! allegedly!! Enid

 

 

 

Enid, I m glad in some ways were going in it all alone again, after experiencing the SUPPORT Id rather not have it all, the stress and the absalout not a clue service, the workers didnt have much experience with Autism/ADHD more EBD type experience, J certainly didnt like been told what to do by someone he didnt know and at first he had 6 different workers in 9 days, it was a total joke, the support was to assist me with bedtime routines one day a worker wanted to come at 2pm, well I didnt even bother telling her the purpose of the support and told her we would be fine, it was a good day today!!!!

 

I inapropriate comments, at times that atributed to the already present difficulty, they where making things worse at times, the only time it worked was if they did what J wanted, and didnt do the bedtime routine, that would be left to me to do after they left, I apriciated the time some of the workers because they actually studied HFA/ADHD and it really was noticable when they understood, they witnessed some of the real challenging behaviours and some took the blows while others watched while I got hurt that wasnt nice.

 

The team are not trained, experienced in children with ASD/ADHD and it does have a very big impact on the service and how they aproach you and treat your family, me Im relieved we dont have them anymore, some of the workers 1 0r 2 I will miss because they took the time to understand.

 

The support is just not there for families like mine, for the time being Im okay and actually the progress has been good and some of thats down to the forums of ASD families.

 

JsMum

[Enid]

I`m glad for you! will let you know how I get on. I just need someone to entertain/take him out for a couple of hours, so I dont have to worry about him/lock doors etc and can give the littlies some attention, some much needed attention! god love em <'> Enid

[Enid]

I`m glad for you! will let you know how I get on. I just need someone to entertain/take him out for a couple of hours, so I dont have to worry about him/lock doors etc and can give the littlies some attention, some much needed attention! god love em <'> Enid