activity and adventure holidays with schools

[sesley]

Tody i was greeted with there is a letter in P's bag regarding the annual Primary 7 trip to Nethybridge in september. What are your feelings,said the headmistress."well i would like him to go,it would be a fantastic learning curve for him".headmistress"who will look after him?" He would have to sleep in a room with others,dress and undress himself,sleep without disturbing others and be able to understand and listen to instructions!.Me "well tomorrow we have a meeting at the Pines with relevant people,maybe they might have some ideas"Headmistress,"its a health and safety issue as well lots of potentially dangerous activits,climbing,canoeing,absailing etc."Me"I don't want to make any negative decission yet!" Ok well just to let you know about the letter and what is involved" "ok says,me, thanks for the information,we will get back to you after discussing possibilitys with others.

 

so whats your experiences on things like this if any,have you found the head teachers trying to think up negative reasons for your person not joining in with his classmates.On something simular? trips out?particulary if its over night somewhere and involves fun adventure with water and things.

[KezT]

DS is going on his in May/June. I specifically went and checked with both HT and activity camp leader, & both swore they would be able to cope with his needs just fine.

 

He will have a bed in the dorm with the other boys, but there are also single rooms he can use if that doesn't work (he's never managed to share for a whole night yet - usually the other person complains). He eats school dinners, so hopefully food won't be too much of a problem. The activity leader said that they are confident they can encourage him to do most of the activities, and there is always somneone there to look after the ones who refuse to do any, anyway.

 

The biggest issue is the lack of computers there - but apparently they have one hidden away in case of emergencies, and I can send his gameboy along with a teacher to help with any total melt-downs.

 

I really want him to go, so I am both pleased and anxious about it. But the school seems totally positive that he'll be fine.

[Paula]

My son now 16 has been twice on this typ of holday with the school he attends and loved it.granted he attends a special school and so there was lots of support.I was still worried though because he would be away from home and have to dress,bath ect on his own.But it was fine and he came home after a few days full of renewed confidence.

 

last year he went to France for 4 days with his school........againe i worried myself sick but he was fine.

 

I realise its different if there going within a mainstream setting but if youre son want to go and support is going to be there then you know he just might surprise you ,My son was glad to be shut of me fussing round ........his words.............

 

 

He did activites such has canoeing,climbing,quad biking,and high ropes..........all realy well supervised.

 

 

[chris54]

Last year it was a 2night residential trip to a center run by the council. We were all for it but our son said at first that he didant want to go. it turned out that he was apprehensive about the food, that he wouldn't like it and have nothing to eat. well I told him that they would do him whatever he wanted to eat. so that was ok. The school were delighted that he was going, even when I told them they may have to arrange special meals for him. He was in a room with 1 other boy, his then best friend, and despite being told that they would be looking after themselves, there seems to have been a little bit more supervision that you would expect.(When I unpack his case his cloths were extremely well pact, Better that I had done in the first place.) And the meals, It turned out that he eat the same as all the other children, even things that at home he want touch.

 

Some of the parent (and children) were a bit concerned that mobile phones and electronic games were band.

 

It was a case of 'If you don't hear anything its good news, If you need to contact you child, phone the contact number,(Manned 24/7) and we will pass the message on.

 

As for games, as fare as I can make out there was so much going on, nobody missed them.

 

This year it is a 3 night stop at an activity place. Same thing, at first didn't want to go, not sure why, but at the elethenth hour he changed his mind, 2 days before dead line. They had had a talk and slide show about the place at school I think which changed his mind. Once again the school are happy he is going.

 

I am not at all worried as I have full confidence the school staff will look after him OK, that they know him well enough by now.

[Suze]

Its sad that the head appeared to be negative about it.When my son was at primary he went on 2 residentials.The first he had a smaller room with 2 other pupils who had similar difficulties.The second time was a longer stay of 3 nights and my husband went as a parent helper and again he had a smaller room with another pupil.He did,nt go on the last residential in yr6 as by this time he had hated the idea of it and he truly found the whole experience hideous.However he is 14 now and goes away twive a yr with the air cadets and thoroughly enjoys it.They are sticklers for rules and lights out etc so it suits him fine.I try and talk to the head surely the school can work something out for him .....oh and have a chat with your son to see how he feels etc ...he may hate the idea of going anyway , best wishes for a resolution suzex.

[sesley]

I spoke to or lovely social worker today,who suggests its the schools responsiblity to help with arrangements. I also asked at our local NAs centre if there is any NAS support for people needing support on school trips,they will all look into it. The point is the headteacher is not going to get away with ,expecting me to exclude and find other arrangements for him. The point i want to make to the powers that be now,is that we hope P has some good childhood experinces that he can remember in years to come without regret and questions on why he could not be included.We have not explained autism to him yet because he at 10,has not become self aware enough to ask,why life is so difficult/different for him,more than for his peers. I know we can't protect him completely,but we can buffer some hurts from him until he is ready. I am aware some high functioning/aspergers can get very depressed with themselves especially with puberty,just around the corner which is why we are doing all we can now to fight for him to be able to join in with the right support of whatever his peers are doing,because he knows whats going on around him,but finds it difficult to express what he feels.

Edited January 27, 2010 by sesley

[baddad]

Hi Sesley -

I think if he wants to go and will enjoy it then you should pull out all the stops...

Dunno quite why the head is being so negative(?) Is she being negative, do you think, or is it more that in the past he hasn't wanted to access this kind of thing or problems have arisen?

Has he been on school day trips etc, and if so how did he get on with them?

At my son's primary (mainstream) school they had trips every year - starting in infants with a day trip to a petting zoo and culminating in yr 6 with a week in Spain... in between they 'built up, from day trips to overnight trips, to 2 day, 3 day trips etc.

Ben attended them all and loved them, but I know other (autistic) children who didn't want to go, and I know (sadly) of some kids who did want to go but whose parents didn't think they would be able to cope so never got the option.

My own feeling, if he's up for it and there's no good reason for him not going (Risk assessment/specialist support needs etc) then go for it.

If he's not sure/doesn't want to go but you can persuade him and there's no good reason for him not going then try really hard to persuade him...

The only way to extend someones comfort zone is to push the boundaries every now and again. Sometimes that's hard for them, sometimes that's hard for us and sometimes there are other obstacles even when the 'them and us' are determined.

 

Good luck with it.

 

L&P

 

BD

 

Oh just thought I'd add - the week in Spain I posted about somewhere here... the biggest concern i had was whether he'd get on the plane as he has a real fear of heights... i 'tailed' the coach to the airport without him knowing, and if he really hadn't been able to get on would have brought him home and written off the money it cost for the trip. The gamble paid off, but even if it hadn't I would have considered it money well spent. Photos from the trip were recently put up by one of his old skool friends on facebook, and pretty much the whole of his 'old' class are back in touch on FB as a consequence, so it goes to show these things can pay dividends you don't even think about at the time.

 

Edited January 27, 2010 by baddad

[JsMum]

 

I wanted to take J on a activity on a high ropes venture, sadly we couldnt do it as he required two adults with him at all times due to his ASD/ADHD, so ensure that if he is doing activities that they dont in the small print request two adults when accompanying a child with a disability or special needs, if I had of ignored the request, and anything happened, J wouldnt of been covered by the insurance company.

 

So it maybe that the activity centre they are going to need to be aware of any children with additional/special needs and if he requires extra supervision and assisatnce.

 

JsMumxxx

 

[jimssmom]

I'm having fun with my DS's school as well. They seem to concentrate on the negative rather than seeing positives.

Follow your instincts. Besides, you know your child better than anyone