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[SelceLisbeth]

I know this thread has been done before as well, but with a venting one, it only seems right to have a more positive thread too.

I'll start. DS16 is off school this week (work experience week, which he is doing in the school holidays, hence no school). Tuesdays have been designated as my one day where I go back to bed after kids are sorted and stay there as long as I like.

Today I did so and at about 10am there was a knock at my door and DS brought me in pancakes for breakfast. While it was a lovely gesture, it is also a wonderful sign of him learning to be more aware of the people around him. He simply wouldnt have thought of doing something like that 12 months ago.

Who's next?

[MsLaurie]

My 4.5yo daughter with significant language issues the other night just casually said “they’re in the kitchen” when I asked DH if he’d got the plates out yet. I don’t really remember her spontaneously joining in conversation like that!

[mayahlb]

My 10yr old self advocated to his psych and actually communicated effectively. He requested to change the day he attends a session so that he can have The day he usually attends as a home day for more downtime. Because then he gets a break between school and homework (bus ride), instead of school, homework, therapy.

[123tree]

We have a fantastic OT and speech therapist. I love them.

[Chaotic Pogo]

DD made a whole week without incident at school last week

[Gumbette]

DS now has cheese on wholemeal sandwiches for lunch everyday and happily drinks milk from a cup without a straw.

This time last year he was having Milk Arrowroots for lunch and insisting on drinking from baby bottles at home.

[Pocket...]

Ds finally got an ADHD diagnosis and trialled ritalin. Which is having a pretty good effect. He's coping so much better, is less overwhelmed and less exhausted by the end of the day. He's so much happier. In some way it's highlighting some of his autistic quirks, but he's so much happier and engaged, and that's worth the world.

[mayahlb]

Pocket..., on 10 September 2019 - 11:47 PM, said:

Ds finally got an ADHD diagnosis and trialled ritalin. Which is having a pretty good effect. He's coping so much better, is less overwhelmed and less exhausted by the end of the day. He's so much happier. In some way it's highlighting some of his autistic quirks, but he's so much happier and engaged, and that's worth the world.

That's great Pocket. We found similar with DS. He wasn't getting as overloaded as easily because it was easier to stay on task and get things done and he wasn't trying to force his brain to behave (his words). But yes, the meds also made it more obvious to others he is quirky as it took away that element of adhd symptoms masking asd. (I still reckon my adhd only kid is my quirkier child...)

Gumbette that is fabulous news!!!

[Gumbette]

mayahlb, on 11 September 2019 - 10:50 AM, said:

That's great Pocket. We found similar with DS. He wasn't getting as overloaded as easily because it was easier to stay on task and get things done and he wasn't trying to force his brain to behave (his words). But yes, the meds also made it more obvious to others he is quirky as it took away that element of adhd symptoms masking asd. (I still reckon my adhd only kid is my quirkier child...)

Gumbette that is fabulous news!!!

I know right!?  I forgot to mention he's 7 so drinking from a bottle was worrying me, but using a plastic straw was seriously freaking DD out.  Now if I can just add a bit of lettuce to that sandwich....

And yes, I find the ADHD tricker to deal with than the ASD now that they're older.

Edited by Gumbette, 11 September 2019 - 10:58 AM.

[Pocket...]

Gumbette, on 11 September 2019 - 10:57 AM, said:

I know right!?  I forgot to mention he's 7 so drinking from a bottle was worrying me, but using a plastic straw was seriously freaking DD out.  Now if I can just add a bit of lettuce to that sandwich....

And yes, I find the ADHD tricker to deal with than the ASD now that they're older.

Ds still likes straws but he will go without usually. Fortunately he likes the metal ones and we only have those for school drink bottles

I'm struggling with veg at school, he fills up on carbs and fruit.

Well done on getting him onto the lunch you have! That's great!

[Gumbette]

Have you tried bribery?  At the beginning, we gave the teacher a bag of coins and every time he ate his cheese sandwich he was allowed to purchase a Paddle Pop.  Eventually he decided he didn't like the fake Paddle Pop's the school was selling and traded it for some iPad time when he got home.  Now he doesn't flinch and I don't need to reward him at all.  *sigh* at all the things parents of NT kids never need to think about...

Good luck - at least he likes fruit!

[Pocket...]

I'm being tactical atm. Fruit for crunch and sip, veg for recess. Fruit or veg with lunch. If he consistently eats the fruit and veg at crunch and sip and lunch he's allowed to take coins for recess occasionally. Lol. He's going through a stubborn phase.

[Charli73]

I have one... so last year DS 8 was thrown out of school and we moved to another school. At the old school we previously had 2-3 calls to come pick him up each week and meltdowns pretty much every day and it was exhausting.

Since starting at the new school all this year we have collected my son a total of 3 times and his teacher is amazing. We have an amazing psych, OT and psychiatrist and on the right meds x3. He’s even been able to stop getting violent at school and calm himself down and verbalize afterwards why he stopped and that was a huge step for him... were very happy we have found an amazing school... wow.

I also wanted to say that Melbourne airport now has a hidden disabilities page and send out lanyards for travel and have a great sensory map and social story online..
We’re travelling next week and it’s been great to go through.

Edited by Charli73, 12 September 2019 - 05:41 PM.

[Pocket...]

Charli73, on 12 September 2019 - 05:38 PM, said:

I have one... so last year DS 8 was thrown out of school and we moved to another school. At the old school we previously had 2-3 calls to come pick him up each week and meltdowns pretty much every day and it was exhausting.

Since starting at the new school all this year we have collected my son a total of 3 times and his teacher is amazing. We have an amazing psych, OT and psychiatrist and on the right meds x3. He’s even been able to stop getting violent at school and calm himself down and verbalize afterwards why he stopped and that was a huge step for him... were very happy we have found an amazing school... wow.

I also wanted to say that Melbourne airport now has a hidden disabilities page and send out lanyards for travel and have a great sensory map and social story online..
We’re travelling next week and it’s been great to go through.

Yay for awesome schools that actually work with the parents, therapists and actually see the child as a unique individual who is full of potential!

[mayahlb]

That’s fabulous Charli! Brilliant what a change in school that provides support can do.

[SelceLisbeth]

DS18 just enrolled in a double diploma course for next year. It follows on from what he has been doing this year. I am so proud of him. Last year he was never going finish year 11. Now he has four weeks left of year 12 and he is already enrolled in further education. Finding a good fit for your kids with SN is an amazing feeling. Now to work on finding a fit for DS16...

[mayahlb]

That’s wonderful news SL.

My 10yr old took a step towards independence and went and got a haircut today by himself while I dropped off his brother to a music lesson. His hair had gotten to the length of causing sensory issues and general frustration but I didn’t have time I could take him when the barber wouldn’t have been packed and the wait very long. So I dropped him off with my card and came back to a happy kid just having his hair finished. And he managed to communicate to a perfect stranger what he wanted done to his hair (We live in a small town and the barber knows us as we’ve going there for years. Kiddo knew not to leave or talk to people he didn’t know).

[msblueshoes]

All of your stories are so heartening.

I have one too. My DS who's 9yrs and has suffered encopresis his whole life recently started opening and emptying his bowels regularly. He still can't ever 'let' poo come out - he still has to push his poo out bit by bit (I sat with him for years, counting and encouraging him to do this because I was so desperate, and this was against the advice of our paed at the time under whose care saw DS hospitalised for a week for severe faecal impaction despite laxatives). But... DS is now going to the toilet by himself, most of the time doesn't need any coercion, empties his bowels, has no soiling, doesn't have a bloated tummy, has beautiful colour back in his face, has more energy, laxatives are heavily reduced. I am SO grateful. This has been huge for us. At last poo doesn't dominate this family and we can turn our attention to other matters to help DS.

[MsLaurie]

msblueshoes, on 13 September 2019 - 10:44 AM, said:

DS is now going to the toilet by himself, most of the time doesn't need any coercion, empties his bowels, has no soiling, doesn't have a bloated tummy, has beautiful colour back in his face, has more energy, laxatives are heavily reduced.

That is so so excellent!!

[mayahlb]

That's fabulous news Msblueshoes!

[Gumbette]

SelceLisbeth, on 12 September 2019 - 09:37 PM, said:

DS18 just enrolled in a double diploma course for next year. It follows on from what he has been doing this year.

That's awesome SL.  May I ask what course he is going to do?

[Charli73]

I love reading about everyone’s wins.. even though some a may be small and insignificant for another child I feel like they are huge wins for our kids... well done everyone

After I’ve been cutting DS hair since he was 4 I finally have found a quiet female barber DS loves and he is happy to have her cut his hair too... took some bribery though it was worth it.

On a side note we’re going to Singapore next week and going back to the same hotel, same flight and same seat on the flight as last year so there’s no anxiety for DS.. he knows exactly where we are staying, what hotel looks like and he is not as anxious as last year.. took some planning but we’re very relaxed this time.

Edited by Charli73, 13 September 2019 - 05:52 PM.

[gravity1]

Love this thread. We have been battling school refusal this term but DS managed to get to school and stay in school four full days this week. So proud of DS.

[mayahlb]

Chatted briefly with kiddo's psych yesterday. Information that came out of that brief 5 mins was useful in that:

a) the local highschool apparently has a well implemented transition program for autistic kids that includes attending the school once a week for 2 hours during term 4 to "participate" in classes and get to know the space and teachers. The coordinator of this is apparently highly knowledgeable and skills (can't tell you how much that helps take some stress off my mind). She's also known to the kid's psych so information he thinks she should have should make it's way to her

b) there is a strong possibility that I will be able to get a new cognitive assessment done next year for the kiddo without is costing me anything or having to convince NDIS to fund it, or finding the funds elsewhere

[sne]

I have ds10 who has asd  adhd, odd,spd, anxiety, severe behavior,  partial school attendance... the list goes on, and dd8 who has asd and anxiety.  Tonight was the school concert.  Both participated. Ds had the audience laughing with him mummy interpretation.  Dd had a major role and spoke multiple times with a microphone. I am so unbelievably proud of them both and so thankful to the teachers who put the long hours getting them and the other students ready for it.