Well... we are about to have a quirky kid meet up tomorrow at my house!! If anyone else with one of our super kids is in Sydney, you are more than welcome, we will be meeting up at my house from 11am so PM me & I'll give you details in the morning
Us... well we have a friend who is 11 and spends every Wed after school at our house. She has issues. Her mum is over it, over being yelled at constantly and having a child who is explosive. She said she wanted to rehome her daughter but her ex husband wouldn't agree to it, he thinks there is nothing wrong with T. I adore T. Yes, she is definately quirky. Yes, she has issues, but I love her. I have her a few days a week during school holidays, I have her one arvo a week after school and I have volunteered a bedroom for her if her mum needs a break.
Anyway, I suggested to her mum that she go to our OT because she was over the explosions. I said, if anything the OT can help T learn how to physically calm herself down. but her mum is really on the edge. I love T and I hate to see this happen to them. Anyway, she went to our OT and phoned me afterwards. She said "OMG... I walked in and she knew T. She knew all about the way T works. I don't understand, I read about SPD and it doesn't make sense, she's not like that but I don't know." I explained that T has learned coping mechanisms in her world, and when she gets home she explodes with mum because mum is the one consistent thing for her, the one with unconditional love so T can relax herself.
Tonight I took T through some OT stuff... we talked about exercises that would help her. She said she didn't want to scream at her mum, and her mum cried. Their next appt with our OT isn't until next November, so I showed some exercises that the OT asked I show to them. T promised me she would do it. So we shall see. I told her the next time she came over I would check and see if she had, because she has 0 core strength and I would know.... I feel a bit over my head doing this for someone else, as I am NOT an OT, but I did as the OT asked me to do, exactly what she asked me to do (she sent me a letter). So hopefully we will see a corner turn for T. She is supposed to go to high school next year, but I can't see how she can do that. She's one of those who would turn to drugs etc because she just doesn't feel right within herself, ykwim? I just don't want to see that....
Anyway... M had a tough day today, we had a play date prior to T coming over, and that always sets M off.
Oh Lilima I don't know. We only had speech for 6 months, which really helped, but it was only a short term service so we're on the wait list for EI, might get in Dec or Jan. OT seems to have finished, we had maybe 3-4 sessions? I'm not any wiser, except that Riv has low registration and emotional sensory issues...I got an email from the OT asking if I had any questions. I'm not sure if it's okay to say 'yeah I do, what did all those appointments mean and what do I do now?'. Ahhhhhhhhhhh.....I never even got our Paed report...
What other options do you think there might be Lilima? What do you think J needs? xo
Sounds like you were able to be a big help Christy! I really hope some of this stuff helps T to find ways to manage.
Lu I bet it was confronting, but I reckon that could be a pretty powerful report in terms of opening doors and finding support. xo
Nelle - I think it's perfectly OK to ask that. I'm so new to all of this, but I've found that I'm constantly asking, asking, asking - probably to the point of pestering, but I figure, that is what his caregivers are being paid for. What does this mean, what happens next, where to go from here, what are his strengths and weaknesses, can they tell me what they think we might expect in the future (even though it's really early days yet), etc, etc.
Christy - you are marvellous. It's fantastic that you are able to offer such support to T.
Lu - I'm sorry that the psych report was so confronting - but hope that it helps to get you guys the support you need. We got E's ADOS assessment report back and I was surprised that he scored so high (he scored 18, the cutoff for classic autism is 12 and the maximum score is 24) - all this time words like 'mild' and 'high functioning' have been used (and I know that high or low functioning refers to IQ and not to spectrum severity, but even so), so I'm now coming to terms with the fact that he may be more severely affected than what we had previously thought. In its own way it's been really confronting too. to you.
E started his EI program on Wednesday - he's in a two day a week program at Autism Qld. He seems to have gone really well in terms of settling into the routine, although it's probably not dissimilar to what he does at daycare. Apparently he did very well at sitting in his chair during lessons, and concentrated really well, aned when they brought out the mats for sleep time he went straight over to his mat, lay down, and went to sleep. (Why, oh why will he sleep for everyone else on the planet but not for us ). And we had a home visit today by the centre OT, who assessed his motor skills and will give us some strategies to help with our biggest issue - sleep. Although we're thinking of buying a mat like they use at daycare and at the centre and selling his bed LOL - as he won't sleep in his bed once he wakes up in the night and spends most of the night asleep on the couch. He won't settle in our bed - just climbs and wriggles, but as soon as he goes out to the couch, he falls asleep. We're at a point where we don't care where he sleeps, as long as he sleeps.
But so far it seems positive - we were really lucky to have gained a place in the program so quickly, and AQ is a fantastic facility.
Nelle - I would be asking more questions. Also I would be pushing to get back on to speech therapy.
Christy - How did the quirky kid meet up go??
Has anyone accessed "enhanced primary care" funding? I was looking it up for a client at work and realised that kids are able to access it as well. Might help you Nelle with getting further Speech. I can give anyone the link that wants it.
We have a kindy meeting tomorrow, to discuss the plans for next year. Wish us luck!
We've used the enhanced primary care for OT as Matilda's OT isn't covered in the faschia funding. Its been awesome to help out financially. Personally, the $90 a week we pay for OT is full on and I love any help we can get!! I have to work one extra day a week to fund OT. Full on...
We just got back from the kindy assessment, and I must admit, I am a little anxious and a tad upset as I found out more information that I was not aware of.
Apparently when he goes to childcare, he basically just sits in the book corner all day with the same book on his lap. Not actually reading it, just holding it as a comfort. He really doesn't leave the corner except for meals and to go to the toilet.
When he is outside, he does the same behaviour. He just sits on a log, and does not interact and is basically anxious all day. It has just so sad........
We have put in an application for an extra assistant for him for next year. He will not participate unless an adult engages him. and now I think about it, he is a bit like that at home too.
but her mum is really on the edge. I love T and I hate to see this happen to them. Anyway, she went to our OT and phoned me afterwards. She said "OMG... I walked in and she knew T. She knew all about the way T works. I don't understand, I read about SPD and it doesn't make sense, she's not like that but I don't know." I explained that T has learned coping mechanisms in her world, and when she gets home she explodes with mum because mum is the one consistent thing for her, the one with unconditional love so T can relax herself.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh.....I never even got our Paed report...
to you. 
). And we had a home visit today by the centre OT, who assessed his motor skills and will give us some strategies to help with our biggest issue - sleep. Although we're thinking of buying a mat like they use at daycare and at the centre and selling his bed LOL - as he won't sleep in his bed once he wakes up in the night and spends most of the night asleep on the couch. He won't settle in our bed - just climbs and wriggles, but as soon as he goes out to the couch, he falls asleep. We're at a point where we don't care where he sleeps, as long as he sleeps. 
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