Another one who is struggling at the moment - today he had issues when I dropped him off (and now I understand why ppl drink before midday), and then the teacher (who is a holiday program fill-in, normally she is just an assistant there during the term), found it hard to get him to listen today, and this afternoon we had to stop at the butchers (which was crowded), and I wanted to throttle him, and then trying to get him to draw a welcome home sign for MIL (who has been away for 6 months and arrives tomorrow morning), would have been easier getting hens teeth.
I am so scared about prep - he hates writing and drawing and all of that.
And I can't relate to his hatred of all art/writing, because when I have to do it with him I feel like shaking him and saying you aren't even trying (which I know isn't fair or true, but it just gets to me sometimes).
Oh, and this morning he spat on his sister, so that was a great morning (and DH has a huge project at work which MUST get finished by midday tomorrow when they shut down, so he hasn't been getting in until 8pm each night, and he is stressed out and isn't much help even when he is home).
So it all makes me want to run away from the ASD, it's too hard... I'm worried I'm going to end up liking (not loving) DD more, because she is just so much easier to handle.
I've been looking into respite care through the council, which i was going to use for help in the afternoon as that's when I find it hard.. I was supposed to get some help in general because of some health issues I have, and then i sent them to diagnosis of aspergers from his psychiatrist, so I was hoping for some extra hours. I had read somewhere you automatically get 3 hours per week with an ASD diagnosis? Is that true... anyway, on the form the wrote 3-4 hours per week, which I know i should be grateful for, but I was like, that's it? 2 complex health issues and 4 hours a week?
But I guess there is nothing I can do about it, unless we want to pay for help privately. The council is $4.90 per hour, and even that will add up with the amount of other medical costs we have for everything. You know when you are over the medicare safety cap in January you have too many medical bills.. I think we are up to $3k this financial year already.
I contacted Autism Victoria to apply for the FACHSIA funding, just waiting for the paperwork.
We have OT weekly (but now a break for holidays), and we have had 6 months off speech, but will start that up again next year when he starts prep.
Having a big lead up to the new australian law of "when you turn 5 and are a big boy starting prep that laws says you aren't allowed dummies anymore"... should be fun... but this oral fixation isn't good, he becomes more and more addicted to it, and it isn't helping his speech issues.
We want to start swimming lessons (oh, and anyone out there with HCF extras, they pay $150 per child per year up to $300 a family for swimming lessons), but I wanted to get him some private ones first, because of his auditoary processing disorder and one bad time at a friends pool (and i was literally 3 steps behind him and he still sank to the bottom and I had to jump in a pull him out), I just want to make sure he is ok before joining a bigger group. But it is $35 for a 1/2 hour private lessons at this place that specifically deals with kids with disabilities, as opposed to $15 for a 1 hr group lesson, and I just don't know if it is worth it, or if i should try and convince my friend who is a swim teacher to do some basics with him at my other friends pool in exchange for some massages.
Has anyone got any advice about class sizes etc for swimming?
We are also getting special graphite orthotics for his toe walking. Applied for some victoria aids & equipment funding. Was supposed to pay the physio $88 to submit it for me, and she told me it is a lot of paperwork etc for her, but my friend is a paed physio and told me it was rubbish, the only paperwork is the form i filled out anyway, plus a like 3 line letter from the physio to accompany it (which she or the GP can write for me), and I can send off the application myself anyway. The only thing I have to do is call the orthotist myself rather than the physio giving me his details to go for the fitting and give him the funding details. So glad she told me as I was about to pay $88 for a 3 line letter & a postage stamp to RCH, and an email to the orthotist. My friend has one she recommend so hopefully it will help, but we won't get it until around March/April apparently. Otherwise they will cast him with plaster casts to stretch out his leg muscles.
Anyway, I had better run and see what the kids are up too... too much quiet for my liking
Hope you are all well
P.S. Freya - if you find an OT who has some special extra training, they can accept mental health care plans for OT sessions. You get them from your GP in 6 appointment blocks, up to 18 for a year. That's what we did, and the OT thought we would be able to claim the initial $350 assessment/report back, but we had no trouble at medicare. Usually we pay $120 per hour, and we are out of pocket with the mental health care plan $10.25 per session. You can still get them even if you have FACHSIA funding, so we are going to use them again next year (another 18), to try and save as much of the other funding for speech and the rest of OT
Otherwise you can get an EPC from your GP which will give you 5 sessions with OT or speech etc.
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