Shrimples Birthday

 Well Shrimples is 4 he is officially a big guy now, although he has been telling people he has been 4 for a good year.  Shrimples went to Kindy and shared his ironman cupcakes with his Peers and then we picked him up and drove down south for the weekend, Fish and Chip dinner, swimming, bouncing and water slides (which he had to go down with me ) we had a great time Peanut was sick  ( temp From Tuesday afternoon) and finally got better on the sunday we left  ( typical)   but we ate at brewreys and wineries and had a good time the boys were really good apart from occasional moaning by Shrimples and on the last day running away by  Peanut well not so much running away but thinking he was on a racetrack and we were racing and nothing we could say would make him think others wise.  I have some News about Peanut but  Id like ot keep this about Shrimples my amazing little munckin so Ill talk about Peanuts things later .

Shrimples made a Friend in Teddy ( he loves stuff toys)  who just by per coincidence  happen to have Autism and be 2.5 years in his journey infront of Peanut  went through the same sort of schooling issues ETC  and  not only was that bizzare in its self that they became best friends but also that I knew Teddies Mother! from a private Facebook page we had never met in person but it was funny how we sussed each other out and then got on really well.

So now we are back at the rat race and  Since monday Shrimples has gone to bed with no nappies  first night he woke up dry  second night wet and last night he woke up dry at 5:30am but decided to lay in bed until daddy went and got him at 6:30 which meant his bed by then was soaking ! argh  ohh well no stress little bladder blah blah  I just so want there to be no nappies in this house.

Shrimples is doing really well in school writting and spelling his name and telling me what letters everything starts with. His beautiful drawing on the other hand has gotten  umm how do I say this  .. well they have turned to shit  just lots of scribbles  one today he drew was all black with three dots on the outside and one on the inside it looked like crap ! LOL   but we discussed the drawing and like  a good mummy I praised hm accordingly apprently its a cave and He is stuck in it and  Daddy mummy and peanut are all outside yelling " Where are you Shrimples, Shrimples where are you? " but he just cant find his way out cause the noises are too loud !!!...... umm  I think I need a psychologist for this child LOL  here are some picture of my handsome little man on his Big 4th !!

POST IEP STRESS

The IEP the IEP where do we start  I think I’m gonna break it down into  point forms

• ·      School was stunned to find out Peanut had Brains !
• ·      School was stunned to find out there is no magic cure for Peanuts behaviours
• ·      Peanuts Early intervention teacher is my new hero
• ·      Too many things are making Peanut struggle at the moment( too many EAs coming and going, too many kids, noises in classroom  Rules to follow without visuals supports in place to make sure he understand them. 
• ·      Even at EI Peanut is a pain in the arse
• ·      Peanuts strength is reading people very quickly
• ·      School is really making peanut do nothing!(work wise) 
• ·      EI teacher is going to get MS teacher to visit (actually MS teachers suggestion)
• ·      EI teacher and Therapy team will make up visuals for MS classroom and for Peanut
• ·      Deputy wants full time Aid time for him funded which EI teacher will help application with
• ·      School was interested to hear Peanut is playing them by acting as if he cant do a lot
• ·      Psychologists said nothing !! at all, all meeting just wrote a lot down !!
• ·      I felt supported by Peanuts EI teacher, She really does understand him which is lovely - She will be over seeing this MS transition
• ·      We are implementing a time out spot for him at MS with a 3 minute timer  ( which is what we use at EI and home)
• ·      Therapist will go in and work with Peanut and other students to help with social interactions and make sure hte teachers know how to use the Visuals schedules and social stories. 
•   The EI teacher did said she was ready to yell and get agressive but she didn't have to so thats a win

Really I felt it went well , I felt I would let the academically goals slide a bit as he is getting them at EI and therapy at the moment ( his accidemic goals at EI are actually quite high they want him reading by mid year) and I felt it was better he settle into the class routine and let them get visuals in place before pushing him too far. We have set a meeting for early next term which is when I will be pushing for the academic goals.  

Peanuts EI IEP he achieved 80% of in 3 weeks again !!!  which is great and I’m honestly surprised how bright he really he I knew he was bright but lately I’ve seen some massive things from him that is beyond age appropriate for a kid that’s zoned out 70% of the time I think thats amazing.

Summary

Its all a waste of time  if no one follows through so now my chasing up job begins  I have put my name down for class helped on the 21^st of March so I can see if things are in place.

 hearing all your sons problems with school and life is hard even though you know them already but I try to focus on some of the good points which were his intelligence level and his ability to make very detailed Pictures out of magnet shapes LOL 

Im positive the next meeting (if all is put in place) will be alot more positive.

 I am emotionally exhausted! I find these things take a real emotional strain on me and I take a while to recover.. 

I got that IEP sinking feeling

So  this will be quick cause really Im just trying to waste time before heading off to the BIG DUN DUN DUNNN IEP meeting.. 

all Ive heard are horror stories so Im not expecting this to go well but you never know my interal optimist is peeking through ever so slightly telling me to calm the  fuck down and hard the fuck up..  So   30 minutes till the big HOOO HAAAAA... GULP  I think I just swollowed to spew .. seeya round 

and then it all turned to SHIT

I haven't written in a while cause Ive been unsure with where we are really.   Peanut is not doing very well at either school at them moment I feel like we have taken a step 12 months backwards  and to be honest its breaking my heart.  We have an IEP  type meeting next thursday but Im really very nervous about it.

Peanut is running circles around his MS school and pretty much not doing anything he is asked this is spilling over into EI  and  really its just a big explosion  too many Eas, too many teachers coming and going  its all just too much for him and me  and of corse that has an effect on Shrimples.  I just want him to Snap out of it and be the little boy he was 12 weeks ago  !! where is he gone he is making noise constantly having meltdowns  no complience and  is in his own little world 95% of the time its heart wrenching.  I know this is part fo the whole AUTISM  thing but really  please little man just come back to us.  I have never seen him this bad.

 Im trying to think positivity and there has been some okay things in his communication book  participation is music and sport and walking nicely in line  but he is also Pushing, kicking and refusing to share with kids  ( which is unlike him the violent side I mean). and today he even wet himself in the playground.
 The school has no visuals in place and way to many people  he is upset by noise and  the Sub EA has not been seen in a while the teacher has taken 4 days out of the 9 he has been there off and he has had a different teacher every time the only constant person is the class EA whom seems lovely but completely overwhelmed .. ITS NOT WORKING FOR ANYONE !!!



I found this  on Facebook today and thought it very fitting to my mood

Schools Back FROM summer - Part two watch out mainstream

Part 2

Day 3 

MAINSTREAM!!!  OMG now Peanut has an EA for half of the day there is a Class EA and a Class teacher and about 20 kids  - So completely different set up from Early intervention, I didn’t think I would be this nervous I have some saint johns wort and a big mug of sugary tea ( even though I’ve been sugarless in my hot drinks for weeks) and I still feel like throwing up  He is Super excited and we walked to school no stress (Fucking slow though  a 5 minute walk took over 15 minutes !!)  unpack his bag show him where to put things and walk in  he says hello to the teacher with  prompting and  heads over to the toys  the teacher  goes over and tells him in the morning they play with puzzles and books and no toys yet. We got a little grumpy  “ I want to play” to which I said yes you can play with the puzzles or you can read a book  “NO!”  you see the teachers recoil  I go and grab him a puzzle and he settles down. As we are playing some other boys head over to the toys and get the same treatment and the teacher reads them a story until the music teacher arrives that is when  I made a swift exit he said good bye and gave us a kiss and I walked away I should have felt better but I still felt sick  and I will until I pick him up in one piece.  BREATH MUMMY BREATH

Pick up time, some other parents had made an effort to ask me how Peanut had settled even though they had no idea who I was. I then get ushered in I walked in and got "Oh hi mummy I had a good day" like a little robot LOL YAAAAHH the Sub EA talked to me Peanut did super well the only moan /whine was cause they told him to stop eating and go play! He didn't wee all day until I got there and he didn't drink so perhaps a little stressed he wanted to sit on the teachers chairs, they were firm with him and gave him his own chair which he didn't like but he joined in with most things ( music and painting) and when he wouldn't his only option was the do 1:1 learning with the EA who I’m so bummed was a sub cause she was AMAZBALLS! (she was there all day) he showed me a book they read and was excited to show me all the things he learnt about the book using lots of words, he came home happy and talking up a storm! I have never seen him come home from school this happy. He was pretend playing with Shrimples leading the play and singing songs I’ve never heard so he must have learnt them in music class.  I’m really excited that peer role models are just what the doctor ordered.

Day 4 

Shrimples is slightly upset this morning he does not have his hat but after explaining hats are left at school  he hurries off to school to grab his hat, he unpacks his bags and sits to does puzzles, Shrimples and another boy sit with him. The puzzle is of a face and its missing and eyebrow so I quickly leave before this upsets him to much and lead Shrimples to his class.

Shrimples first day was only half a day but he turns up cute as a button and a few kids know him already and excitedly announce his arrival, him and Earstar sat down talking about shoes and doing puzzles and that was it I sat for a bit and then walked home.

For me I hear you ask  or I don;t hear you ask but Im just assuming  you will want to hear about it or not if not Skip to the next bit.

Gym Induction and  PT session  got the outfit happening and the trendy new sports bra. I sat with the PT and we talked about how over weight I am  ummmm lol  not pleasant but I made a joke out of most of it then she ran me through what I needed to to do I felt great after 1.5 hours

I have signed up for stampede with a few other crazy SN mums its running and climbing through mud obstacles and even live electricity   GO ME !! So I need to get fit I of corse after my session was is so much pain  LOL my muscles ached for a good 4 days

That night Peanut didn’t fall asleep until 9:30 and was up at 4:50  his little brain working over drive chatting away to himself

Day 5

Went off without a hitch Nynie arrived, we took the boys to swimming lessons where Peanut jumped around like a wound up spring and Shrimples screamed the house down about going the deep end.

We great weekend tiring the boys out. A lot of Scripting from Peanut, No eye contact and little listening skills. We spent Sunday in the lagoon and it started to get a bit better. 

This morning is Monday of the new week and the SHIT HIT THE FUCKING FAN  ( I would say mind my language but they say people who swear more are more trustworthy, and TBH my morning was SHIT !)

Peanut was so upset to be going to Merriwa school and not princess school I had to drag him in crying I made things worse ( as I was not in a mood to be a sn parent) I pushed him through the class room door and closed it behind him smiling at the teacher as I quickly retreated  I got to the car and a wave of awfulness sweep over me.

I’m a SN mum I’m ment to be more understanding more compassionate, gentler, more prepared and have 100 times thicker skin than your average run of the mill vanilla kids mums. But I broke down tears and all I wanted to do was run back to school and give Peanut a huge hug and make sure he is okay. Backpacker talked me off a ledge and now I just feel like I need a stiff drink.  Tomorrow morning Backpacker is coming with me for school drop off and we are going to reassess whats goes on and see what we can do.  Its so hard to work out what it is upsetting peanut if its a tantrum or a melt down does he understand and just not want to go? Does he not get it, its only day 1 of week 2 surely it will take some time is it the fact they don't push him at Mainstream or the the fact princess school has a better playground.  Stay tuned to find out It might take a while ( if we ever do we will let you know)

Schools Back FROM Summer

 So we have been getting Peanut ready or School for the last few weeks, social story’s, Visual schedules, setting up a study /therapy room for him.

This is how it went down  ….

Part 1

Day 1

So keen to start hurrying us up to get dressed and out the door and then as soon as we got to the car park the Shit hit the fan!!! he was crying not screaming but fighting enough that I had to carry him in and refusing to do anything asked of him the scripting was at an all time high. 

The Teacher lead him out the door at pick up time and with a funny look on her face 

I said “ not a great day ?”  and I got a big thumbs down  and “a Scripting was High and compliance low”, We shared a chuckle  “ I’m not surprised” “ Yep it will take him time to get used to New routine”

We got home and he was still unsettled and that’s when I start self blaming  - I should of I shouldn’t have .. BLAH BLAH BLAH   ( no help to any one big old BLAH ) So we sit down and ease into the new school year with just 15 minutes of home therapy  he settles with the chance to earn some gold doubloons and Ive finally worked out why he was so upset! He wanted to go to the school with the princess, Every time I mentioned school he would say princess when I picked him up he said "Hi mummy .. go princess" I had no idea what this ment until after therapy he pointed to Clarkson crest on his Visual schedule and said " Clarkson .. Princess up the stairs down the stairs" and Bang it hit me Peanut was in the class for just over an hour 10 weeks ago but what did he play with a castle a fairy princess castle !! God its hard having to be either a mind reader or a detective but we got there in the end.

Its all confirmed as he keeps wanting to put his Hulk t-shirt on cause it was the t-shirt he was wearing on that day so now he thinks its his princess school uniform LOL

Ive told him again and again and showed him on visual schedule but although he was listening he didn’t want to understand so  Snap to

Day 2 

Started off same him excited about school and me blurting out “ No princess school today Merriwa school”  every  15 – 20 minutes, undressed as he was searching for his hulk t-shirt  ( which is in the wash) so he is walking around nudy but then after that it was pretty uneventful he went to school without a hitch still wasn’t 100% but getting better. 

Visual Schedules

                                                                                              

Bag Rack 

Study and therapy desk 

Peanuts sensory cushion 

Peanut ready for his first day 

Starting CEASE therapy soon !

So we went to the naturopath today for the first time in about 8 months, She is wonderful still trying to get me to do GFCF for Peanut but we tired it and I honestly saw no improvements but I saw more improvements when using Spectrum awakening, a probotic and cod liver oil. 

 Im sure diet helps alot of kids but its a long debate and I feel its just not for us. 

Another debate is the whole immunisation debate which is a minefield.  One thing which always comes back to me is when Peanut was 20 months old he got an infection and was put on Antibotics for 6-8 weeks and although I personally don't believe this was the cause it was definitely after that we saw big changes in him perhaps it was a trigger, its hard to tell as in his short life up until that point we had moved alot he had a little brother, I started back at work, we had to say goodbye to his dog and everything was rather unsettled.  
But I don't feel putting him on ABs for that long at that age was wise, I of corse had no idea at the time( done my research now though) and Shrimples was a sickly baby and I just wanted my biggest little man to get better, he was in a lot of pain with a massive lump in his groin.  Its actually the time he started toe walking ( which I put down to the pain in his groin) 

ANY WHOOOOOO  lol  my mum used to take us to the naturopath when we were younger so its something I believe in  (Backpacker does not) so once we got settled before Peanuts DX that was the place to go  we did lots of test which I also got similar ones from GP  ( as I believe both can be of benefit). Basically Peanut was high is toxins  Lead, mercury and some other  lovely goodies and had slight leaky gut we got it working well and he started school and I saw some great improvements with the goodies she offered us.  Peanut suffered anxities  going to school to start with first term it was horrible  so she made us up some homeopathic stuff which sorted that in 2 days!! just a few drops on his tongue a couple of times before school  or anything else were his anxiety skyrockets and we are good to go.   

So this brings us to now! Appointment today and she suggested we start CEASE its sounds a bit confusing reading about it online but when she explain it, it was simple and made sense since we both feel toxins are Peanuts biggest problem.  So we are awaiting the call so we can go and pick up all our good stuff and begin the program.

I don't expect a cure or a mircle, I would just like him to feel his best and if toxin are what is exacerbating some of his traits then Id like too see them settle down a bit, so he can be his best and concentrate more at school.