I'm just passing on a quick idea this week which I don't know whether it may be useful to you but it certainly works here. My son has recently been texting photos of his face to me which is very lovely as I could look at his face all day but he likes to send different facial expressions.
This is brilliant as my son doesn't express his feelings in a big way and a lot of the time I don't know exactly how he feels. So he will text me a photo of him frowning and I'll just text back to ask him why he is frowning. He will reply with a reason or he maybe just confirming that that is a frowning face and there is nothing wrong. He also likes to send a photo of say......Thomas the Tank Engine with a funny face and then copy it and send me his version. I love this as he gets some of them spot on and they make me laugh. So maybe this can be used as a useful tool. If your child or someone you know struggles with expressing their feelings then get them to send a photo of a face, emoji's are great for this and I get to see the human version of a lot of emoji's too, they are very amusing. Using visual aids has been a constant resource for my son since his diagnosis from using pictures for speech therapy and then within a visual timetable at school. There are so many ways to use pictures and like my son he specifically likes the use of photos and faces he knows, including his own. Like I say, this is just something we have been doing for a while now and it does work to express certain feelings. He will never say that he's annoyed about something but he will send a photo of him looking annoyed so then started a conversation about why. I hope this helps and if you use any similar resources then let me know. What works for you to express feelings and concerns when someone with Autism finds it hard? Thank you for reading today, please pop back again tomorrow for Pass the Remote Sunday but for now take care.
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I suppose it all comes down to whether that person can cope with everyday life and if certain difficulties are having an impact and making it harder to cope within an education, employment setting.
It is important to know whether it is Autism that is affecting oneself. If you have a child, partner or you are an adult yourself you will have had some sort of hint or trigger to set you on the road of seeking a diagnosis. It is a tough one especially if as an adult later in life you have a sense of 'well I've got this far' without a diagnosis, is it worth it? Well I think yes if it would answer some questions about the past, confirmation of certain behaviour and provide help for the future. There is always that nagging feeling that maybe you would feel better for finding out, to make sense of everything. The picture above shows the missing jigsaw piece which I think just shows that something feels out of place and maybe some sort of diagnosis be that of Autism or another condition, would make everything fall into place. My son was four years old when he received his diagnosis. There were certain issues to do with his lack of speech, lack of eye contact, lack of social skills and lining his toys up amongst many others which are all classic traits but they were all points picked up very early by our health visitor at the time. This sent us on the road to his diagnosis of Autism. It's just a feeling you get with your child and you know as a parent, when it is right to investigate certain concerns, trust your instincts and always get some advice. It does feel like a pendulum of emotions sometimes swinging from 'should I seek a diagnosis?' to 'no it will be fine' and these feelings sometimes go on to nag you for ages but if they do talk to people around you first to get advice. Maybe talk to people who have already gone through the diagnosis process and see how they felt. Don't get too put off by the system, yes there is a lot of work to be done regarding the diagnosis pathway, for example, the time it takes to receive a result but still persevere. There are people working to improve this especially in Derbyshire and Derby City. There may be that decision whether to go down the route of the NHS or going to a Private Specialist. It may be quicker privately but you would have the added expense so there is that to think about. In some cases it can be where you are in the country, some areas have better services than others making it a bit of a postcode lottery but like I say, stick with it and push for it if you feel it's the right decision. For some they may cope well without any diagnosis at all. You can just come to the conclusion yourself that your behaviour may fall on the spectrum and have your own coping mechanisms and that's fine. Always talk to someone though if you need to, it's good to talk. I hope that helps a little. We have all been through these feelings at some stage and if you have received a diagnosis for yourself, a partner or your child how did you feel afterwards? In our experience we still felt a bit shocked although we only had what we had suspected confirmed for us but it still left us thinking 'well what do we do now?' Please use the National Autistic Society website for support, there is so much information on there and you can seek local support groups on there too. Go to www.autism.org.uk Thank you for reading today, please join me again tomorrow for Pass the Remote Sunday but for now......... Take care. Yes Morrisons are another chain of stores who have launched a 'Quiet Hour' on Saturday mornings between 9am and 10am.
The ‘Quieter Hour’ will see store lighting dimmed, background music switched off, and loudspeaker announcements avoided if possible and other noises, such as the beeps at checkout counters, turned down. This is great news for all people with Autism and those especially with issues associated with Sensory Processing. Shopping can be an ordeal for everyone especially if you are in a rush or maybe a parent with a small baby. It's a race to get round before a nappy change or the next feed, ah yes I remember those days. It would be the equivalent to a scene from Supermarket Sweep, grabbing everything in sight, thinking to yourself 'that will do'. For someone with Autism though it can be very difficult as the world is seen in a very different way to those without Autism. Noise from background music, announcements, tills and other people can just be so overpowering and too much for an Autistic brain to process all at once. This can put a lot of people off from shopping altogether and that is a shame. So what do we do about it? Well all shops can be encouraged to join in with a their own quiet hour in the hope it may raise awareness. Between the 6th and 13th October this year the National Autistic Society will be encouraging more shops to join in with 'Autism Hour' and make the simple changes which Morrisons have made to their Saturday's. This is a big help to those with Autism and their families so well done to Morrisons, if you are a retailer and would like more information on how you could take part in 'Autism Hour' then go to the NAS website here at: www.autism.org.uk/get-involved/tmi/autism-hour/about.aspx If you have visited Morrison's during their 'Quieter Hour' then please let me know about your experience. For now though you all take care and I thank you very much for reading. Join me again tomorrow for Pass the Remote Sunday. A huge well done done to my eldest son this week as I attended his end of year presentation at college. I was one proud mum sitting there as I watched him go and collect his certificate for his achievements.
In fact I was not only emotional for my son but for all the young people who were there. I loved hearing about the individual stories of how they started with very little confidence and their struggles which then turned into these massive goals and achievements. A lot of the students were leaving this college to go and pursue other courses elsewhere or take on apprenticeships which is just fantastic. All these young people had additional needs and my goodness it doesn't half feel good not just from their point of view as I saw their faces fill with pride and the biggest smiles receiving their well deserved rounds of applause but from a parents point of view too. I could actually sit back and think, yes it was the right choice for my son to attend here and it has all been worth it. Phew. One of those 'Yes' moments as a parent. My son will go on to continue for another year in his Pathway to Independent Living where he not only studies Maths, English and IT he also learns vital life skills such as how to manage money, personal hygiene and cooking. He loves cooking and is even having a chance to explore his Art which is has a passion for too. We do reap the benefits of his cooking - nice cookies this week son!!! yummy! So a big well done to all the students and I hope this sends out a little positive feeling to all those who have their children in education. Big things are possible. These young people were being praised for great building work in construction, fabulous hair design and beauty work in real working salons also their caring and sensitive nature and skills within Health and Social Care. So lovely to see and I'm going to go now before I blub again with immense pride. Even with the biggest obstacles our young people will find their niche and bloom, a bit like a flower - great things grow from tiny little seedlings. Thanks for reading today......go on, come back tomorrow for my telly talk on Pass the Remote Sunday......you know you want to. Take care for now. How are you feeling about the summer holidays which are approaching? Tense? Nervous? Anxious? With Dread? Or are you ok and welcome the rest from school runs and the routine of the academic calendar?
That is one of the big issues with this time of year, the routine of the timetable changes a lot now. There are sports days, induction sessions if moving schools, changes to some subjects and maybe an extra classroom change thrown in there too. I think most schools will try their best to keep this to a minimum but it can have a massive effect on a child with Autism. I think our kids just feel this more than others and get ready to finish. Some though would prefer to carry on as the timetable keeps them focussed and on track alleviating a lot anxiety. Six weeks is a long time and it can be a massive ordeal trying to organise things to do and activities that will really interest our young ones. As long as they are happy and calm and you are less stressed as a parent then go with the flow. Do what you feel your young one needs. There are going to be changes and days where they won't want to do as you planned and you kind of have to be prepared for that. It can be disappointing but the most important thing is keep stress levels down to a minimum. Maybe it would be good to make a timetable similar to that at school. Not with Maths and English on but with things you want to do, then there is structure and organisation. You could use pictures, photos or drawings. stickers make it fun as well. A calendar can just be as useful, my son just likes our kitchen calendar and always checks it to see what we have on, I just have to remember to keep t up to date. You may be planning to go away on holiday which needs good planning too. Prepare your young person as much as possible from what will be involved regarding packing and go through a map of the journey. Make a scrapbook using pictures of where you are going, hotels, the surrounding areas and any trips you plan to take. It sounds a lot of work but you can make it fun and it will be worth it if it makes the whole experience easier. Our Derby and District Branch of the NAS (National Autistic Society) have a meeting coming up on the 17th July where we will be holding a discussion on this subject and welcome anyone to come along who needs a few ideas and strategies on how to cope over the summer period. We hold our meetings at The Farmhouse, 60 Ashbourne Rd, Mackworth, Derby DE22 4LY from 7pm-9pm in the Library Room. it's a lovely place to meet. We have tea and coffee on offer but there are also drinks available from the bar so please come along if you are in the local area. Let me know how you cope and what works for you at this time of year as everyone deals with summer very differently so any ideas would be great to pass on. Thank you for reading today, please come back tomorrow for Pass the Remote Sunday, keep cool and take care. Yes my son turned 18 yesterday so big congratulations. I can't actually believe it. A lovely young adult I have and I couldn't be more proud. I think what amused everyone, especially the staff at the local pub where we had a meal was his cake. He had a Thomas and Friends cake and I bet they don't see many of those cakes with number 18 candles on.
He also had his favourite Thomas and Friends engines and some Fireman Sam toys too. He was so happy and that's what it's all about. He seemed to go through the day quite chilled and unphased. He looked at me a bit funny when I had decorated the living room with Happy Birthday banners and we also had helium balloons. I think he wondered what it was all about, in his head it was just another birthday like the rest. He now falls under adult support now with his Autism so I suppose that will be interesting. I feel some people saying 'good luck with that one'. It fills me with concern but then I don't think there has been any stage of his development I have not worried about so lets carry on. I've been on it for the past fourteen years since diagnosis so I will recharge for the next fourteen years and hopefully beyond. I sound like Buzz Lightyear.....to infinity and beeeeeeeeyond!!!! Whatever the future brings I will pop my mittens on one day and boxing gloves the next and just be prepared. I will continue to fight for him as long as possible, teach him to be as independent as he can be and just get ready for the next big birthday at 21. I will still put flags out and blow up the balloons Autism or not. Thanks to all friends and family who have sent birthday wishes........he did read them and his reaction was 'oh wow' which was a bigger reaction than my banners got so well done. Thank you for reading today......do come back tomorrow for Pass the Remote Sunday but for now........ Take care. I think sibling rivalry is quite normal and quite common in most families with or without Autism. When Autism is around though you kind of hope for friendship or a little kindness between your children......I suppose I do as a parent.
I will always feel protective towards my eldest with Autism and I'll love him and his Autism but I don't think his younger brother feels the same. He is not the most affectionate to his older brother and there is a lot of teasing and slightly hostile behaviour but I know he does care for him in his own way. We've always talked about Thomas's Autism and discussed things so it's always been a topic of discussion within our household, of course it would do, it dominates your life really. Because of that and taking feelings into consideration that the younger sibling may feel left out of all this Autism stuff I made sure that Charlie had some one on one time to make him feel special too. It's so difficult isn't it? I used to look at other children who were very supportive towards their autistic brothers or sisters and feel quite envious that that wasn't the case with my two. If we take away the Autism maybe it wouldn't be any different, maybe there would be rivalry anyway but I suppose we will never know. It's always in the back of my mind why? Maybe Charlie didn't get the brother he always imagined he would have but and that makes me sad. I always hoped they would be close but we can't guarantee that can we? It's funny though because if anyone says anything towards Thomas his brother will be the first to step in and want to know who said what. So it is there.....the love I just generally don't think he knows how to show it. Maybe things will change, I would like to think it will. As a parent I will always worry about what will happen when I'm not here. In a perfect world I would hope Charlie would look out for his brother but at the same time I obviously want him to live his own life the way he wants to. That's a blog for another day I think.......the 'what happens later I life'. I'm not ready for that post yet. Thee are some great resources out there to help siblings understand about Autism. There are also good sibling groups around where the siblings can meet together and share their experiences so they never have to feel that they are alone in Autism family. If you would like information about some books which available about siblings and Autism you can find some great ones here at Jessica Kingsley Publishers www.jkp.com/uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=siblings+and+autism Thank you for reading today. Join me again tomorrow for Pass the Remote.....take care for now. We held yet another successful talk again on Sensory Processing given to us by Alison Hart from The Children's Choice Therapy Service in Needwood Staffordshire. It's such a popular subject and we have had so many people wanting to learn more about it including parents, carers and professionals too.
The brain sometimes has trouble receiving and responding to information that comes in through the senses and can be known as Sensory Processing Disorder. This is a condition with stands alone and does not always mean the individual has Autism but many people with Autism do have problems processing their sensory needs. There is some fabulous information on sensory differences on the National Autistic Society website here www.autism.org.uk/sensory We underestimate how much we are using our senses and when it becomes difficult to manage certain situations related to sound, smells, taste, sight, touch, balance and body awareness then you can imagine that this can affect our day to day lives in a big way. You may be someone whose senses are oversensitive which means loud noise may be overwhelming or you may only eat certain foods as some textures of food are unbearable to eat. Someone with under sensitive sensory needs would mean that they may display behaviour to compensate for this so when you think how busy life can be you really have to be prepared for certain situations, know your limits and have a plan in place for when situations don't go to plan. If someone has problems with sensory processing and something has become a little too much then you may know that this may lead to challenging behaviour or a meltdown. It's important that we all become aware of how someone with sensory processing differences may feel and help them to cope. There are so many resources out there to help and a solution that usually does work so keep trying different things if you are struggling. If you would like more information about The Children's Choice Therapy Service their website is www.childrenschoicetherapy.co.uk They do offer sensory play sessions in the school holidays and a range of courses too. We as a branch of the NAS in Derby will most likely repeat the talk on Understanding Sensory Processing so keep an eye out on dates on our facebook page here www.facebook.com/NASDerbyBranch/ Thank you for reading, I will return tomorrow for Pass the Remote Sunday so join me again for that, until then..... Take care. We've got my son on the CBD oil.....why? Well to be honest I'm not sure. I think I'm just riding through a bit of a trial to set his father's (my ex husband's) mind at rest, he's been wanting to give it a try for a while so he decided to start it last weekend.
For those who are not sure CBD or cannabidiol oil is derived from the hemp or cannabis plant and basically it has the Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) taken out. THC is the psychoactive component in cannabis that makes users feel "high". This leaves the 'good stuff' behind and it is believed that the oil left behind can alleviate many ailments such as skin problems, anxiety, depression and can help with some cancers and be affective with regard to pain relief. Now as far as Autism is concerned I am understanding that this is not by any means to be seen as a cure as we know there is no cure for Autism but it is believed that maybe the oil can help with behaviours that may stem from Autism such as anxiety, seizures and certain mental health issues. So in theory it's a bigger picture than just Autism itself. I suffer panic attacks sometimes and am even wondering whether it may help with them. The thing is it is a natural plant supplement, in most cases it doesn't hurt to try these things although I would advise to do your research and seek as much advice as possible before you do. We certainly did and our son is happy to take it. So far we don't see any difference but then maybe it needs more time or a higher dosage. One drawback is that it is very expensive so are all these suppliers such as Holland & Barrett, where in fact we got ours from.....are they onto a money making winner? You find that don't you? When something gains popularity, everyone jumps on the bandwagon and companies make loads of cash out of it. I don't doubt that CBD is very good for a great many ailments but I'm a little skeptical about Autism. I don't know enough though and please don't judge me. For some with very severe Autism it may be brilliant and I would love to know if it is. When our son first had his diagnosis I must admit we tried diets and read about all sorts of therapies that were available. I suppose part of us as parents were desperate for answers or to make things better for our son. That's only natural as a parent but as the years have gone by I have settled and become comfortable with Autism. My son's and now looking at myself too. I don't want to change and neither do I want to change my son, he is who he is and I'm so proud of him. I do love the fact that CBD oil may help people who suffer a lot of pain and for conditions where it's so hard to get by on a day to day basis. This is where we need this stuff available more easily and cheaply. Wouldn't it be fantastic to know that a plant which causes quite a bit of controversy as an illegal drug could be derived and created into one of the most effective medicines. We are all individuals in this world and everyone I believe is free to choose whether they want to try medication, therapies, diets and supplements in relation to Autism. What works for one may not necessarily work for another but I believe everyone has the right to choose. We are allowed opinions but we shouldn't criticise. Do whatever you feel is right, it is Autism but it is YOUR Autism so treat it and live with how you feel is right. I'll keep you posted how it all goes. At the moment it doesn't taste very good this oil but I'm seeking a flavoured one or just leaving it to one side as I'm not sure I can justify £15 for a 10ml bottle. That roughly gives you 240 drops but when you are giving 3-4 drops three times a day well it may go down quick. I suppose if it helps though you find a way to buy it. Do let me know if you have any experience of CBD oil or anything else you have tried. I would be interested to know. For now though take care of yourselves and I will be back again tomorrow for Pass the Remote. This is how my son and I take our walks.....he walks a few yards in front of me. I thought it was because he's just got longer legs and younger, a bit fitter than me but I've got quite a good stride on me when I'm walking so I could out walk him any day.
It's because he really doesn't want to make conversation sometimes. He chats to himself with his quotes from films and tv and is happy. He will stop now and again and point something out or tell me something which he feels I need to know but this is how we walk. I love it.....to anyone else it may seem strange as if I'm not interacting with my own son but I know I am. I know that this is the way Autism is and it's ok. There are times when I like to be by myself too so I totally get this. You may say well why don't we just go out and walk by ourselves, why bother going out together. I know that although we are not physically walking side by side, we are together. It's an understanding about personal space, and social interaction. You see everyone else may go out, walk together and talk together but sometimes it's ok to go out and not talk to each other or not interact with each other. I feel together, I love him being there and I would never go without him unless he told me he didn't fancy a walk. This is Autism! This is how life is and I love our life. yes it's bloody hard sometimes and there are days I don't like Autism but I love this boy. This boy has become a man with Autism and is soon to become an adult with Autism and we will still walk and I may still be a few steps behind but he will always be there.......leading the way.......OUR WAY. Thanks for reading today.......please come back tomorrow for Pass the Remote but for now........ Take care. |
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