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struggling with special needs children

Matchy69
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member
Does anyone else have children with special needs.I am struggling with mine.My youngest cant use a toilet when their at the age they should be.I am getting tired of changing them,does that make me a bad parent?The constant hyperepisodes are taking their strain especially that i am going through other personal stuff in my life
1,005 Replies 1,005

Birdy77
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member
Dear Mark,

You sure have a lot on your plate.

The challenges you face on a daily basis are huge, i am wondering if you have any support yourself, and make time to care for your own needs?

Does your son have a support worker at his school, or is there just the teaching assistant for the whole class? Do you think he needs some extra support at school? I hope he has continued to use the toilet, what a terribly difficult challenge for you.

The school merging the classes will no doubt be another disruption as he doesn't do well with change. I hope they have some strategies in place to help that transition for him.

Did you make that cake for your daughter's birthday? It looks lovely, i hope you had a nice time celebrating her 16th.

I hope today is a good day Mark.

🌻birdy

Matchy69
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member

Hi Birdy,thanks for your reply.The merging of the two classes was complete disaster for my son on the monday when i dropped him off took him into the classroom he noticed the bigger desk and grade 4s in his classroom and had a complete melt down.I left him with the special needs teacher but 10 mins later she rung to come and get him.I had forgotten to remind him all weekend about the change even though the school had told him and prepared him for it.Yesterday he had a better day and got an award for a story and lasted until 2pm when they rung to pick him up.At the school he has a special needs teacher working with him and hasa teachers aid usually the same one who he has since prep.I dont myself get any support just what the kids get from psychiatrist,speech,physio,OT ect.Always an appoitment for one of them.He has still been using the toilet which is a good thing but i know he can revert back to not using it.

My son use to have one on one with his learning and was in a room with just one of his teachers aid or special needs teacher and he would go to the classroom when they thought he could handle it and really do good with this system and then they just stopped it and i asked the principle why and he said the state government new regulations want all kids in the classroom together even ones with special needs as it will be better for them according to them but it has been harder for my son.

Yes i made that cake and it was yummy.I always make cakes taste so much better then bought ones.I have my sons to make in 3 weeks.

Take care,

Mark.

Birdy77
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member
Hello again Mark,

That's really unfortunate that the merging was a disaster. Does your son use a lot of visual tools and do you use them at home?

That's very cool that he won an award for his story, do you think he felt proud of himself? I hope it brought him a good feeling.

It's so hard isn't it, when they make blanket rules for everyone, without taking into account individual learning styles and behavioural/cognitive/emotional issues. Of course it all comes down to funding, but it would be better if there was some flexibility.

At least he has had the same teachers aide since prep, that is really good for continuity.

Yes, i know his toileting behaviours could change at any time, so enjoy this time and fingers crossed! My good friend's son has high needs Autism and toileting has always been ... "interesting". Have you seen The Black Balloon? There's a toileting scene in that which is quite familiar!

Absolutely, home-made cakes are always better, esoecially because there's an ingredient in there that you don't find in the store-bought ones: love.

How has your daughter been this week, better? Does she have friends at school?

I am sorry to hear you don't have any supports for yourself. Are there support groups fir parents that your son's therapists could put you in touch with?

What about taking care of yourself? I know yiu like to bake, whuch is a wonderful self-care activity, and exercises your creativity as well. What about other things, like going for walks, or other sorts of exercise, taking time out for yourself? I think i read somewhere that you ride a motirbike, so that is a good you-time thing.

It's imlortant you take care of yourself.

🌻birdy

Matchy69
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member

Hi Birdy,we use to use visual aids and the school did as well but really havent used them for 12 months or more.He was proud of his award yesterday and excited.

No i have never seen the Black Balloon.I will have to see if i can find it.

My daughter didn't go to school yesterday but managed to go today though didn't want to.She seems to have a big group of friends at school but she dosnt talk to any of them,she never talks to anyone at school with her selective mutism.She only talks to close family.

I try to go for a motorbike ride when i get a chance.I get so exhausted from the kids.I been trying to clean up some of the water damage i hae had from all the rain we had last week.

Take care,

Mark.

Matchy69
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member
The school rung me to pick my son up early 12:30pm as he had enough for the day.He was behaving he had a really good morning but was tired.The promblem is it is the medication he is on but if he isnt on that medication he wouldnt last 5 minutes at school.We have tried every medication and combination available and this is the only one that works.

Matchy69
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member
My son is sick today and been coughing really badly.I picked him up friday and he had a runny nose and a little cough but today he is a lot worst.

Matchy69
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member
My kids are both sick and didn't go to school today and can't get into the doctors to the 9th march.The surgery had a possible they would always fit a sick child in but they have more doctors and now dont do it.The next doctor surgery is 40 minutes away and when your kids are sick you dont want to be driving them that far.

Hi Matchy,

That's really bad having to wait until the 9th March.

Do you have cold and flu medicine at home?

Nothing worse than a sick household.

Hope they recover soon.

All the best,

🐒 Monkey

Hi monkey yes got medicine at home for them i just hope they dont need antibiotics.If they sick for 3 days the school will need a medical certificate.Just sucks some times living at here and not many services.

Matchy69
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member
I managed to get the kids into a new doctor tomorrow and they bulk bill which is good but they are allmost an hour way.I am all stressed out as i cant find my daughters health care card.