My autistic son and his awesome memory

"I can't find my shoes, where are they, where are they?" screams Anthony as he races through the house. Anthony needs to be reminded to put his shoes in the hall when he takes them off. He can never remember where else they might be and has huge difficulty actually seeing them even when in plain sight. It's like directing a blind folded person to an object on the floor sometimes.

SEND and SpectrumSunday Lockdown Linky 3

With some of the lockdown easing, things are changing once again.  How are you doing? I've been meaning to write a post about how difficult this time is for parents of SEND kids but I've just not managed it. If it's not simple at the moment, I can't fit it in.  It means my linkies have been a bit ad-hoc or some have been skipped - sorry if I've missed you!

Making scrapbooks

While lockdown has meant many days at home, it's looking like we may be here for a lot of the summer too.  Sometimes a fun activity like scrapbooking can be a great way to build motor skills and planning skills along with recalling and using your imagination.  All stuff my kids could use the practice with.

Dealing with our hair and hair cutting while lockdown continues

I'm a proud mama.  All my kids have gorgeous locks of beautiful multi-tonal auburn, blonde and brown hair.  They are gorgeous.  Lockdown means it's been too long between hair cuts for most people.  But given two of our kids have autism and with that a large range of sensory needs we've been cutting hair at home for years.  So here's my tips for dealing with their hair; brushing, washing and cutting and the things we use so you can do it too.

My Carer's Week 2020

This week is Carers Week for 2020.  My week will like many others, full of highs and lows, based mostly on the highs and lows of my kids.  I have three kids and although I'm 'mum' to all three, I'm also a parent carer to my sons Anthony, age 12 and David, age nine who apart from being awesome kids have diagnoses of ADHD, ASD and a variety of comorbid conditions between them,

How we've used our home during lockdown with our autistic kids

The environment in which we bring up our kids makes a massive difference to how they function on a day to day basis, even more so while they have been stuck at home during lockdown. Parts of the house have taken on new purposes so help them through this period.  It can be difficult to make changes around a home for kids with autism but we've had some things that we wouldn't have liked to go without.

Why my son's ADHD meds are important during the lockdown

When Anthony was seven years old we asked for him to assessed for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) because despite all the help he was getting he could not settle or concentrate in class. Six months later he started a controlled stimulant drug to help him concentrate at school. Three years later he has it all the time... even though he's not at school because of the lockdown, it's just as important that he takes it. Here's why.

What to do with the worries we can't do anything about

I know there are many people with worries at the moment.  Our son Anthony is autistic and has ADHD and struggles with lots of things.  He suffers from anxiety.  I have my own difficulties in 'letting things go'.  It leads to further issues with sleep in our home and can have a general affect on how the boys cope daily.  They have less resilience and this puts us at greater risk of mental health issues, especially now.

SEND and SpectrumSunday Lockdown linky 2

It's so many weeks into the lockdown?  How are you doing? I've been meaning to write a post about how difficult this time is for parents of SEND kids but I've just not managed it. If it's not simple at the moment, I can't fit it in.