Mental health and our autistic son

Earlier this year our eldest son really struggled with his mental health. He was missing lessons at school, struggling to cope outside the home and crying and worrying about his future a lot.  I read some recent research from Wysa that showed more than 8 in 10 teenagers are experiencing mental health worries, with 1 in 3 needing professional support. According to the research, half of young people can't access the support they need, with many feeling too ashamed or uncomfortable to talk to teachers or mental health teams at school. 

Making TimetoTalk for mental health

What's it like to bring up a child with additional needs? It can be wonderful, amazing and full of things I never thought possible. But it can also be very tiring and stressful. And as it's Time to Talk Day, the day to think about starting a conversation about mental health,  it seems a good time to share.

Trying to get time to yourself when you are a parent

 

Raising children is one of the best and one of the most time-consuming jobs ever. Taking care of the kids as they grow up is mentally exhausting.  And for the last eight months I've been with them a lot more than I would usually.  For several months they were not at school, or at least not full time, we didn't get any the usual breaks during 'holidays' and we are often all just in the house on top of each other too. To cope with this, I've got to do something else other than worry about what's currently not working for my kids.

Looking out for my kids on World Mental Health Day

I heard on the news the other day that there had been a reduction in the referrals to mental health services since the pandemic.  I don't know about everyone else, but it seems to me that we need these services now as much as ever.. if not more.  Things have been different, and change can create a lot of uncertainty and anxiety and many people have been coping with a lot more. 

SEND & SpectrumSunday Lockdown Linky 4

With even more of the lockdown easing, I wonder when things will seem a bit more 'normal' at least a bit more like what we were used to anyway.  In many ways lockdown has suited our autistic and ADHD family but I do wonder if I'll be calling these linkies 'lockdown' versions for much longer? It's hard to know what's going to happen and that can be challenging for many SEND families. 

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!

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 #90

Happy New Year!  Over the last week our house has slowly changed as we help our lot cope with the change around their home back to normality. Whatever you have been up to in the world of SEND and / or autism I'd love to hear about it here on our linky for anything about autism, mental health, education, special educational needs and disabilities and associated topics.  

For the first time in his life, he didn’t cry about going back to school

My son Anthony is now 11 years old.  He has been going to school for seven years.  After each holiday he cried several times a day, several days before his first day back at school.  Let's just say half of Christmas was miserable for him.

Looking out for the mental well-being of my kids

"I didn't have a good day today."

"Oh dear Jane, what happened?" I asked sincerely whilst being aware that we should already be in the bath. Bathing with our six year old daughter is as much a practical as bonding thing in our house.  We've three kids so it's any easy way to save the water and all that.  I also find it's a time without TV,  iPads, toys etc and we can actually chat.

TimeToTalk to parents of kids with SEND

What's it like to bring up a child with additional needs? It can be wonderful, amazing and full of things I never thought possible. But it can also be very tiring and stressful. And as it's mental health awareness week, it seems a good time to share.

SEND and SpectrumSunday 80

It's still cold and I'm piling on the layers! However you are doing, I'd love you to come share your SEND & autism posts with me here on our SEND and Spectrum Sunday linky - the place you can share and find blog posts about autism, mental health, education and anything related to autism and special educational needs and disabilities parenting. 

How an idea from Forest Bathing helps us with our worries

I'll be honest, when it was suggested I try out Forest Bathing I pictured a hidden geothermal lagoon. There are a few in the UK and although the physical health benefits of geothermal water are relatively well known, the Forest Bathing I took part in was much more about mental and overall well being that didn’t just apply to me, but also to my kids.

Special educational needs parents need to look after their mentalhealth

What's it like to bring up a child with additional needs?  It can be wonderful, amazing and full of things I never thought possible. But it can also be very tiring and stressful, and for many it can have a serious impact on their mental health.  And as it's mental health awareness week, it seems a good time to share.

When you find out your child has got upset at school

When I dropped Jane at school on Monday, her older brother's teaching assistant was waiting at the door.  Anthony has autism and ADHD and has a learning support assistant (LSA)  or teaching assistant (TA) help him at school.  At first I thought he must have forgotten something, but then it was obvious that his TA was checking in because he'd got really upset a few days before.  It doesn't matter if your child has additional needs or not - no one wants to hear their child has been upset.

What am I teaching my kids about happiness?

A report just released by Barnardo’s last week, found that school causes nearly two thirds of children to suffer from stress. A third of pupils are unhappy at home with a quarter are concerned about their weight. Sad isn't it.  Only two days ago I was writing about poor mental health in parents and now I'm writing about it again.  But maybe, that's the point.

Time to Talk with parents of additional needs kids about mental health

It’s easy to think there’s no right place to talk about mental health. But the more we talk about it, the better life is for all of us. Too many people with mental health problems are made to feel isolated, worthless and ashamed. Time to Talk Day is a chance for all of us to be more open about mental health – to talk, to listen, to change lives. 

5 reasons to start a passion project

There’s never a better time to think about yourself than right after your children head back to school after winter break.  As a parent, it's easy to put yourself last.   But the New Year is a great time to focus if you’ve been putting off doing something you want to do - why not start a passion project.

Coping with the stress of parenting our kids

Baby brain? Had that. Sleepless nights? Yep, I've still got them. The kids have definitely had an impact on my body and health. I love all my children to bits but let's face it, despite my youngest now being four years old, there's still a lot more tummy than there was nine years ago.  It looks like someone has spirographed on a pigs belly. And that's not the half of it.

SEND and SpectrumSunday #54

Welcome back for Spectrum and SEND Sunday #54!  I hope this linky finds you coping ok with the break or even having a great time.  Whatever you are doing this summer, we are here to share it with you.