Topic: struggling with special needs children

Hi Sleepy yes it has happened a few times this year.Its not good and shouldn't happen.

Hopefully my daughter can get something working with animals .One pet store was impressed with her resume.

Take care,

Mark.

Hello,

Yes it is disappointing but will it be helpful if you could speak to the principal? If that does not help, would it be possible to speak to someone who can mediate on your behalf? Speak to the board members maybe if that will help.

Really great to hear that your daughter is wanting to join the RSPCA. A really great cause.

Hi Matchy,

I'm sorry your son was distressed having a blood test, all kids hate needles but I'm glad the person doing it was kind.

Centrelink is a nightmare to deal with, I honestly think they deliberately make it as hard as possible for people, you have my sympathy!!! 😒👍

Hi Mark, my friend who is in her late 30s told me until she was 31 she used to ask her mother to go with her every time she got a blood test! For some ppl it's so rough and scary and the worst time....I hope Ur son is feeling better

Hi sleepy it wouldn't surprise me that people still get scared and need that support in their 30s.zi could imagine my son will.My nephew who is 18 months younger then my son came over yesterday and his reading level was so much higher then my son's.

Another thing my daughter who is almost 18 still has security blanket that she carries around the house here so I hope I can get the DSP for her.

Hi Matchy,

Is there any way you can get a social worker to help you with the forms? Centrelink is a complete pain, their forms are not user-friendly and they demand so much evidence from you as well! I feel your pain!!! Could you try ringing them again in the hope that you'll get someone more helpful? I know getting through on the phone can be a nightmare too. 😕

You sound like such a caring Dad about your kids! What would happen if you took the security blanket off your daughter? I imagine great distress/meltdown? It's challenging for you as a Dad... Do you get any help from anywhere where people are qualified to assist parents with children on the spectrum?

Do you have a partner with you Matchy or are you coping on your own?

Your kids are lucky to have such a caring Dad, but I hope you get some time out for yourself!!!

👍🙂

Hi Hanna I have managed to complete the forms best they can be.Some silly questions on them.All is needed is medical evidence from the doctor and specialist and some other paper work to go with it.We have to April to summit it.

I do not have a partner and I do share my kids with my ex-wife who lives two towns away.I do most of the running around and appointments for them as my ex won't do it and I am closer to the bigger town where most of the appointments are.It makes it hard as their is a lot of appointments between the two of them.

My daughter gets grumpy and anxious if she dosnt have her blanket with her at home.She dosnt need it when she goes out just at home so when I wash it she gets grumpy that I have washed it and checks on the line to it's dry.

Hi Mark, hope Ur son is doing ok...so,e kids pick up reading so quick and for some it takes longer.

I find centrelink difficult as well, good to have so,epme to help

Thanks sleepy.All I have do is get something from the doctor and specialist for Centrelink and hope for the best.It was such a nightmare filling out.

Some things have improved with my son in he is using a toilet now so I hope this continue as has had slid back down before with it.In school he works at his own level and not at a designated level for his grade.

It looks like form for my daughter's form will have to be taken in to Centrelink so we do that tomorrow.I have no idea how busy and how long that will take.Its a long drive into the big town and rather avoid it at the moment.We are applying through NDIS for a new laptop for my daughter's study at TAFE and Harvey Norman has someone who deals with NDIS and is helping us so that is good to find them and know that.As I look back I can see how much her needs have changed over the years and will keep changing and hopefully have some sort of life.

Take care,

Mark.

Hi Mark,

I really hope Ur daughter enjoys her course and gets the laptop.

I was told by the hospital case manager that I was eligible for a laptop and to feel out all these for,s. I askedthe deadline and they said there is none.

When I gave innthe for, they said the deadline was yesterday...

I think having a computer helps a lot to fill out forms and link in to programs. I hope she gets a good one!!!!

Hi Mark

It sounds like you have quite a lot to deal with. These constant changes to routine must be challenging for your children. The laptop would be brilliant. 8 hope Centrelink isn't too crowded!

I admire a Dad like you!

Hi Hanna and sleepy I got an official letter from the school about school starting later on the 7th of Feb.A couple of things in the letter was the school will be cutting down on staff.I hoping it's not my son's teacher aid or the special needs teacher as she works at several schools in the area.It is only a small school with 4 teachers and a principle with several teacher aids that do a great job helping out and my son has one assigned to him usually. Last year in lockdowns children with special needs were allowed at school but it only mentioned children of essential workers will be allowed at school earlier.

We will put the forms in tomorrow at Centrelink and hopefully this dosnt take to long.My daughter hasn't heard from Tafe yet to see if it's still starting on the 4th February.

Take care,

Mark.

Mark

when I worked as a teachers aide and later has a teacher of children with special needs , I really admired the parents and how they worked so hard for their children and how patient they were.
I learn much from your posts.

I hope your has a teachers aide and daughter enjoys TAFE.
Thanks again for sharing your life with the ups and downs and giving hope to others.

Hi Mark

I wonder why they are cutting down on teachers, did they give a reason? I hope it's not the teacher's side. Years ago I spent a couple of days (I wish I'd had more!) helping out at a school for special needs kids in Canberra and the teacher's aides were indispensable.

The class teacher was so busy with assessments and the aides not only helped the teacher but kept the kids occupied and happy. Some of them were like a second mum to some of the kids & gave them heaps of love.

At that school they took a minibus full of kids from the local women's refuge. Those poor kids had been in homes with terrible violence and what shocked me was not only how many of these poor kids there were, but how angry at life they were. They broke my heart! They were so terribly unhappy and older than their years. So sad.

I had a little girl there who had some kind of severe learning disorder. I had to assess her ability to catch a ball, which she missed every single time no matter how carefully I tried to pass it to her, but she thought it was marvellous fun and giggled and laughed with delight every time. I kept wishing I could take her home with me! What a gorgeous little girl.

Good luck with centrelink tomorrow! Let us know how you go. 🙂👍

Hi Hanna I am not sure what staff they are cutting down on at the school and it is to make it more safer with covid.Two of the teachers aids have been their when my daughter started 14 years ago and have been amazing helpers at the school.

I am not real keen going into the big town today as I heard on the news yesterday their is 20 cases in the hospital there so probably more community transmissions out there.Hopefully I can get in an out of Centrelink quick.

Hi Mark, that is hard they are cutting down staff, hoping it's not the teachers aide.

Hi Matchy

That's great! I bet she will love that! Great news.🙂

Hi Matchy,

I think that's a great idea as if your daughter could drive she'd have more independence and confidence and it could be a real help when she finds suitable work as well.

I bet she'd feel great getting her driver's licence, it's an important step towards being adult and an important skill for her to have.

Go for it! Hope the NDIS will help. 🙂👍

Hi Mark, hope Ur son is OK. I wander what he liked about the chicken...I once babysat a boy who had ducks and he was so cute telling me about his connection to the ducks....how is Ur son doing? That must be sad for him.