Topic: struggling with special needs children

Hi sleepy I had four chickens and this one was quiet and easy to pick up and hold.He seems ok at the moment.With Autism they don't show much emotion at times.He wants a lamb now as when he was at his mother's just down the road had baby lambs.I had a couple many years ago.

Hi Mark, that is beautiful that he connects to the chickens and it js nice that he had that particular calm one as a favourite.

I am glad for him that he has animals around, they are so healing.

The boy I babysat was very naughty at school so his parents got him chooks to calm down. Although at school he was out of control he was so gentle with the chooks and like Ur son he really enjoyed picking picking up and putting them in their home.

Hi Mark

I wander if maybe it's a sign that they'll want her to co,e jn a lot on short notice....I think it's cool she got an interview so qui k and is learning about the process of applying for jobs. It helps to have a parent support u through that experience

Hi Mark

I used to drive almost an hour and a half to work through peak hour traffic in the city for years! 40 minutes in the country is OK! I hope she does get the job!

Hi Mark,

Is that because of the pandemic I suppose? That makes it harder for your daughter. Working with animals sounds like a good area for her to work. I hope she finds something that suits her, I guess it might take some time. It must be demoralising for her! It's not easy these days is it.

hi mark,

how did she go? there's always a lot of kids looking for work in dec and jan as they are free from school and wanting to earn some money... but i guess there are also a lot of summer jobs that come up. i remember feeling stressed trying to get a job at this time. i hope that she will find work and it will go really well for her.

Hi Mark,

That's a shame about the jobs for your daughter. Is there anything else available for her? I can imagine it might be a bit difficult in a regional area. I hope she manages to find something, it would be great for her self esteem and self confidence too I think? 🙂

Hi Mark

Having the new laptop when it arrives and going to tafe sound like they should give her a boost! I guess the pandemic has made getting work more difficult.

What is your daughter going to study at TAFE?

Hi Mark,

Sounds like you're getting things sorted. That sounds like a great course for your daughter to study. Well done!

Hi Mark,

First days at anything new are anxiety-provoking, but she will be with others in the same situation, all new and anxious, and she'll start her classes and get busy and soon settle in. Young people adapt pretty well. I hope she enjoys the course she is doing, I'd be interested to hear what she learns about!

I hope things go smoothly for her, the first week is probably the hardest, then everything will become familiar for her.

Let us know how she goes! Cheers!

Hi Mark,

It's increasingly difficult for people to manage in this country if they're not already well off, it really is!

Have you had any indication of whether your daughter has a good chance of getting the DSP? I know they've made that harder and harder too.

I know from experience that battling with government bureaucracy is horrible. I hope your daughter gets Some financial assistance from somewhere! How are students supposed to survive?

Sorry it's all so difficult when it should be straightforward.

I found out why Centrelink rejected her application for youth allowance as the bank statement she gave them which was a few months old wasn't current enough for them.I jus emailed the most recent one for them.That is really sad that they just reject the claim over something small like that.They could have just rung if this is all they needed.Centrelink is just a complete minefield with no compassion or understanding to its customers.Sending a msg saying it had been rejected with no reason given to a 17y.o is pathetic from a government organisation.

On a brighter note I picked up my daughters laptop this morning.Shes so happy with it.

I dropped my daughter off at TAFE ok this morning.She did some yoga before getting ready.I could see she was getting anxious and she was breathing heavy.I hope she has a good first day and that it will be easier for her to go when she gets use to the new changes in her life.

Hi Mark

That's great that your daughter enjoyed tafe!

Sorry about Centrelink, people are just a number there. I do feel sorry for the staff sometimes as I've seen people be horrible to them when it's not their fault but yes, it's incredibly frustrating dealing with them sometimes, I've been through that all right!

What year is your son up to in school? Does he enjoy it?

Sounds like being a Dad keeps you very occupied Mark, I hope you have times for things you enjoy for yourself!

🙂👍