Coped – Tues 5th April 2016
By Jeannette | April 5, 2016
A morning of changes for D today as I had a dentist appointment at 9am (getting it out of the way). This, however meant that we left before the time we’d leave for school (25 minute walk allowing for distractions) so D got a bit confused and thought she was heading back to school.
I have to say, though, she did absolutely brilliantly.
She sat in the (quiet) waiting room whilst I was being seen, with her three reading books, iPad and Bunny and it really, really helped that a member of staff there also has an autistic child, so they knew it would be far better if she waited in the quieter waiting room.
As soon as I was out though, she wanted to get home. The shopping area was far, far busier by this time and there was no negotiating about stopping anywhere, she just wanted to get home – another 25 minutes walk.
I was mega proud of her for accepting today’s changes and coping with the waiting room. We are back there again tomorrow afternoon when I hope (as it will not now be an unfamiliar place to her) that she’ll cope just as well.
On the way back this morning, we passed the primary school where she’d attended mainstream nursery and one term of year one before transferring to SN school. The fence always reminds me of tonight’s revisited post, I’m relieved to say that the school run mentioned in this is infrequent (touch wood):
“Autism – You Are Not My Buddy Today
The worst school run ever today, if I didn’t blog it, I’d go mad…
RELUCTANCE with a capital, bold, underlined R this morning. Hubbie was leaving for work later so routine had already changed, thank goodness he took T to his school, otherwise I think I’d be hiding under a bush.
So….D and I set off – she in her SN buggy – she was laughing at the cats chasing each other and then it started: “I don’t want to go to school today, let’s go for a long walk instead. I want to go home”. This was said normally at first and then she started shouting “I DON’T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL, TAKE ME HOME” repeatedly. We’re in a quiet (lol) area so we had some curtain twitching and people looking out of their front doors. Then she threw Bunny – dear Bunny, who is always there for her – into a puddle.
Which made it worse.
By this time we were walking past another school and she got out of her buggy and bolted. Once she’d stopped, she started hitting herself against the railings shouting “I want to die, I hate you, I don’t love you”. When I asked her why, I got a “I WON’T LOVE YOU IF YOU TAKE ME TO SCHOOL”.
Cue walking her along in a bear hug, ignoring the stares, the tuts, the comments. Lots of NT parents coming out, having dropped their children off
Somehow we reached her school gates and she would not go through the door. The Headteacher asked if we needed help, I could have kissed her!
D’s teacher came out, had the situation explained and said “come on, we’ve got a washing machine, let’s go and wash Bunny”. D got up, took her hand and went in without a backwards glance.
Hubbie has just brought me back a mocha from Costa, I’m not in a state to sit in there ATM – cheers!”
4 Comments
emetomum on 6th April 2016 at 7:32 pm.
aww that doesnt sound fun at all. hugs. nice to read it isnt always like that for you. #SSAmazingAchievements #linky
Erica Price on 7th April 2016 at 8:19 am.
Glad the dentist’s trip went pretty well. It must have been a relief.
Silly Mummy on 10th April 2016 at 10:54 pm.
Sounds like D did brilliantly with the dentists & change of routine. I can imagine how bad that school run was – my sister is not autistic, but she had some very severe emotional and mental health issues in childhood and was particularly adverse to going to school for a few years. We had many, many school runs where she behaved very similarly, and said similar things. We had to literally drag her to the car & then I used to have to have escorts from my mum’s colleagues to help me walk her from my mum’s work to our school, leaving really early to allow for how many times she would run away. The school had to have sixth formers and teachers guarding entrances to keep her there. #SSAmazingAchievements
Jane - Our Little Escapades on 12th April 2016 at 5:34 am.
Well done D for coping with the change to routine and the dentist visit. Your walking to school post had me in tears. Yesterday I have to physically pick Ethan up and place him in the school bus, and he likes going to his school! I have no idea how it would work if we had to walk to a school he hated. Yes I do it just would be a battle!
Thanks for linking up with Small Steps Amazing Achievements :0)
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