My son is four years old. Fifty-three months. Two hundred and twelve weeks. Every six months, we attend a developmental review at his preschool. Every six months, we look at which Early Years Foundation Stage objectives he has met. Every six months, there are some that never change: 16 – 24 months Plays alongside others… Read More
Hello and welcome to Spectrum and SEND Sunday 41. This week, I am linking ‘What if he never loves her?’ and ‘Can I hate autism?’ We have had a tough few days here with Biggest’s return to nursery after the holidays. Nothing seems right – food is the wrong colour, the wrong shape, is ‘broken’. We… Read More
Gorgeous boy – I hate it when your pain is deep, unfathomable, unreachable. Today you cried for thirty minutes because there was something wrong with your food. An unexpected shape or colour – you were too distraught to say – but it was wrong and there was no way to fix it. I hate it… Read More
Watching my son around other children can be difficult. Yes, his differences, his autism, stand out clearly – but there’s more to it than that. At his nursery, I have come to pick him up. Two little girls are on the floor at my feet, playing with toy horses. “Amelia, Amelia, we can make them… Read More
Dearest little one, I have just finished making a phone call, something for your brother. I was chasing an appointment, some support for him – I forget which – one of dozens of phone calls I make every month. My mind is on him, as it often is. I emptied the bricks onto the floor… Read More
Christmas is stressful for everyone, but for autistic children the anxieties can be profound. Many will find Christmas difficult, even if they are excited about the event itself. Changes in routine, sensory overload, new places and faces – these are all things that they will find difficult – and they all happen at Christmas. When… Read More
In the words of Bilbo Baggins, it’s a dangerous business, going out your door. If you have a child with autism, leaving the house can take on the epic highs and lows of a trip to Mordor. When we began to appreciate Biggest’s difficulty with routine and rigidity, when we knew that it was something… Read More
Hello and welcome to Spectrum and SEND Sunday 39. Apologies for the lateness of this post – I have been absolutely swamped with work and Christmas preparations! This week, I am linking ‘Microphones, cups and viral autism: when awareness makes us less aware‘ and ‘An open letter to the man who reduced my son to… Read More
Dear Sir, You encountered me and my children in a clothing store in a quiet Gloucestershire town a week or two ago. I was with my four-year-old son and my nearly-two-year-old daughter. Shopping for clothes is something I very rarely do these days, but unusually for me, I had a Christmas party to go to… Read More
My four-year-old son is screaming. The noise is relentless, high-pitched – almost painful. It reverberates in my chest and sets every nerve on edge. He has been screaming for half an hour. He can barely keep it up but there is no way for him to stop. It is visceral. Around the restaurant, people turn… Read More
Westonbirt Aboretum run their Enchanted Christmas illuminations from late November right up to the 18th of December – and my goodness, they are magnificent. We were very lucky to be invited to Enchanted Christmas last weekend and the event surpassed all my expectations in terms of spectacle and organisation. However, we did have some significant… Read More
The nativity can be a rite of passage. My own parents have a home video of me in the 80s, five years old, tinsel wound around my head, bridesmaid dress slightly too small, wings slightly askew. I sang a song about how Mary was going to have a baby, to rapturous applause. And then I… Read More