All About Autism

[mashy]

Desert wind

Same! My boy also has the same sweet temper as yours.

[mashy]

Helplessmum

No, leapfrog DVD is just DVD. Their reading materials are Tag readers etc. I didn’t get any of those. U can just buy other simple story books to start off.

[DesertWind]

Right now I need to learn how to deal with mainstream teachers who freaked out when the \"label\" is told. Almost overnight, turn helpless and clueless dunnoo how to deal with my boy anymore. Like my boy suddenly became an \"alien\". Brought therapist to meet teacher and terminology used like \"my mainstream kids\" and \"your SP kids\" :gloomy: .


Coincidentally, I am now reading this book about \"Inclusive Programme in elementary school for ASD kids\". An award winning book by an overseas writer. In the first couple of chapters introduction, author actually underlined her point that mainstream teachers must take ownership of the special kids in her class and must also include their headcount in the class numbers! So it is not so uncommon the problems I am encountering now after all. I need to face all these right now in kindy so that I can be prepared for P1.

So when the P asked that perhaps this kindy may not be the right place for my boy given the \"label\" diagnosis? I felt so upset for 2 days and after that dug my heels in and said \"NO WAY\". My boy is staying put since he has already settled in and his routine is like clockwork now. Most importantly, he LOVES going to this kindy and the last thing I want to do is to upset him. Very tough, this one, to try to protect my boy from the prejudice. True, circle times he does not join in since he cannot talk. Sometimes self-echolalic. But does it warrant him being kicked out of mainstream?

[mashy]

Desertwind

May not be that bad in pri sch. I find so far my boy’s pri sch experience has been pretty ok. Kindy teachers aren’t as trained and they don’t have the support.

[DesertWind]

mashy:

Desertwind

May not be that bad in pri sch. I find so far my boy's pri sch experience has been pretty ok. Kindy teachers aren't as trained and they don't have the support.

Thanks, am encouraged by the sharing here and in the other thread about the P1 structured environment. At this point in time I have no intention of sending my boy for IQ test, test for P1 readiness, deferment etc (all these special needs talk). As far as my plan goes, my boy is going through kindy, then to mainstream P1. Try first. If cannot then talk later. But cannot give up at this stage.

[chibi]

Hi Desertwind,

I 2nd what mashy says too.
my daughter wasn't too happy during her kindy years too, wil whine and cry on the way to school. the happy times in kindy years i think was when she was queing up to go home. :stupid:
but she is completely different in primary school. always asking when can she see her friends again, keep smiling and laughing on the way to school.
she even wants to sleep earlier at night so that she can wake up earlier to go school
as long as the primary school form teacher is supportive and with the help of a supportive allied educator, it will be a smooth transition.
i suspect too that as primary school is very structured, and ASD kids will strive in structured environment, maybe this is one of the reason why they seem to be better in primary school from my own opinion.

[mashy]

Desertwind

At the end of the year, kkh rehab does a sch readiness prog. U can check it out. Maybe leave your name or something to show your interest. It’s to teach the kids what to expect in pri sch and the therapists will try out strategies to see what works for your kid in a sch setting. Like getting them to concentrate on their task, do show and tell, taking turns, handling money etc. I think it’s pretty beneficial. This is classroom like group session with activities. After each session, The therapist will tell u the feedback and what skill they were teaching that day. The therapists at rehab side are rather nice. I have gone thru a few already and none has said anything mean. At the end of the sessions, they will write a report which u can give to the teacher or bring up certain parts on how to help your child in sch.

[specialboymum]

Hi ladies,


Anyone know where I can get the temple grandin DVD? I search high and low in different video shops down town but can’t find it

[DesertWind]

chibi:

Hi Desertwind,

I 2nd what mashy says too. ......but she is completely different in primary school. always asking when can she see her friends again, keep smiling and laughing on the way to school.
she even wants to sleep earlier at night so that she can wake up earlier to go school .......i suspect too that as primary school is very structured, and ASD kids will strive in structured environment, maybe this is one of the reason why they seem to be better in primary school from my own opinion.

Hi chibi,
Hurray, so glad to hear that your girl is happy going to primary school ! :rahrah: Make us so happy to see our kids happily going to school right?

Yup, my boy right now loves going to kindy. I have already broken his heart once by pulling him out from a huge kindy last year after 2 terms. He cried so I gotta hide his 1st kindy uniform banking on the fact that he will forget eventually since he was still young. Despite the large kindy size he loves going to this kindy. But his 1st kindy teacher told me in no uncertain terms he needs one-to-one and the class size was just too large for them to pay him any attention. Furthermore, they left him out of game time since he could not follow instructions properly. Teacher told me without any qualms she just gave him one toy car and tell him to seat on the table and play with it by himself while the rest of the class played group games. I also witness my boy trying to hold the teacher's hand but she pull away and made him hold another kid's hand instead. (Not that I am blaming the teacher though!) My boy will just be wasting his time there! So no choice, I made the painful (but I still think it is right) decision to pull him out last year.

It is unlikely for me to do it again as I believe stability is much more beneficial for my boy at this point in time. So what if he could not do show and tell? So what if he is deemed childish and special? Kindy is not compulsory right? So long as he is not causing tremendous disruption nor is he ever violent, why shouldn't he go to kindy and enjoy himself?

Sometimes by looking at my boy's reactions, I feel in my heart he was pleading with me not to put him into an early intervention centre but let him go to a normal kindy whereby there are lots of other children to be with. I feel that he could not understand why he must go to an early intervention centre with only a few kids so boring when he could go to a huge kindy with lots of children and so many interesting activities to do?

So what if expert opinion was that intervention centre with tiny class size was the best but my boy everyday will cry and scream refuse to go there? What is the point if he was not happy in a supposedly \"more suitable\" environment?

So me and hubby has decided that the best environment for my boy would be the one whereby he is most happy in. Simple as that. Other issues let us tackle as and when they arise....

[DesertWind]

mashy:

Desertwind

At the end of the year, kkh rehab does a sch readiness prog. U can check it out. Maybe leave your name or something to show your interest. It's to teach the kids what to expect in pri sch and the therapists will try out strategies to see what works for your kid in a sch setting. Like getting them to concentrate on their task, do show and tell, taking turns, handling money etc. I think it's pretty beneficial. This is classroom like group session with activities. After each session, The therapist will tell u the feedback and what skill they were teaching that day. The therapists at rehab side are rather nice. I have gone thru a few already and none has said anything mean. At the end of the sessions, they will write a report which u can give to the teacher or bring up certain parts on how to help your child in sch.

Hi mashy,
OK, this sounds really good indeed! Yes, I will check it out. The KKH rehab. side sounds nice too!