dreich wed

M's maths time have changed...Hope transport gets changed over okies...Two of the days are the same but one is at a different time...Which means he'll need transport there earlier and transport back to his SEN school...Before he was transported up and then came directly home on transport from the mainstream school...Wed morning is the one that hasn't changed...So still picked up on mainstream mini bus at 7.30am and then back to SEN school at same time later in the morning...The mainstream school have activities week this week so M hasn't been in there and his transport for it was all cancelled...So low and behold mini bus turned up for him this morning DUH!!!!...He's not in on a fri anymore and is now in on a mon...Which is good as it is on a fri that he will be going to college...He's been giving me confused information about college...They're supposed to make their own way there...Or the school arranges transport for them...But we live like 5 mins walk from the college...Well 10 if you need to wait at the lights to cross the road...So first he said he was walking himself...Then he told me that the teacher who organises it all said he needed to take the bus...It's 2 bus stops...And it's only 2 stops because the stops are so close together...So just phoned and spoken to her...She's said no she hadn't said he needed transport or to take a bus...He's obviously been muddled when she's been talking to the others...Either he can walk himself or i can walk with him to start with...If he has a specific goal to get to then he can get there unaided...But it's the dog phobia that is the big time problem with being on his own...It's unpredictable...Sometimes if he sees a dog he will be ok and just wait out of the way until the dog has passed by...Other times he will completely freak and panic...And that's when he could end up on the road in front of a vehicle...Which is a major worry for me...Now G he will only take a bus into town to go to buy console games or presents for people...On fri G has his 6th year induction day and they're not back until after his taxi has left to take the boys on it home...I can't pick him up as that's when M gets home...So he's having to take the public transport bus home...He's not happy about that...BUT he needs to learn...In a year n half time he is going to be a university student (fingers crossed) or working...So he has to get used to taking the bus...He doesn't like the crowds etcon the buses and unlike M he's not into music so won't have an MP3 player that he can stick in his ears and distract him from all the people around him...Oh the joys of your children becoming all grown up...That was bad enough with K but is harder with the boys purely because of their ASD...Because you need to plan and timetable everything for them...Which lets face it you don't expect to have to do as a parent beyond a far younger age...Like yesterday on my course we were speaking about transitions into adulthood and the pitfalls that we need to prepare for...When we were speaking about if they went to college or university i mentioned what the disability officer at a local university had asked me...Obviously it;s not like school and very often you don't have classes all day...you could have a class first thing in the morning then no class until later in the afternoon...She asked me if he would be able to cope alone with that as they'd had a student previously who just walked round and round the corridor in a circle waiting for next class to start...So would it be better if his free time was also timetabled...For example you have X class from 9-11.30, then timetable some library time till say 12.30, then timetable lunch for an hour n half  then class Y at 2-4, then home...To begin with i think it would be better to have free time timetabled but in a loose manner...As in ok timetable say library time BUT if he's made friends and is going off somewhere with them then it's ok to go off with them...The timetabled freetime would just be a fall back in case he gets lost and confused...The people running the course said that is a good strategy to have in place...M's course at college is different as it is specifically designed for people with special needs to enable them into independant living and into employment...Right i must get to the bank to deposit M's cheques...He won't do it himself grrrr...Another skill he needs to learn...It's hard for anyone to understand who aren't involved with ASD to realise just how much stress it causes both for the carer and those with the condition...And just how much of their lives need careful planning...It;s not just a little bit here and there but every step...Skills we take for granted they need taught...Transfering those skills to other areas they need taught...Like M taking the bus to the youth committee meeting which he can do fine...But he can't just automatically transfer that to taking the bus elsewhere or in general...It can be a big skill or a small skill that transference of thought just isn't inate in the majority of people with ASD...Skills we have that we take for granted that we don't realise are skills are not inate in them...What i have always tried to NOT let happen is for obesssions to take over...As a friend of mine with an ASD son says if it's an obesssion that he can still have when there is no-one around to help then fine...An obessions that they can still do even when we are long gone as parents then fine...But if it's something that requires someone else and has taken over completely then it's not fine...I've always fought against them becoming too obessed with things...I've always pushed for them to try out as many 'normal' things as possible...Another friends son spends saturdays with her going round and round the city on buses...He's obsessed with buses...They just get on and off them all day with no specific focus in mind...Now that to me is wrong...She's let it take over and let him be in charge...Ok there may be several temper tantrums along the way when trying to not let things like that happen...And i have been on the receiving end of many...But you can't let the ASD totally and utterly dictate your life...Eeks went off on one there i have to go to the bank...I should have gone earlier today but it's drab and dreich outside and i was waiting on some phonecalls

The apprentice tonight...Three will be fired and the other two into the final...I hope that Katie is gone, she is so vile, two faced and everything she claims about the others well she is describing herself LOL

Toodle pip tc xx