Hi Kathy I had to send my son Nick off to school for the first time this past February. He had never been away from home not even for daycare, and he is 5 yrs old. The school is also one hour away from where we live. I felt the same way you do I cried and could not sleep at night wondering how I was gonna get him on a bus without him freaking out ...considering I could barely get him to go in a car with his Grandma if I wasn't going with him. One of the things I did was show him buses. I had to make a huge deal out of the bus and tell him "you are going to ride a bus too" and he would reply (with a scream "I NO RIDE BUS!!!!!!) everytime, I did the same thing with school just kept repeating all the time "you are going to go to school" I don't know if this helped but I think it got him prepared somewhat. The first day of school was hard because I knew if I drove him in the car he would want it everyday and eventhough I wanted to it was an hour away and I have 3 other kids!! So it was out of the question.So I had to put him on a bus and it was hard he screamed and we had to carry him but after a week he was ok some days were better than others like when they switch bus drivers ( I love when they do that ...NOT) but after a while he loved the bus he loves watching for it and seeing it come down the road. He even gets mad when he has vacation for to long because he can't go to school!!! I have come to realize that kids on the specrum love the scedule and the routine so you may be surprised it may make things easier for you when he starts to get used to going to school and they say the younger they are the easier it is.Just try to prepare him by using books and pictures and if he is riding the bus make a huge deal about buses and even sing songs and clap your hands about how happy the bus and school make you!! If he has siblings that are school age you can even use them as examples. Good luck and I hope he gets into the groove and loves to go to school as much as my son.
My 2 yr old son has not been dx'd yet. I hear things like you are hearing all the time. It's annoying. Whether he is on the spectrum or not it isn't nice to tell someone how to raise or discipline their child. I am tired of hearing he is just spoiled and needs a hard spanking. I do not spoil him anymore than I let my 4 yr old dd get away w/ things. She was our firstborn and was more "spoiled" than ds and she doesn't have the problems he does. I'm sorry you have people doing that to you because I do know how it feels. Luckily everyone here is great and supportive.
Amber
hi kathy, my name is cyndie and my son was dx in may with asd. he is starting in school in the fall as well in the preschool program. he has been in speech this past year with no such luck. mason is stuck to me like glue-so i know whats it is like to not be able to go to the bathroom or to take a shower with out some one watching you.
mason is going to have a very hard time come sept and they are expecting it. he will get on a bus at the house and they are expecting meltdowns which is going to kill me. they told me they can handle it and that he will be fine. so i will just have to wait. so i hope you have a great experience come fall and it wont be so hard on you and your son. i will be thinking about you.
Hi Kathy Welcome to the board. Here everyone is caring and understanding. Most of us have been through at least someone denying our child has any problems. I say dont bother to waste your time explaining its enough just to keep the strength to keep doing all you need to for your child on the spectrum and for the rest of your family. Hang in there!hey kathy,welcome to the board, i have 3 kids,erica12,carlo5pdd-nos and ryleigh 20mths.the board has been great for me and i hope it will help you also.were always here for you and your family. again welcome.mom2carloKathy,
Welcome to the board!! I have 3 children. Boy 12, Girl, 11, and Boy 3 years old with Pdd-Nos. I am also currently pregnant with another boy and due in August! This board has been so helpful for me as it will be for you i'm sure. There are so many people here that are understanding and caring!! Take care...It was nice to meet you and hope to talk again soon!!
Karrie
hi kathy
welcome to the board
i am sorry u are having a tough time with people and family . unfortunatley on the board we pretty much all have the same problem . so dont worry we all know he isnt spoilt or acting up . take care xx Hi Kathy, Welcome to the board. I'm kind of new myself and I feel this is a great site. You should be commended for your patience, it is a hard but so rewarding. Boy, I remember feeling just like you. My son is 13 now. He also is a handfull but I love him so much. His brothers are 34 and 32, so we knew he was going to be my last. I know it's scary time with him going to school. If your work schedule permits, you can do what I did. I came to class everyday and stayed until he calmed down. My son would never ride on the school bus it terrified him. Fortunately for me I'm a homemaker and don't work outside of my home. I also bought video tapes about children going to school and watched them with him. Eventually he liked going to school, I think it took almost 2 weeks. I'm home schooling him now. As far as family members understanding about our childrens special ways that took years and on some days I still have to explain that he is not normal and he will react badly to some things. Try not to feel to bad about it. Good Luck. Delores Hi, my name is Kathy. I have 4 children, Kaycee 16, Karalyn 4, and the twins Teryn and TJ who are going to be 3 in August. TJ was diagnosised with moderate to severe autism with severe sensory issues this year. He is currently in an ei program until August when he will go into special ed preschool. Everyday is a challenge with TJ but I don't think I woould change a thing if I could. He is such a smart, affectionate little boy. He has been aged between 1 year 10 months on some areas to 2 years 4 months on others. He has speech delay but gross motor and fine motor skills are great. We still have frequent meltdowns, but I guess we are getting better at accepting them. He is a loner but my 2 younger daughters try to get him to interact. They are for the most part understanding of him and all his therapist. I sometimes feel like the doctor forgot to cut the umbililcal cord when he is stuck to me. I cannot even go to the bathroom alone. He is a runner too. He is definatly a piece of work. My family are so not getting it. They still think he is just spoiled and acting out. How many reports do they have to read before they get it? SOmedays are really hard when he is just in total meltdown because no one understands or can help. TJ is VERY attatched to me. The school is wondering about separation anxiety when he starts. How can I ease him into not needing me there all the time? I am so glad I foound this board. Most people just dont understand. It is sad how many people just stay away now because they just cannot deal wiith TJ. Thanks for listening. Kathy
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