Take a look at their stunning entries here.
Its great to see UK talent receiving the recognition it deserves.
Wishing them oddles of luck in the next rounds.
Ive been busy working on a lil project and am almost ready to submit my entries! I doubt I will get anywhere but hey its worth the go and it doesnt matter if I dont cut it becuase at the end of the day I have some pretty yummy LO's in my album. :)
Maybe its a good time to leave my blog now because Im going to have a lil rant....no forget that....its a HUGE rant!
Its been a hard morning for both Hubs and I.
Today we attended the final decission making meeting regarding J's educational future.
For those that dont know J is a guy who has very complex needs. He has a string of diagnosis which include Autistic Spectrum Disorder. He is high functioning which means at first glance he looks and behaves like any other child...scratch the surface and J's world is very different to yours and mine.
J has no theory of mind....he believes that what he thinks everyone else thinks...what he sees is what everyone else sees. He has complex language difficulties and a significant learning delay. Current assesments lead us to believe he is functioning at 5 years below his chronologoical age with very little evidence that this will ever improve.
He has been in a special school placement for 2 years and during that time has come on in leaps and bounds. Previously to his placement being granted I home educated him for 2 years. He attended mainstream primary until he was aged 7 and was removed by ourselves after he was subjected to a torent of abuse and torment by both pupils and teaching staff.
J couldnt cope with school and school couldnt/wouldnt cope with J!
So today, after 2 years of specialised teaching, we are blessed with a son who can now write his name and address...he can recite his home telephone number...believe me when I say this is a miracle...we were told he would never do any of these things!
He doesnt understand math at all...has no concept of time....the value of money means nothing to him....neither do the days of the week.
He struggles with social skills and doesnt understand the underwritten rules of life. He shows no reaction to emotion. Typical example of this...I was really upset when a very close friend died and needed to go have a cry....I took myslef off to a quiet space and sobbed my heart out....J wanted to ask me something and when he saw me he asked
"Why have you got black rain on your face?"...my mascara wasnt waterproof!
j is a fun loving guy who enjoys the comapny of adults as he struggles to relate to his key peers....spending time with him is just the best. He is funny, has a wicked sense of humor (which ASD children, if you believed what was wriiten in the books, arent supposed to have!) He is creative, excells at sport and can strip down his motorbike engine and rebuild it without any adult suppervison!!
Recently the men in grey suits have decided that 50% of all children within a special school placement have to be reintegrated into a mainstream setting....inclusion is the buzz words atm!
Im all for J being included into society and will fight to my dieing day for my son to be socially accepted for the wonderful person he is. However can someone please tell me how my son is going to cope in a mainstream secondary school because Im sure as hell confused!
If J is functioning 5 years below his age that means he is functioning as a 6 year old....who in their right mind would pick up a 6 year old child and put them in a secondary school???
Well thats whats going to happen in September! My boy is going to a mainstream secondary school!
The poor headteacher was really fighting our corner but they wouldnt have it....minds had been set....decissions made....money saved!
I just hope that they understand this is my guys future which is hanging in the balance.....I wil not allow him to be subjected to the torment and abuse he suffered whilst previously in mainstream....I will not allow my boy to be the subject of ridicule and made the easy target.
Hubs and I have worked so hard to bring J into the "normal" world and I AM NOT prepared to see all our hard work go to waste.
Those that have met my boy would confirm that he is a wonderful lil chap....its taken 4 years to bring him to that level. 4 years of continually investing all our love and praise....working hard on therapies and strategies to enable him to survive as best he can and they had the cheek to ask me what I thought the point was of all our work...J, afterall will not be an independant adult....says who?????
Noone can predict what will happen but I have a pretty good idea. J will not be able to cope within the classroom setting....he will struggle....he will become frustrated....he will become disruptive...he will be labelled the "norty kid" again! His self esteem will plummet and Hubs and I will be the ones left to pick up the pieces!
J has taught me so much about myself...he has taught me that I was wrong to believe that those professionals out there know better than I do. Just because they have an "ology" doesnt mean anything....they know jack sh*t....I live ASD every day....my life revolves around ASD...my life is ASD because my life is J.
He has taught me that I can take on these men in their grey suits and fight and win battles I never thought possible.
He has taught me that the world can be an unkind place....that not everyone is understanding...he has taught me how to make a difference.
I am soo grateful that he is in my life....J has made me a better person...an understanding person...a fighter.
Time to put the soapbox away and start my plan of action....if all else fails Hubs and I have decided we will go back to home edding...at least that way we know he will be given the life lessons he needs to live as much an independant adult life as possible.
The clocks ticking and my wee marvel will be home from school any minute....Im going to go off to the beach with the guys and prise this lardy body of mine into my wetsuit....I need a surf!
Have a good one.
T.x.
11 comments:
My mind is in a whirl, so what the heck state you're in heaven only knows.
May I ask did J sit his SATS in May? No? Then why do 'suits' think he can cope with mainstream if he can't do mainstream'stuff'? I know this is just a basic question and common sense and basic are not flavour of the month, but why, why, why?
J is one lucky lad to have such supportive parents, may you all be granted the strength and patience to see this through, this battle may not be in your favour, but the fight will go on and time hopefully will bring a final victory for this young man who will defy all the odds and prove he's going to make it - and put the proverbial fingers in a vertical position!
Our love and support always
MWG & DWG x
M
Tracie....**hugs** I hear ya....inclusion is so BIG these days, also here in Norway...all pretty words.....but behind these pretty words its mostly about economics and saving money....they don't realize that every child is special, invidual, and what works for one child might NOT work for another.....I know....my family is deaf....we struggle with this every day seeing how the admins let down the deaf schools forcing children into their homeschools..whihc is okay for some..but NOT for everybody...children need to communicate and to be understood in their own language...and as they grow up...they realize theyre falling more and more behind on just that, communicatingw ith the other children.... my husband who is hearing works in a regular college....with some children who are mentally uh..retarded (sorry for the word)... their parents want them to be normal...to go to the local school..and have the law behind them...even tho the local school says it doesnt work out well..the childrenjust dont cope with the society and the social unspoken laws etc...making them more of some social "jerks" for the other children because they dont realize certain things...and it makes it hard because the school doesnt have money for special-edu. ppl either even though theyre supposed to have someone following these kids...so...I know too well about this subject..and how invidual it all is...ugh..and at the same time i realize its hard for the parents who wants their children to be seen as normal and wants to believe its possible to work it out in the local schools....**hugs** hope things will work out fine..dont give up...(woah..off the soapbox here too..sorry..:P)
How can 'they'presume to know better than yourselves and the teachers who guide and teach your son on a daily basis?
I am sure that the positive attitude you have that comes through this blog will see things work out for the best.
Sorry to read about what is happening to J at the moment. Decisions like this always seem to be made by people that have no clue what it is like to live in the real world & deal with things like this everyday. I sincerely hope that something more suitable for J is arranged soon. Sending lots of (((hugs)) to you all. Have fun at the beach. xx
wow hun, i have juts read your pots, and boy i had no idea how tough life can be for ASD kids, hate to admit my naivity at this. I aplaud your determination, and wish you and J receive the support you need and he deserves, although this sounds pretty unlikely
big hugs to you all
xoxoxo
your heart is as big as the sun! You work 1000 hours in one day!! I am so glad to have come across your blog. I will return over and over! big hugs
know how you feel and you have my heartfelt sympathy xx
oh, god bless you. i am a social worker and i also worked for a while with a little boy who had autism. i worked for a program that helped kids like him with the social aspects. i am not sure if there is an agency in your area that offers this, but i know that the little boy that i supported struggled in this area and after a few months he did make progress. i miss that job terribly. he was such a delight and he just made me laugh my ass off....so, good luck to you and your little one...
and thank you sooo much for your comment on my blog...it means alot. hope to see more of ya!
Susan
So sorry to hear that the suits can't make the right decision for J. Sending you all oodles of {{{{{hugs}}}}} and fighting vibes. Axx
My heart goes out to you and yours for what shouldn't have to be such a battle.
I work where we embrace the differences that the autism spectrum brings. He sounds a very cool and much loved young man.
Go Surf x
Tracie sending you huge hugs! So frustrating and all for the sake of saving money!
I have never met J but I can tell from meeting you that he is a VERY much loved child. Keep strong!
Hope you got in that wetsuit ... daren't look at mine!!!
xx
Post a Comment