DAY TO DAY AUTISM DIARY

Education is one of the most important issues when bringing up children with autism.
Now my NAS monthly mag arrived today and in it is a new campaign they have started as NAS Advocacy for Educcation get over 1800 telephone calls a year from families about problems regarding their child's schooling and we all know these problems are quite often ignored by the teachers and its time we did not have to battle everyday to get the right support for our children. so please join the NAS make school make sense campaign today to help every child get the education which they deserve and is their right. Nas hope that by working together we can all put pressure on local and national decision makers and persuade them that they must make school make sense for children with autism. so please visit www.autism.org.uk/campaign and help support the right of very autistic child to get school to make sense. thankyou.
today i will sending my make school make sense card to the solihull's council leader please do the same.

Went to see my mums new dog today. Her other dog of 17 years called sally sadly died and she decided it was time to have another dog as she lives on her own and missed the company . We never saw the dog today as my mum had her friends round and there was two other dogs present and as Daniel has a phobia of dogs it was not fair on him if we went in. Although saying that he did like sally as all she did was lie in her doggie bed as she was old. He cant focus on dogs that move or jump up and this really frightens him .although were hoping he will hopefully get to like my mums new dog from birmingham dogs home but with her friends dogs there too it would have been much to much for Daniel to handle so like i say we did not stay. I had to replace the fan today on Daniels cpu in his pc has yesterday it started making strange noises but a quick trip to pc world and JUst £2.99 and 5 mins to fit all is well and he is happy again. Was supposed to go to a party arranged by someone from the autism support group we attended but my wife was feeling a little on the off side so we did not go.. A fly got in the car on the way to pc world and caused Daniel to have a panick attack. Managed to stop the car quickly in a safe place and daniel vacated the car and curled up on the pavement while i got rid of the fly. Daniel asked the lady who served us why she called me love and i had to quickly explain to Daniel as he told the lady on the till that only his mum could call me that as daniel thinks only people married or going out together can use certain words but the lady at the till just smiled which was nice as some people tend to take offence at his comments.We went to mcdonalds on the way home and Daniel had 6 nuggets and fries with a tropicana orange juice and left all the nuggets as he said he had heard about a guy kids talked about at school who had eat nothing but mcdonalds for 1 month and that they only used old age chickens to make the nuggets and it was not fair to take away the mums and dads of young chickens just so we could eat them. I told him they used young chickens now and that was because the old chickens were made into a paste and horrible things were added to the nuggets but now the nuggets were all breast meat and he screamed and hid her face and shouted there is loads of old chickens without their son and daughters because they have been made into chicken nuggets. I just repied that this was mostly true and he never spoke until we got home.After fixing his pc he was in a good mood and i hope he does not worry to much about the chickens . Well its nearly time to watch the telly as there is something i want to watch so i hope this finds you all well.

well Daniel had a whole hour of sleep in a row last night which was good. Even better he had quite few periods where he stayed asleep for 20 minutes so the suitcases under my eyes shrunk by about 1mm but saying that he was wide awake by 5.50am and the only thing different really this morning was watching all them housemates on big brother sleeping at 6.00am. I dont envy them being in the big brother house but i do envy them being able to sleep untill its lunch time. If i won the golden ticket out a kitkat i would go in and sleep- sleep and then sleep somemore but saying that i would more than likely put it on ebay to sell so i could buy a extra large bed so when our son climbs in there would more room to avoid being kicked or elbowed in the night.Daniel wanted to use my pc today but i urged him to use his own in his room as the noise of someone playing a game and typing what seems a thousand words a minute which really does sound like a train clattering over a worn out railway junction is just two much to take 7 days in a row so after a defiant im going to annoy you for 3 hours tantrum to make me say ok use mine he finally gave up and went to his own room .So apart from the constant calls to make sure we have not done a runner we have chance to sit in quiet for a while apart from someones deep bass beats beating through its been quite a good morning. Although its saturday its a no shopping day today as i took Daniel out yesterday as the teachers had a training day well i think thats what they were having. Lets hope it included some ASD awareness training but i doubt it. Good job got we went shopping today as its raining and that makes Daniel worry .Tomorrow if my wife feels upto it theres a party which has been arranged by a mother and father of a autisic boy who attended the ASD support group and there will be about 10 to 15 other children there all with ASD so im sure it will be great fun and i bet we learn quite a bit too.
And it will nice to see the other parents from the ASD support group again . Although i was the only male at the group i never really noticed as every one was great. I am still annoyed over the stage 3 warning my son got a few days ago and as yet not been able to talk to mrs M as she apparently was not going to be back in school until the holidays were over so i have to stew for a week. Whats really the worst thing is Daniel is worried he will get expelled and he shouldnt have to worry about things like that but he does and another thing i need to talk to school about is to tell them to stop telling Daniel about how many children go to mainstream senior school . One teacher keeps telling him its not certain he wont have to go to one and that theres 1000,s of children there . Daniel has a fear of large crowds and then when he reacts to what they have said they wonder why. In any case i would not ever send my son to mainstream senior school ever. i would have no choice but to teach him here at home . But as were just waiting for the final printed sen statement which will have our school of choice on it that should happen as there is plenty of time before september. I watched a program about a school in Australia on the teachers tv channel who teach children with ASD and its amazing . I cant for the life of me know how Daniel has managed to cope when i see the type of teaching he really should have had . Well i know all schools differ but i really cant wait to see how Daniel gets on when he attends a special school and they give him the kind of contact and encouragement he gets at home instead of the negative approach he gets from teachers at present who just dont care. well as this is supposed to be our diary and not a place to rant on like my other blog i will change the subject now. Daniel is still in good mood but asked how many days it was until school started again so i told him and he settled down. He tells me he hates school because the teachers pick on him. Well he is out of their reach for the next week so in my mind thats good. Time to get some important letters written so im off . i hope this finds everyone well.

Daniel decided to climb into our bed again last night . He seems to be twice as long and all knees and elbows when lying down and even if he does go to sleep moves constantly sort of like a leaf in the wind that has no choice to move because it cant control it self in where it whats to go or be as the wind is in control and this is like how ASD and ADHD effect Daniel but Daniel moves with the ferrosity of a twister so in the morning were all poked and prodded and completely worn out but this happens every night so you tend to get used to it and as at least we get some sleep by not taking him back to his room where he would just scream all night or groan it seems the lesser of two evils. I asked him when he was going to sleep all night in his own bed and he replied when he is 25 so only another 14 years of sleepless nights to go. If you dont see the funny side you would go mad and crazy and end up spinning in circles while waiting for the men in white coats to come collect us. I think its the extreme love you have that keeps your engine going. And the Massive challenge that everyday brings. But GUESS what. we still think were the luckiest parents alive as we have Daniel. WEll Daniel has been playing on his cut down version of a snooker table and today his favourite saying is " i am the best there ever is" "the best there ever will be and the best there ever was in anythinnnngggggggggggg" the anything droning on for about 2 minutes coupled with his loud sudden screams which still make me jump when im not expecting them but i should according to Daniel always be expecting them as i know he always does them so its my fault when i jump while drinking a hot cup of tea and i burn my legs again for the 100th day in row and Daniel is right of course. Anyway He is in good mood today because its holiday time for the next 11 days and he knows he will not be picked on for next 11 days which has made him happy but he he is still worried that he will be excluded from school because of this stage 3 warning and this something Daniel should not be worrying about . i really must go for the moment as Daniel requires my help . hope this finds everyone well..

This morning we got a letter from school.
its all about the day before yesterday in school which you can read in this blog as date 23rd may.
Here is the letter
I write to inform you that your child Daniel has been issued with a stage 3 warning on the schools Behaviour policy.This mean that he has been involved in behaviour in school which has caused the teacher in charge to take action (you would never guess who - yes mrs M) letters contuines- Their behaviour has caused disruption to the entitlement of every child to learn.
Because of this ,several privilages have been withdrawn in line with our policy.These include the loss of all playtimes for the next day, being monitored for 5 days, taking no part in the next class golden time and not being allowed to take part in any school extra curricular activities for the next 5 Days.
we hope we can work together to support your child in understanding that further disruptions will not be in the best interest for the learning of your child and we would appreciate it if you could discuss your childs behaviour with him at home. (what do they think we have been doing for 10 years-sleeping)
many thanks for your support ( wheres daniels support)
yours sincerely mrs M
Key Stage Co-ordinator.

i will add to this when i have had a cup of tea so dont go away.

Well after ringing the school Mrs M is unable to speak to us at present.

Read what i have to say about all this here at my autism blog

Mrs M strikes Again.
Daniel has been told off today because he chucked a book over to someone who had asked for it.
apparently it was thought someone else had thrown it but Daniel said it was him and that he didnt mean it to hit anyone. He was not given the chance to say why he had thrown it, Daniel tells me he threw it because he was told he could not get up a little earlier in the lessson and as he had been asked to pass the book, threw it instead so he did not have to move.He was given a yellow card for this.
she told Daniel he had been cheeky in maths as he had asked her to explain what a word means. Daniel said she told him he was just pure attention seeking and that it had nothing to do with his ASD or adh T yes she does not even know the name of whats wrong as it AdhD so how can she decide its not if she does not even know whats it called. Anyway Daniel told her he does not have adhT but adhd and she told him off by saying how dare you correct a teacher and Daniel tells me he was really scared inside. I just cant imagine why she takes such offence she knows he has ASD and ADHD i suggest MRS M you go and read the same book THE Head told me to read and read it it may enlighten you as you make out to me you understand but its not me you need to show its Daniel. School know that if Daniel asks for something to be explained it should if she thinks Daniel is seeking attention she may well be right he does ADHD . I suggest she looks this up on the internet Too. I may seem like i expect them all to just let him off but it seems to me there the cause of it. And please Their teachers. are they not going to have some bad days like i said in my other blog Daniel has bad days everyday and cant escape at 3.15 pm everyday . i not saying let him off im saying explain to him better and stop calling him cheeky and saying its not his asd or adhd .
Stop FRightening him . INSIDE HE IS IN PIECES BUT CANT SHOW IT. How many times do i have to explain this and you say Daniel does not listen.

Daniel had another good morning before school. i of course being only a human being and according to daniel an alien as to him were all aliens and he is the only proper earthling made the mistake of telling him to hurry up and shake a leg as were going to be late for school so Daniel sat there for 5 minutes shaking his leg the last time he done this was when it was pouring down with rain and i had ask him to come on shake a leg as he was getting out the car so while he sat in the car shaking his leg i got soaked . i must admit this kind of literal understanding of words must drive the teachers mad but they must by now surely understand this but they dont and sometimes i think its because they wont. There pride seems to be worth more. I mean they cant have Daniel making them look silly when they can instead make Daniel look silly. Anyway fetched Daniel out of school for his dinner . He seemed a little upset so i asked him simply good morning or bad morning. what he told me was this.he had been walking around on his own at morning play time when another child who i wont mention walked over to Daniel and shouted Oi mental. Daniel did not look at this child but he came back upto Daniel and punched him in the belly and said i meant you mental he then got Daniel in head lock. Daniel tried to get away saying please Dont.. He said to Daniel what are you going to do about it mental. Daniel tried to get him off. A teacher came out and broke it up and sent both of them in and they both got stage 3 red cards. MR K said to Daniel i am not impressed with you and called Daniel naughty and Mrs M told Daniel he was always cheeky.
Daniel ran off and knock some chairs over in frustration and then apparently quite a few teachers had to stop him running about.One teacher pulled his jumper and Daniel told this teacher that they would have to pay for his jumper if they ripped it.One of the teachers who stopped him i think was mrs M told Daniel to cut his losses and tell the truth. Daniel asked what he had to cut. he was told to stop being cheeky.and that he had been told a million times to stop being cheeky and the other teachers present agreed with her. Daniel told me he said to himself that he knows as its all they seem to say to him . Daniel thinks its there favourite saying(stop being cheeky)even though he cant think why..
Daniel told me Mrs M turned the whole incident around on him and he got the blame. Daniel felt angry as he knew he had not started anything he was the one called mental and he was the one who got punched. Daniel walked off and shouted none of you teachers ever believe me and its always turned around so i get the blame. The head teacher then had a word with Daniel and told him she was always willing to listen to him.
Daniel went back into class feeling very unhappy inside. the teacher in class and some other kids looked at Daniel . Mrs H asked Daniel what was wrong and said to Daniel your not having a very good morning are you. while this was being said the kid that had caused all this grinned at Daniel. I am not surprised Daniel feels everyone is against him. Anyway he had agood dinner time with us and as far as i know as he has not told me anything from the afternoon yet everything went ok for him in the afternoon. I doubt the school would have told me what had gone on as its only when the staff are upset i get called in so Daniel had nothing to gain by making any of this up or even letting me know that something like this happened.

there happens to be one teacher which i have yet failed to talk to about daniel and i have to say if what im told is true really does need to think about what she says and why she says it. If she thinks what she says is right i dread the thought of being Daniel as daniel has been very down after being incontact with teacher. Yes this is about how Daniel feels and if anyone who teaches Daniel sees this and thinks its not true i can assure you that i have written exactly what Daniel has said which may seem different to how you see or say things . Remember Daniel has ASD and sees things in his own way but just because you may not agree with it does not mean what daniel sees or thinks is wrong.For instance Daniel dislikes any kind of shouting ifr directed at himself. Yet this one teacher always shouts at Daniel . She also has made the comment to Daniel which makes him feel down . The comment goes some what like this and was said to him yesterday. Daniel we know you have problems but it makes no difference to me. I just dont care. I asked him if it was true and he said definately . He has told me this has been said to him before by the same teacher. He has told me several upsetting things about this teacher over the last few months . i suppose its time to get a meeting with this teacher so i can see just what is being said and decide what i can do . For instance Daniel had just come from the toilet and was just putting his inhaler in his school bag in the corridor when the teacher shouted Daniel get in here now. Daniel said ok . other children started laughing.
Something else was said to Daniel and she then said if he didnt move to the floor at the front of class near the board she would drag him there.
He moved to the front of class and sat on the floor.she told Daniel to turn around. Daniel turned around a full 360 Degrees and she shouted Daniel stop being cheeky. she then told him she didnt care what was wrong with him. Daniel states this is the truth. i do beleive him as the story although slighty different when i asked several times had all the same facts.
Daniel also tells me while in assembly from behind the closed serving hatches where the school kitchens are there was a loud crash and they heard a dinner lady shout out in shock the word Shit.
Daniel was also given a Yellow card in assembly. which says persistantly talking and laughing and mimicing be quiet actions throughout assembly. signed the teacher.
well all i can say is that Daniel dislikes being in room with a crowd and its a real fear. so he does these things because it makes him feel safe inside. its common for many with ASD to do this. Yet again Daniel is told off for something he cant help. also when told why he was not singing he just kept his mouth closed as he had been told to do so. They really must know by now that if Daniel takes something literal then its for real not because he is being rude and when asking him to think about what he has done will just make him think about what he has not done and what would happen if he had done this or that and then forget what he was supposed to be thinking about giving himself thought overload and if the teachers do not understand that the next thing Daniel is libel to do is because he is trying to cover up the fact he doesnt know what he is to do so he does anything which is most times something he should not but he has been forced into the situation by someone who should by now know better and inside Daniel is all confused and hurt but cant show it. So anyone who teaches Daniel should know One thing. Dont SHout AT HIM. Daniel also cant work or settle if the colour green is to be seen near him or on him. So daniel had quite major upsetting yesterday at school and came out feeling quite depressed and yet i bet no one in school noticed he was sad.

Daniel woke up in a good mood which carried over to the journey to school. He was happy and was looking forward to dinner time. i have to go fetch him home for dinner this week and he sees it as extra time with us. I tried to explain why he has to come home for dinner in my opinion i think he could when allowed to stay for dinner at school again think in his mind i would like to go home for dinner then he might think on the reasons why he was not allowed to stay for dinner then decide that if he does it again he can be home at dinner times with us. will have to wait and see what happens. well im off to fetch him now and as he does not like water on his head and its raining like i have never seen rain before its libel to cause some stress for daniel. will add more after school. daniel always has plenty to say.

Son came out school and about 10 minutes later told me that when he arrived at the staff room he heard a teacher call him an idiot, My son told me that the teacher was told he was out side and my son said he heard the teacher say what daniel the idiot. I went straight back to school to sort it out. never got to see the teacher until friday at 3.15pm. He said he didnt say such a thing. i explained daniel was upset that a teacher he liked had said such a thing but the teacher said he didnt say it . have to leave a line drawn under that one. had quick chat about how daniel sees things and it seemed the teacher understood. Only thing that worried me was when i left he said he had a feeling why i wanted to see him and thought it was about that. i can only presume he can mind read as if he did not say daniel was an idiot why would he have been expexting it about that. that being the word used. Well i'm no idiot and i know my son sees or says things that others wont notice but in this instance i my self am inclined to feel that daniel heard something and that the teacher maybe covered it up. I cant be sure but because of daniels behaviour i suppose i will never get the truth. all i know where daniel is concerned there is no smoke without fire so i know he heard something. but it was asked then why he was so close to the staff room door. Daniel of course was waiting outside and daniel also quoted several times that the door was slammed shut nearly hitting him in the face. well all i can do is listen to both sides but show support for my son. Anyway told my son the good news about his statement so he can go to a school where asd is understood. It does not matter how hard his present mainstream school trys they can never in my eyes understand just how asd effects daniel as i always get the vibe and i'm pretty used to the vibe by now that they think he is just naughty as at times he can be good. Anyway as advised i am going to keep a diary as i know school do . As i found out yesterday. i will write here everything daniel goes through so the two sides can be seen. as i know from daniel that my present blog father of achild with autism has been veiwed by school . Well maybe they could learn from it who knows. so i will keep this on line diary updated as often as i can. Daniel woke up today (sat 20th) in a strange but happy mood. he turned big brother on E4 and sat there still for about 1 hour then after eating his breakfast decided he would play with his wrestling dolls. He gave me a great big cuddle and then gave his mum a big cuddle and told us he loved us . He is at present using his own pc . He is connected to the internet and he never fails to amaze me at the speed he can type . the last time i checked this it was about 70 touch type words a minute which is fantastic . well its raining today and daniel loves the rain has there is less flies and insects about. daniel has just imformed me that he is feeling hot and has stripped down to his under pants. He has been known to tell teachers in midwinter that he is too hot in the playground and take off his coat and jumper. well i have to go help him with something now as he wants me to explain why the eject button on the keyboard ejects cd-roms and how the keyboard knows so that should take a fare while. he has been good natured and full of smiles since 12 so i can only hope it stays this way . not that it ever does. As long as he is smiling thats all i need to see. See you soon . hope this finds everyone well