my son starting school update

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Hi all, i though I'd update you on my son who is a HFA starting school.

He started reception/kindergarten on 8 September. His 6 year old brotherNT also goes there. It is a private mainstream school, for which I pay for. We are fortunate enough to be able to afford private education for both sons. There was a time when the school were hesitating to take my son as he would need additional support and they would not be able to provide it. The local authority have funded the additional support and the school have been very welcoming since.

The class sizes are small, his brother already goes there and it a familiar school, so it was the best place for my son.

Anyway he has a helper for 2hrs 45mins a day. So far there has been no special structured activity for him. The speech therapist is still assessing him, as he has really improved during Summer. She hasn't finished the assessing which she will conclude on 22 Ocotober!! !

Ali has really settled in school well. NO tantrums, some little upsets, he did make some noises during assembly, however apart from that he has been behaving very well,

The speech therapy is a joke no one is working on his speech. He needs help with articulation and ways to continuing conversation. he needs help with speaking in multiple sentences and initiating conversation. NO One is helping him, what is the helper doing??? Also they decided that he doesn't need OT, as his fine motor skills aren't that bad.

I can see him struggling to put sentences together, I don't know what to do. I want his talking to progress quicker now, as he's 5 next month. Other kids don't understnad him and so don't play with him. Once he was talking, and his classmate asked me "Why does he talk like that?" I was really upset, as other kids really notice his unclear speech. His dribbling has got better but not 100% yet.

I'm very proud that he's the best reader in his class and excellant with number skills, but I need to improve his writing skills and obviously talking skills. I'm really frustrated with the lack of speech therapy. The therapist is taking too long to put activities together for him. Also the school can't arrange an IEP meeting until the speech therapy is in place.

Just fed up with everyone, who is treating my son as a number!!

Much will always seem to move glacially. Get used to it. Do what you can by yourself in the meantime. (not to say you don't stop fighting, of course)

As for the speech ... right now I would work on the other kids, instead of wondering when your son will catch up. When the child asked you why your son talked like that, you had a great opening to explain how your son communicates, and what that child could do to become friendly with him. In K everything is a two way street; the kids can be taught to meet your son at least half way, and that opportunity should be grabbed. What gets established as the relationship now will carry through as the kids gets older and the specific issues change. Once the kids know, "oh, he does things a little differently, but he's still a nice kid, and I may have to try a little harder to cross the barrier," they will become your child's partners. You don't need a speech therapist for that; you need a community that wants to work with you. That is completely within your hands to form. Intereact with the kids yourself. If your son is willing, make some play dates. Help the other parents understand how your child ticks. All the pragmatics are things that time and practice will affect well. Challenging, yes. But rewarding? That, too. The kids from my son's elementary school still stick up for him when it matters most. That is gold.

maybe he can get speech therapy for him outside of school though the local school district

Hang in there TV, that is how things go with autism. While it seems that some things are improving, there will always be something new that comes up to work on. Just keep fighting for your son---it sounds like he is doing great!