Living With Autism

It's been a busy time recently with our Daisy.

So, I spoke before about how we were informed by her school that once she reaches secondary school, she may require help that a mainstream school would not be able to provide. We were told that the routine and 'chaos' that comes with a secondary school would be too much for Daisy to cope with, and that we should look at sending her to a school that is more tailored to dealing with children that struggle, as Daisy does.

So on Tuesday this week, we visited a school close to us that did exactly this. A smaller, calmer environment that caters for children with SEN (special educational needs) from reception all the way to the end of sixth form.

We met the deputy head at the reception desk of the school, among other parents. We exchanged pleasantries and she proceeded to show us around the school. Starting with the younger classes, and slowly moving up to the older children, we were shown how much of a difference the atmosphere in and around the school was. Smaller classes, more assistance in the classroom. It was clear that this was a better environment for Daisy to learn in.

It was a little bit of a shock to the system walking around the school and seeing other children that were like Daisy. It's not something I've experienced before, but it made me realise that her going to a school like this was the best thing for her future.

Unfortunately, the school we visited, as lovely as it was, was going to be difficult for us to get Daisy a place there. This was due to being in high demand and out of our catchment area. However, seeing a school of this kind proved to us that moving her was going to be the best decision. We also discovered that we didn't have to wait until she moves to year 7 to make this happen. This meant that we can move her as soon as we have all the right paperwork and plans in place, which is great for her.

We did have a little drama from Daisy this week, however. The drama of a loose tooth! Daisy absolutely hates blood, and so every loose tooth has been one heck of an ordeal, and this week was no less.

It was on Wednesday that my wife received the phone call from her school, saying that she had to go and collect Daisy from school as she was in a state that they couldn't get her out of, due to the dreaded loose tooth. However, with some quick thinking, and quick hand movements, my wife was able to calm the situation down, by pulling it out! Danger averted.

Away from the all of this, we did have a couple more trips out. A visit to Bedford's Park last weekend, and a visit to Epping forest this morning was exactly what we all needed to blow away the cobwebs. This time of year is Daisy's favourite, due to the fact that there are so many chicks around the ponds. Ducks, geese, coots and herons were on todays list and we even managed to out before the rain got too bad.

Days like this are great for everyone. It brings a sense of calm to Daisy, and even myself, and breaks the day up. Even Olly (Daisy's older brother) tears himself away from the PlayStation to enjoy some fresh air with us.