** Monday 11th Daily Chat - New Week, new start!! **

Snaggles

Spud - yes, that's a definite possibility, the other Aspie Mum is great, and very gobby (in a nice way), unlike me who shakes when she has to speak in meetings etc.

We have become friends since our sons were diagnosed, so I'm pretty sure she will be onside.

sammy115

(Land_of)_Maz wrote: »

That happens to me all the time y'know...... no matter how hard i train i am always much slower than most others....

but positive thinking head on, me n runchum rachel were doing 5.5miles on friday night and rachel opted out before 3miles, and i had the focus to go on and complete my 5.5miles... so i may be slow but i have focus!!

My time for 5.5 was 1hr 6 mins, so if i can do that pace at my next 10k i should come in on 1hr 12mins...

Sammy your 1:04 is brill!!

your pal is good too, but some peeps have natural speed... pah!!

Spud - well done on doing the distance!! do you feel better knowing that you'll come in under 2 hours...?

I know, I know just a teensy bit jealous..I love my mate (I wouldn't mind - I had to convince her to do the run!)

time on feet should help spud, just keep doing the work and the legs get better...My legs were fine yesterday until I went to the cinema to watch star trek....I kept nodding off and when I got up my legs had seized up!

(Land_of)_Maz

Toto wrote: »

What most people can't really grasp is how autistic people see the world. Us non autistic folk have a filtering system for our senses, so we can walk down the road and block out some of the sounds, smells, sights etc. We don't hear the road noise as loud as we would someone talking next to us, and we don't hear the sound of footprints or clothes rustling at the same volume as everything else. Our brains have learned to filter out what we don't need to hear etc so we can focus on what our senses do need to be aware of. Autistic people don't have this ability so everything is equal, can you imagine how scary and noisy their world is?

Imagine a time when you have had the worst cold or flu ever and imagine how it is to be thrust into a busy supermarket on a saturday afternoon, that feeling is how it is every day for autistic people. This is why they have those meltdown moments. Their world is chaotic and scary.

Toto - thanks for that... amazing insight.

I have a nephew who is autistic and it's shameful to admit that i've never thought of things from that perspective....

Honestly, thanks.... you've really made me think...

redsquirrel80

(Land_of)_Maz wrote: »

well done babes!

Go on, brag a bit! what was your time?

I'm guessing 46minutes

LOL I'm not that fast! 52 mins. Might have been a bit quicker if I hadn't been dodging kids and dogs most of the way (note to self, local park/ path through woods is maybe not the best place to run on a sunny Sunday morning!) but it was a nice fairly relaxed run.

spud30

Sal, I have done a bit of running on the treadie, but it's mainly fast walking

sallyx

My thanks button isn't working at work but Toto that is an amazing insight which I had never realised. My Nephew is also severe autistic and doesn't talk at all so I feel I know a bit more now - Thank you

Snaggles

Toto that is so beautifully put, and is exactly how the world is for Ryan. :grouphug:

I've experienced it myself - sometimes I have a weird 'ear thing' (I don't know what triggers it), but noise is suddenly unbearable and I need silence, or as little noise as possible.

Any loud noise while I feel like that makes me irrationally angry, almost to the point of needing to punch someone. Supermarkets are absolute hell on earth when I feel like that, and sometimes I totally understand Ryan's need to shut himself in a small, quiet, safe place until it all stops.

I really wish I could show the head, and the teaching staff, a small glimpse of Ryan's world. Then they would realise that by shouting at him whilst he is in meltdown, THEY are causing the swearing and the violence.

It's not easy for them, because they have other children to think about, and I completely get that. I don't really know what the solution is.

One to one help would be a massive benefit to him but he doesn't have the funding. There is a classroom assistant who works with him, and he likes her but her time with him is limited.

And as you say, PE and playtimes are a nightmare for him. He doesn't really have anywhere he can go to cool off, other than back into the classroom, which seems like a punishment rather than a positive thing.

sammy115

Toto wrote: »

I'm curious about what help ryan is getting with his day to day school work? Does he have 1/1 assistance? Or is he just left to muddle along? His behaviour could be a direct result of him not coping in the classroom.

And how about group activities? PE? I have yet to find a child with ASD who can cope with busy crowded environments. Amber is only just joining in with some of the PE classes in her school, she is in a class of 8 children and has specific therapy to help her cope, after 9 years of this she can now join in for about half of the session. Does Ryan have help with this?

How about playtimes? does he have a quiet space where he can go when it all gets too much for him? The same at lunchtime, does he get to go for his meals away from the other children or is he just expected to join in the very noisy busy dining hall?

What most people can't really grasp is how autistic people see the world. Us non autistic folk have a filtering system for our senses, so we can walk down the road and block out some of the sounds, smells, sights etc. We don't hear the road noise as loud as we would someone talking next to us, and we don't hear the sound of footprints or clothes rustling at the same volume as everything else. Our brains have learned to filter out what we don't need to hear etc so we can focus on what our senses do need to be aware of. Autistic people don't have this ability so everything is equal, can you imagine how scary and noisy their world is?

Imagine a time when you have had the worst cold or flu ever and imagine how it is to be thrust into a busy supermarket on a saturday afternoon, that feeling is how it is every day for autistic people. This is why they have those meltdown moments. Their world is chaotic and scary.

Ryan should have help with all of his school day, from the moment he enters the playground in the morning to the moment he leaves, he should have a seperate area where he can go to chill for a little while, somewhere safe and quiet. He should have someone with him who understands his needs and who can recognise when things are getting too much for him.

Just punishing his behaviour is unacceptable and completely unfair to him. He is being punished for things totally out of his control. Excluding him is just giving the school a few days away from their responsibilities, it does nothing to help him at all. And frankly this school should be utterly ashamed of how they are treating him.

*sammy now thinks OH should be tested for autism (and I am not being flippant either!:eek:)*

You have just described my OH to a T!!!!

Snaggles

Sammy - what a nightmare, how stupid to put that on a childs permanent record for such a ridiculous reason. Good on you for fighting it.

And you could well be right about your OH, my ex OH is pretty much definitely an aspie, and I'm certain I'm on the spectrum. Most people are to some degree actually. Diagnosis is rare in adults, but sometimes even just reading up about it a bit, and realising that you react in certain ways just because of how your brain is wired does help you to accept yourself and forgive yourself for things that you have beaten yourself up over for years.

sallyx

spud30 wrote: »

Sal, I have done a bit of running on the treadie, but it's mainly fast walking

Fast walking is good Spud, will burn more fat and get your muscles used to the distance Think about running once you are doing that walking on a regular basis. You can then start by adding in a 1-2k run at the start and increasing that