Mothers Day

Mother's Day is fast approaching, that blissful day where us Mums are showered with praise, given a much needed lie in followed by breakfast in bed and gifts...that is if you're not a SEN parent...or even a single SEN parent!

My last seven Mother's Days have consisted of me being up very early, changing nappies, feeding the kids before myself and then visiting my Mum and Nan.  It's not a complaint it's just life. This year the children will actually be at their Dad's overnight on the Saturday so I will indeed get my lie-in (hoorah I hear you cry,) but not the breakfast in bed, gifts or the adoration of my children but let's not quibble over the details.

Bedtime Stories

Logan, as all siblings has grown up in the shadow of his older sister.  Everything she does leaves an imprint on him greater than my words.  For years they shared a bedroom out of necessity but also I suspect out of a secret longing of his to have a closeness to Bella.  This feeling isn't reciprocated and is one of the reasons we needed to move to a larger house splitting them up.  He still asks me why he can't share with Bella anymore and it makes my heart sad as I feel I'm physically and emotionally putting up yet another wall between them. He doesn't remember how she would wake him in the night singing or banging the walls, he doesn't remember all the nights she climbed onto him as if he were nothing more than the duvet on top of him so she could pillage his toys as he slept.  He doesn't remember crying when she got in his bed and kicked him out or that she'd turn the light on at 4am making his eyes sting.  For now I'm happy for him not to remember but the imprint both positive and negative are made and sometimes they are very clear to see.

A letter about "mild autism"

Dear people who know my son,

Sometime for families like mine disabled is the norm. With Bella her difficulties are clear, it's obvious to everyone around that she has some very severe needs. Logan on the other hand for the most part appears very "neuro" typical, other than the fact he is head and shoulders taller than his peers. He is doing well and loving reception and educationally and socially is coming on leaps and bounds.

He is doing well.

The Empire Strikes Back (at the disabled)

One of our favourite things to do as  family is go to the cinema. Logan loves the films (and the snacks) and Bella...well she just likes the popcorn.  She struggles with new films, she'll usually watch the first 5 or so minutes and then drifts off back into her iPad and headphones. I take her for a couple of reasons; new experiences are good even for the children for whom new is a bad word, it is nice to do things as a family and although Bella doesn't watch the films Logan loves her being there, I can't always have someone there on tap to watch Bella as we are a single parent household and finally why shouldn't she go? She has Autism not the plague.

Wheelchair vs Pushchair

I've been very wary about wading into the debate that was recently addressed in the Supreme Court regarding who should take priority on public transport: wheelchairs or pushchairs.

"The case was triggered when Mr Paulley, from Wetherby, West Yorkshire, attempted to board a bus operated by FirstGroup which had a sign saying: "Please give up this space if needed for a wheelchair user." 

Mr Paulley was left at the stop because a woman with a sleeping baby in a pushchair refused to move out of the designated area when asked by the bus driver. She said the buggy would not fold.
He had argued FirstGroup's "requesting, not requiring" policy was discriminatory."  BBC News website

Now in an ideal world there would be room for all and this wouldn't even be an issue...but it is.

Just keep swimming

Just in case any of you missed the news on my many, many social media outlets...I thought I'd shout a little about it here too. Bella swam on her own! She has been having 1:1 which is actually more like 2:1 for her swimming lessons for months. Water is a hazard for all children but for children like Bella who are unusually fascinated with it, it is a very real danger. Drowning is the biggest cause of death in children with Autism....but enough with the really happy talk *eye roll* 

January 10th 2018

Ok so the title of this blog is a little misleading as it is mainly about 2016 and 2017 (that still doesn't look right when I type it) but bear with me.  On January 10th 2016 Square Peg Foundation took a wild step into the unknown and launched our mobile sensory room.  Until then we had been Square Peg Clothing (which still exists don't worry) selling T-shirts and Hoodies with a need to do good. That is where the sensory room came in.