[POSSIBLE SPAM] Re: RDI, respite care ( Was:Re: Re: Special schools (UK)

[Guest guest]

Dear Margaret,

There is so much in your post that I can relate to and have experienced.

I am not a single mother but for the past two years my husband has been

working away from home. He does five weeks on and five weeks off so with

travel he's away a little more than half the time. I cannot believe the

difference it makes when he is away. Life is not twice as hard it is

more like ten or a hundred times harder. I find the workload hard to

cope with and the drudgery and the loneliness. RDI is meant to be

therapist free and I just laugh at that suggestion now!!! Although I did

give it a try as we were moving house and leaving therapists behind

anyway. It was a complete and utter failure and yes, I know what burnout

and sheer exhaustion are. So much has to give when you are on your own.

Anyway, I feel that I have found a way to make RDI work for me and it is

working very well, I think and am very happy to share (just therapists

but I can give you the details).

How old is Henry? Are the LA ok? Do you have access to psychology

students? or anyone similar?

As for your last question, I don't even know how exhausting it is. That

is how hard I found to do it on my own!!! Having said that, it is not

really an exhausting type thing because it is about spending time with

your child but I don't have that time YET. It is not like VB or ABA

because the idea is to go slowly and enjoy it. I do plan to build up the

therapy to a point where I can do lots of cooking and housework AND have

respite while he's in therapy and then have plenty of time with Tom

leftover. I'm sure I can do this, by the way.

Incidentally, RDI is meant to be done so that your child can join you in

the housework but the only way I can see that working is if you don't

ever actually finish any of the housework or do any of it properly!

As for the skills, yes they are important and Tom got tons of them from

ABA and VB but he remained really really autistic too and that is even

more important, I think. I think it sounds like you are doing an amazing

job with Henry though, having said all that.

Very happy to chat. My number is 01792 875421

Sara

> Sara,

> I would like to find out about it at some point, but we've only had

> ABA for Henry for 18 months and it took so long to get I don't want

> to upset the cart. His skills level was so low when he started and I

> am so grateful for the progress he has made in these areas. However

> he remains, of course, very autistic and always returns to his stims.

> I am not well enough at the moment to take on anything new, but I

> should like to know how RDI works. As a single mum, I am all too

> aware of burnout (mine that is) and there is only so much one can do

> at a time. (Warning to other single parents: I believe it's

> impossible to keep fighting on all fronts all the time. Sometimes

> things have to be allowed to slide.)

> Respite care is a problem - I need it very much and Henry needs a lot

> of physical activity which I can't provide. Since respite care was

> restored in February he has had 6 separate carers. By the end of the

> year this figure will rise to 8. I don't know how training and

> consistency in approach can ever be achieved with this situation, but

> I can't manage without the respite. The LA now propose we move to

> institutional respite as this would be more reliable and they say

> Henry would still be taken out for activities. At the moment he

> enjoys swimming, the zipwire at the park, the swings and the

> Christmas ice rink. He can now skate independently!

> I am assuming RDI requires the parents to do a lot of the work. How

> exhausting is it, and how rewarding?

> Margaret

>

>

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Could people tell me what we should expect and hope for

> from a

> > > > > > special school

> > > > > >

> > > > > > We have a SEN statement and 1:1 assistant in a mainstream

> > > school

> > > > > > where our 4 yrs 2 mths daughter is doing fine EXCEPT no

> speech

> > > > > > except babbling

> > > > > >

> > > > > > We have started a 2 day mainsteam/ 3 day special school

> split

> > > > > > placement (where she is in a class of 8, with 8 teachers).

> > > > > >

> > > > > > What additional things should a Special school do to

> primarily

> > > > help

> > > > > > her speech? Because if they arent doing any more than

> > > mainstream

> > > > > >

> > > > > > My dream was:

> > > > > >

> > > > > > PECS - advise us exact details so we can replicate at home

> > > > > > ABA - becasue people say it is great - again we need to

> > > > replicate

> > > > > > it at home

> > > > > >

> > > > > > I keep asking the Special school what ADDITIONAL HELP

> (compared

> > > > to

> > > > > > mainstream) they are providing, and am unable to get an

> answer

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Thanks for any help on this

> > > > > >

> > > > > > xx

> > > > > >

> > > > >

> > > >

> > >

> > >

> >

>

>