The Autism Dada

New Post has been published on https://theautismdada.com/all-change-for-2023-maybe/

All Change For 2023 - Maybe

Wow. It's 2023 and that means it's almost been 2 years since I last posted. I think to date it's 22 months looking at the dates of the posts. And, to start a line with and... , there has been a lot going on, at least in the last 12 months at least.

Life is full of twists and turns and life has had them, but in relation to this site, things have changed in our lives. Firstly, we have ASD diagnoses for both of our kids. Little Mr is now also diagnosed with ADHD and his school setting decided that they can no longer offer him all his needs.

This last one has been the result of lots of going back and forwards in 2022 and probably 2023. But lest back up a little.

January 2022

A year ago little Mr's school setting asked us to do an emergency EHCP (education health and care plan). Generally, this happens early, like his was, when they are going to push on the fact that the student needs to find a new setting. Generally, it's usually when they can no longer fit his needs.

This became the truth for us. We sat with the school going through the details with them saying they could no longer meet all his sensory needs and that it was time to look for a new setting.

The Search For A School

Where we live there are a few SEN schools but not so many that can help manage his sensory needs. But so started the search along with our local authority.

Now, those that have been through this process, will know it's not easy. For a start, your child's introduction is their EHCP. So, a number of schools said no just by reading that. However, these were not schools we felt were right anyhow.

We had our minds set on 3 schools. These were schools that seemed to have the facilities we wanted. To cut a long story short, getting into these schools is difficult. Difficult to the point that for 2 of these schools, it has taken a year to get to look around (the 3rd one we did mid-last year). It's also taken a year just to start to get them to come out to evaluate little Mr in his current setting.

To say the least, if you are to go through this process, it is slow.

If they feel they can meet his needs, it will still be the end of 2023 or 2024 before he can even go to that school.

But How Do You Get Into A New SEN Setting

At least here in the UK, it does rely on you having an EHCP (generally naming the school on it) and for most a diagnosis. One of the 3 schools will only take children with an ASD diagnosis. The process simply is, to get your EHCP and use your local authority SEN team to approach and look for schools.

You still have to put in a lot of effort getting your SEN team to manage and chat with schools, at least in our case.

Get out visiting schools. Getting in front of the head teacher for example. Getting your face known. Push push push really.

So, this last year has proven to be a lot of work. If you are starting this process then the best advice I can give is to make sure your EHCP has everything details that they require (section F apparently needs to be detailed). Then get out there, visit, and chat to teachers and the head teacher. Push push push.

Of course, this is just a brief bit on our search and may be different for you. And any other updates I will try and share any, though hopefully not sharing too many boring details.

If you are going through the same pain, why not share as all info is great to help each other. You may have some key info that helps us all.

Related Posts:

My 6 Months review of the SEN School

Why I think SEN school was the right choice

The No.1 Diagnosis

All Back To School - 8th September 2020

New Post has been published on https://theautismdada.com/its-the-middle-of-march-already/

It’s The Middle Of March Already!

It seems a little odd that I’ve not really updated any posts since the Christmas time one. The truth is, I’ve been a combination of busy and lazy.

I’ve been busy through the day time with work then looking after little Mr and not so little Miss. Then I’ve been lazy, in that I wanted to rest, during the evening. I’ve been reading my writing muscle and am now ready to try flexing it again.

Lot’s has happened

The be honest, a lot has happened during the time I’ve not written. Quite a bit I can’t remember.

For a start, there was home schooling since the Christmas and New Year break. Not so much for little Mr as he is on a discovery curriculum which means the work we have done with him has more been learn through play still.

Not so little Miss though went up to secondary school last year - so this lock down was more sitting at her desk for the day, doing live lessons and assignments. We were monitor and teacher, along side me working from home also.

More recently, myself and my wife had our first vaccine jab. That was fun. Well, the jab was fine and perfectly painless - it was the side effects the day after...

There have also been less significant things such as my purchase of a better lens for my camera which I hope to get out with once all this lockdown restriction stuff is done. I’m looking forward to seeing if we can get out to Portland this year.

We also cancelled an April break to the Isle Of Wight. We had originally booked for last April, then moved to this one. We didn’t want to move it to next years April as just going on and on. So, also hoping we can book a short get away later this year.

The most recent thing we have done is go through the ECHP for little Mr. This year was certainly different as involved calls with teach to talk through targets and a Teams Meeting to do the actual ECHP. I’m not sure if better or worse. We got more time talking through targets but on the teams call it seemed to rush through. Definitely different.

As I say, lot going on. Sure everyone reading this can say the same.

Post lockdown

The current though now is post lockdown. As schools have now been open for a few weeks and plans been told about the opening of shops and other ventures. The thought of getting out and about is digesting in our minds.

Add to that the fact that the company I work for is now introducing work from the office in rotations starting April. It is going to be 1 week in office, 3 at home. I’m both looking forward to it, but at the same time having been working out of home (well working bug also out of work around this time last year) for a year - it’s also an alien thought - actually going into work.

Again, I know many of you are thinking - I’ve been working in the <enter place of work here> for most of the year - but not me.

So it is going to be another adjustment. Especially seeing I decked out my home office with a UltraWide Monitor, 4K webcam and custom keyboard for less stress on fingers. Though all of that stuff will still be used in my writing (even if I am doing this from my iPad at the moment).

So there you have it...

There is me since the last post. I’ve not going into the nitty gritty of things such as going out for walks for exercise, little Mr’s 3 time a week evening drives, all the work we have started to do in the garden and all that.

To be honest, these last 3 months have gone quick and I do think to myself - what did I actually do. Again, I believe many of you are thinking the same.

I just wanted to share a post t show I am still here. I’m also hoping to continue revamping this site this year - I started to rebuild it using Oxygen Builder. So more on that to come.

function clearValidity($this) const $parent = jQuery($this).closest('.piotnetforms-field-subgroup'); const $firstOption = $parent.find('.piotnetforms-field-option input'); $firstOption.each(function() jQuery(this)[0].setCustomValidity(''); ); function piotnetformsAddressAutocompleteInitMap() var inputs = document.querySelectorAll('[data-piotnetforms-address-autocomplete]'); inputs.forEach(function(el, index, array) var autocomplete = new google.maps.places.Autocomplete(el); var country = el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-address-autocomplete-country'); var map_lat = el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-google-maps-lat'); var map_lng = el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-google-maps-lng'); var zoom = el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-google-maps-zoom'); if(country == 'All') autocomplete.setComponentRestrictions('country': []); else autocomplete.setComponentRestrictions('country': country); var $mapSelector = el.closest('.piotnetforms-fields-wrapper').querySelectorAll('[data-piotnetforms-address-autocomplete-map]'); if($mapSelector.length>0) var myLatLng = lat: parseFloat(map_lat), lng: parseFloat(map_lng) ; var map_zoom = parseInt(zoom); var map = new google.maps.Map($mapSelector[0], center: myLatLng, // center: lat: -33.8688, lng: 151.2195, zoom: map_zoom ); var infowindow = new google.maps.InfoWindow(); var infowindowContent = el.closest('.piotnetforms-fields-wrapper').querySelectorAll('.infowindow-content')[0]; infowindow.setContent(infowindowContent); var marker = new google.maps.Marker( map: map, anchorPoint: new google.maps.Point(0, -29) ); autocomplete.addListener('place_changed', function() infowindow.close(); marker.setVisible(false); var place = autocomplete.getPlace(); if (!place.geometry) // User entered the name of a Place that was not suggested and // pressed the Enter key, or the Place Details request failed. window.alert("No details available for input: '" + place.name + "'"); return; // If the place has a geometry, then present it on a map. if (place.geometry.viewport) map.fitBounds(place.geometry.viewport); else map.setCenter(place.geometry.location); map.setZoom(17); // Why 17? Because it looks good. marker.setPosition(place.geometry.location); marker.setVisible(true); var address = ''; if (place.address_components) '') ].join(' '); infowindowContent.children['place-icon'].src = place.icon; infowindowContent.children['place-name'].textContent = place.name; infowindowContent.children['place-address'].textContent = address; infowindow.open(map, marker); ); autocomplete.addListener('place_changed', function() var place = autocomplete.getPlace(); el.setAttribute('data-piotnetforms-google-maps-lat', place.geometry.location.lat()); el.setAttribute('data-piotnetforms-google-maps-lng', place.geometry.location.lng()); el.setAttribute('data-piotnetforms-google-maps-formatted-address', place.formatted_address); el.setAttribute('data-piotnetforms-google-maps-zoom', '17'); var $distanceCalculation = document.querySelectorAll('[data-piotnetforms-calculated-fields-distance-calculation]'); $distanceCalculation.forEach(function(el, index, array) if (el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-calculated-fields-distance-calculation-from') !== null) var origin = el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-calculated-fields-distance-calculation-from'); else var $origin = document.getElementById( el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-calculated-fields-distance-calculation-from-field-shortcode').replace('[field id="', 'form-field-').replace('"]','') ); var origin = $origin.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-google-maps-formatted-address'); if (el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-calculated-fields-distance-calculation-to') !== null) var destination = el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-calculated-fields-distance-calculation-to'); else $destination = document.getElementById( el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-calculated-fields-distance-calculation-to-field-shortcode').replace('[field id="', 'form-field-').replace('"]','') ); var destination = $destination.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-google-maps-formatted-address'); if (origin != '' && destination != '') var distanceUnit = el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-calculated-fields-distance-calculation-unit'); calculateDistance(origin, destination, el.closest('.piotnetforms-field-container').querySelector('.piotnetforms-calculated-fields-form__value'), distanceUnit, el); ); ); ); // calculate distance function calculateDistance(origin, destination, $el, distanceUnit, $input) if (origin != '' && destination != '') var service = new google.maps.DistanceMatrixService(); service.getDistanceMatrix( origins: [origin], destinations: [destination], travelMode: google.maps.TravelMode.DRIVING, unitSystem: google.maps.UnitSystem.IMPERIAL, // miles and feet. // unitSystem: google.maps.UnitSystem.metric, // kilometers and meters. avoidHighways: false, avoidTolls: false , function (response, status) if (status != google.maps.DistanceMatrixStatus.OK) // console.log(err); else var origin = response.originAddresses[0]; var destination = response.destinationAddresses[0]; if (response.rows[0].elements[0].status === "ZERO_RESULTS") // console.log("Better get on a plane. There are no roads between " + origin + " and " + destination); else var distance = response.rows[0].elements[0].distance; var duration = response.rows[0].elements[0].duration; // console.log(response.rows[0].elements[0].distance); var distance_in_kilo = distance.value / 1000; // the kilom var distance_in_mile = distance.value / 1609.34; // the mile var duration_text = duration.text; var duration_value = duration.value; var event = new Event("change"); if (distanceUnit == 'km') $el.innerHTML = distance_in_kilo.toFixed(2); $input.value = distance_in_kilo.toFixed(2); jQuery($input).change(); else $el.innerHTML = distance_in_mile.toFixed(2); $input.value = distance_in_mile.toFixed(2); jQuery($input).change(); ); // get distance results function callback(response, status) if (status != google.maps.DistanceMatrixStatus.OK) console.log(err); else var origin = response.originAddresses[0]; var destination = response.destinationAddresses[0]; if (response.rows[0].elements[0].status === "ZERO_RESULTS") console.log("Better get on a plane. There are no roads between " + origin + " and " + destination); else var distance = response.rows[0].elements[0].distance; var duration = response.rows[0].elements[0].duration; console.log(response.rows[0].elements[0].distance); var distance_in_kilo = distance.value / 1000; // the kilom var distance_in_mile = distance.value / 1609.34; // the mile var duration_text = duration.text; var duration_value = duration.value; console.log(distance_in_mile.toFixed(2) + 'miles'); return distance_in_kilo.toFixed(2); // $('#duration_text').text(duration_text); // $('#duration_value').text(duration_value); // $('#from').text(origin); // $('#to').text(destination); document.addEventListener( 'elementor/popup/show', function(event, id, instance) piotnetformsAddressAutocompleteInitMap(); );

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New Post has been published on https://www.theautismdada.com/its-christmas-eve-and-the-fridge-is-getting-full/

It's Christmas Eve And The Fridge Is Getting Full...

The fridge is certainly full. We had pre-ordered our food for Christmas Day and picked it up today - Christmas Eve.

Santa looking fir his dinner

The last few years we had spent Christmas away at Butlins and last year at Christmas we thought we would do it this year at home. That said, just before Butlin's decided to close for Christmas we did look at some amazing and tempting deals - but we would have needed to go yesterday and missed out on our lovely food we ordered.

When we decided to not go this year, and decided to order food, we thought we would splurge and buy some nice M&S Christmas selection. Though I have to say that when we went out to the local Lidl last night we thought we could have go the entire Christmas Day dinner for less than we paid for the Turkey Crown - doh... But it was a little treat to ourselves after the shocking year of 2020.

Christmas 2020 has to be something to remember and enjoy. A nice Christmas lunch followed by a lovely walk - if not wet and raining. Just incase we all end up in a lockdown.

But, this all means that for today our fridge is just chocker - full to the brim. Full to almost falling out. In fact, after I took the image for this post, we added another 4-5 items. It's like a game of jenga each time we go to the fridge.

Now, I know this is not technically a ASD post. I just wanted to do a quick post and say - jeez that fridge is full.

One thing I can say is, that, we all went out for a lovely hour at the garden centre before our food pickup and little Mr loved the time out - looking at a few of the decorations - though more enjoying the juice and cookie.

Anyhow, my real intension here is to say I hope you all have a lovely Christmas 2020 and a brilliant New Years.

Let us hope that 2021 brings us all a little more fun and joy.

function clearValidity($this) const $parent = jQuery($this).closest('.piotnetforms-field-subgroup'); const $firstOption = $parent.find('.piotnetforms-field-option input'); $firstOption.each(function() jQuery(this)[0].setCustomValidity(''); ); function piotnetformsAddressAutocompleteInitMap() var inputs = document.querySelectorAll('[data-piotnetforms-address-autocomplete]'); inputs.forEach(function(el, index, array) var autocomplete = new google.maps.places.Autocomplete(el); var country = el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-address-autocomplete-country'); var map_lat = el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-google-maps-lat'); var map_lng = el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-google-maps-lng'); var zoom = el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-google-maps-zoom'); if(country == 'All') autocomplete.setComponentRestrictions('country': []); else autocomplete.setComponentRestrictions('country': country); var $mapSelector = el.closest('.piotnetforms-fields-wrapper').querySelectorAll('[data-piotnetforms-address-autocomplete-map]'); if($mapSelector.length>0) var myLatLng = lat: parseFloat(map_lat), lng: parseFloat(map_lng) ; var map_zoom = parseInt(zoom); var map = new google.maps.Map($mapSelector[0], center: myLatLng, // center: lat: -33.8688, lng: 151.2195, zoom: map_zoom ); var infowindow = new google.maps.InfoWindow(); var infowindowContent = el.closest('.piotnetforms-fields-wrapper').querySelectorAll('.infowindow-content')[0]; infowindow.setContent(infowindowContent); var marker = new google.maps.Marker( map: map, anchorPoint: new google.maps.Point(0, -29) ); autocomplete.addListener('place_changed', function() infowindow.close(); marker.setVisible(false); var place = autocomplete.getPlace(); if (!place.geometry) // User entered the name of a Place that was not suggested and // pressed the Enter key, or the Place Details request failed. window.alert("No details available for input: '" + place.name + "'"); return; // If the place has a geometry, then present it on a map. if (place.geometry.viewport) map.fitBounds(place.geometry.viewport); else map.setCenter(place.geometry.location); map.setZoom(17); // Why 17? Because it looks good. marker.setPosition(place.geometry.location); marker.setVisible(true); var address = ''; if (place.address_components) ''), (place.address_components[1] && place.address_components[1].short_name infowindowContent.children['place-icon'].src = place.icon; infowindowContent.children['place-name'].textContent = place.name; infowindowContent.children['place-address'].textContent = address; infowindow.open(map, marker); ); autocomplete.addListener('place_changed', function() var place = autocomplete.getPlace(); el.setAttribute('data-piotnetforms-google-maps-lat', place.geometry.location.lat()); el.setAttribute('data-piotnetforms-google-maps-lng', place.geometry.location.lng()); el.setAttribute('data-piotnetforms-google-maps-formatted-address', place.formatted_address); el.setAttribute('data-piotnetforms-google-maps-zoom', '17'); var $distanceCalculation = document.querySelectorAll('[data-piotnetforms-calculated-fields-distance-calculation]'); $distanceCalculation.forEach(function(el, index, array) if (el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-calculated-fields-distance-calculation-from') !== null) var origin = el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-calculated-fields-distance-calculation-from'); else var $origin = document.getElementById( el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-calculated-fields-distance-calculation-from-field-shortcode').replace('[field id="', 'form-field-').replace('"]','') ); var origin = $origin.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-google-maps-formatted-address'); if (el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-calculated-fields-distance-calculation-to') !== null) var destination = el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-calculated-fields-distance-calculation-to'); else $destination = document.getElementById( el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-calculated-fields-distance-calculation-to-field-shortcode').replace('[field id="', 'form-field-').replace('"]','') ); var destination = $destination.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-google-maps-formatted-address'); if (origin != '' && destination != '') var distanceUnit = el.getAttribute('data-piotnetforms-calculated-fields-distance-calculation-unit'); calculateDistance(origin, destination, el.closest('.piotnetforms-field-container').querySelector('.piotnetforms-calculated-fields-form__value'), distanceUnit, el); ); ); ); // calculate distance function calculateDistance(origin, destination, $el, distanceUnit, $input) if (origin != '' && destination != '') var service = new google.maps.DistanceMatrixService(); service.getDistanceMatrix( origins: [origin], destinations: [destination], travelMode: google.maps.TravelMode.DRIVING, unitSystem: google.maps.UnitSystem.IMPERIAL, // miles and feet. // unitSystem: google.maps.UnitSystem.metric, // kilometers and meters. avoidHighways: false, avoidTolls: false , function (response, status) if (status != google.maps.DistanceMatrixStatus.OK) // console.log(err); else var origin = response.originAddresses[0]; var destination = response.destinationAddresses[0]; if (response.rows[0].elements[0].status === "ZERO_RESULTS") // console.log("Better get on a plane. There are no roads between " + origin + " and " + destination); else var distance = response.rows[0].elements[0].distance; var duration = response.rows[0].elements[0].duration; // console.log(response.rows[0].elements[0].distance); var distance_in_kilo = distance.value / 1000; // the kilom var distance_in_mile = distance.value / 1609.34; // the mile var duration_text = duration.text; var duration_value = duration.value; var event = new Event("change"); if (distanceUnit == 'km') $el.innerHTML = distance_in_kilo.toFixed(2); $input.value = distance_in_kilo.toFixed(2); jQuery($input).change(); else $el.innerHTML = distance_in_mile.toFixed(2); $input.value = distance_in_mile.toFixed(2); jQuery($input).change(); ); // get distance results function callback(response, status) if (status != google.maps.DistanceMatrixStatus.OK) console.log(err); else var origin = response.originAddresses[0]; var destination = response.destinationAddresses[0]; if (response.rows[0].elements[0].status === "ZERO_RESULTS") console.log("Better get on a plane. There are no roads between " + origin + " and " + destination); else var distance = response.rows[0].elements[0].distance; var duration = response.rows[0].elements[0].duration; console.log(response.rows[0].elements[0].distance); var distance_in_kilo = distance.value / 1000; // the kilom var distance_in_mile = distance.value / 1609.34; // the mile var duration_text = duration.text; var duration_value = duration.value; console.log(distance_in_mile.toFixed(2) + 'miles'); return distance_in_kilo.toFixed(2); // $('#duration_text').text(duration_text); // $('#duration_value').text(duration_value); // $('#from').text(origin); // $('#to').text(destination); document.addEventListener( 'elementor/popup/show', function(event, id, instance) piotnetformsAddressAutocompleteInitMap(); );

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