NEED HELP PLEEEASE - sorry it's long.

That fucking COW at the Spectrum School has told me today that all of a sudden Cyclone doesn't have a place.


There are NO other schools that cater to kids like this. It is independent. I had several calls/meeting with the principal of "N School" and she said they could certainly help us out and we organised for Cyclone to start Term 3.



Remember how I mentioned I was been given grief by this Spectrum School Principal?


I have since spoken to Principal at least 3 times, to advise her of our progress at home and with professional services and to ask her if there was anything further I could to do help his transition to the N School.


The second to last phone call I rang to arrange for Principal to come and observe him at the local library where we do some of our lessons(her request). She said she didn’t have her diary there but would call me in two weeks to arrange a time. I let her know any time was ok with us.


I have not heard from Principal since, but called today – ready for her to again bring up his homeschooling, but instead was told – that she ‘had it in her head that I was going to call her’, that there had obviously been a miscommunication between us both…(sorry, no). I said nevermind I was calling to make an appointment to formally enroll him ready for next term. She pauses then tells me that there is no place available for him.


I completely contained myself and nearly popped several veins in the process – here is a brief outline of the conversation.

Me – are you kidding me, what do you mean there is no place available? You told me he couldn’t go in term 3 but you could accommodate him in Term 4.
Her – I didn’t say that.
Me – yes you did, we have had several conversations about him starting next term, I have been speaking to you since May. I have spent the last 8 weeks homeschooling my son and preparing him for this, you are well aware of the situation.
Her – well I had it in my head that you were to call me, there appears to be a communication breakdown between us. The place has gone to someone else. I’m sorry, this doesn’t seem fair does it?
Me – regardless of you thinking I was to call you – was there a point you were going to call me and advise you had changed your mind about my son, did you think I had all of a sudden forgotten he was to attend?
Her – I have several families needing places here.
Me – have they been waiting as long as I have? Where is the priority here? Are you aware the effect that this has had on my life – are these other children still able to attend school, my son isn’t and needs to get back into the education system. You are the one that kept telling me homeschooling wasn’t the answer. Why have things changed?


Look it goes on and on, but at the end of the day she has nothing and can’t answer any of my questions.
1) She has stuffed up royally and expects me to walk away.
2) All kids need to be assessed – he has had ONE trial day and the principal wasn’t even there and has not met him. How can she assess him?
3) This is a private school, so yes they can pick and choose who attends. This will be a problem but I don’t see why I can’t put some sort of pressure on them to accept him. Especially in the light of the fact I was TOLD he was accepted. If I was told at any time that he didn’t have a definite place I would have made a backup plan.

The backup plan would have involved another school with a huge transition program put in place and these things take time. I also would probably NOT have chosen to homeschool and look for alternatives much much earlier. It is now 2 weeks from the end of term so Cyclone is totally stuffed. You would not believe the stress and pressure I have gone through trying to make sure he is keeping up with his ABC’s, doing physical therapy and running him to 8000 appointments.

I can’t keep him out of school another term, I just can’t. I’m not a fricken professional teacher, OT or psychologist. I cannot offer what he needs alone.

Our neurotherapist just can't believe what is going on, and will call the Principal tomorrow to try and sort something.

What else can I do? Who can I contact? The school board? The Stupidhead Principle Police?

If you are a teacher, can you advise me? What other sort of pressure can I put to get him in? TRUST ME, I will do all I can.
Email luluandcyclone@gmail.com


Please, if you know anyone who works in Education, particularly private can you please ask if they know the correct channels to address this.


And, lastly if you think (or know from experience) that I am up the creek in a barbed wire canoe, please let me know...but just do it gently.

I HATE FRIDAYS

I know everyone in the world loves a Friday, and the career girl deep down inside me still feels glee waking up on Friday morning...for about 12 minutes until reality sets in.

See it's the one day of the week I have both children at home with me. Betty Boo had to go into childcare so I could homeschool Cyclone and I mistakenly thought we could have the last day of the week together, playing games, baking and going out to have fun together.

In actual fact it is just horrendous. Every morning they bitch and niggle at each other. They take turns with one waking up sweetly and happily and the other instigating fights constantly. This bearable once we drop off Betty. For 12 minutes until Cyclone and I get home and begin our day.


If I get it perfect, Cyclone and I can have a pretty good day. A good day is filled with at least 5 meltdowns, but some highs as well. I love seeing his face light up when he crosses one of his many bridges but the arguments, the fidgeting and the constant chatter is wearing me down. It's just constant.


On the days they are home together, it's just one looooong shitfight.

What I am learning....

SO. I waded through the list of service providers on the Provider List. I have found a Psychologist. A Behaviour Specialist. I don't know what they will do or how they will help, I just know that someone, somewhere along the line told me it was a good idea.


I love the Psych straight away. She engages Cyclone from the first moment.....and he falls in love and immediately starts showing off. BEST behaviour. Packs away the toy he plays with before selecting a new one from the shelf. Without being asked. The Psych notices my jaw on the floor and winks at me. (***note this point well, I'll address it in the next post***)


Her assistant mucks about on the floor with Cyclone whilst I tell her why we are there.


After I explain the story so far, the psych gets back to Cyclone. She whispers to me not to interfere, that she is going to try and push some buttons. She does this in seconds.

She also brings him back. Then she sets him off and brings him back again.


I realise I am here with people that are knowledgeable. They know, they understand how this brain works and I am grateful they are there for us.


The psych is quite young and once I think that would bother me. I once would prefer a wizened old professor type with leather patches on his elbows nodding sagely over a mahogany desk. Years of experience behind him.


Not now. Autism has only been really recognised and studied over the last 20 years or so. My father is a (retired) psychologist and one of the first things he said after reading the diagnosis report is that 'they seems to be doing all the right things, but so much has changed, so much more research done'.

I spend 2 weeks filling in a behaviour sheet and return for a second appointment where I am shown all sorts of exercises to do at home. Recognising emotions in others, relaxation and self-soothing, using pictures and flow charts to help Cyclone move from one activity to another. I note to make it as fun and happy as the psych does herself.

I think Cyclone is in love.

I get a HUGE folder at the end of the appointment to record what exercises we do and how often. I also am given a 'contract' to sign - which states that I must recognise the value of persistence. That I (and the family) must commit to the strategies given, that it is a long road but the benefits will be enormous.

This is early intervention.

So now I don't mind that I am homeschooling. It give me more time to work with Cyclone. It gives me solid direction and although it's tiring and frustrating at times, the more I remember to laugh the easier it is.

School decisions

So that bloody cow at the Spectrum School has given me grief about homeschooling AGAIN.

I called to let her know our progress and to see when she wanted to have the next trial. She seemed happy to hear we are accessing services and the other things I am doing. I am quite proud of our achievements in the schooling department.


I get my happy homeschool balloon popped when she starts going on about how he won't be ready, "this is not a good situation" blah blah blah. I AGAIN ask her what she thinks I should do about it and AGAIN she has nothing.


This time I get so narky I get the school brochure and read over HOW THEY CLAIM TO HELP CHILDREN that find it hard dealing with school and the classroom. All the skills they claim to teach, how they boost the kids up etc etc and think to myself - so you want me to bloody well "fix" him first before you take him on?? What's the fricken problem????

I'm telling you, apart from leaving the classroom and refusing to do work, he isn't that bad. He overloads is all. He needs more smiles and encouragement - then he flies.

ANYWAY - although it's hard yakka homeschooling my Cyclone, I am enjoying it. I would really like to continue but as a single super mumma I don't have the choice.

I AM wondering if I can keep going until the end of the year and work very hard on social skills and emotional stuff maybe I can ditch this Spectrum School and send him to the local at the start of next year.

This is where I call on you dear readers - if you have a child in the first year of school (prep in vic), could you please tell me a few of the things they are doing right now. (Apart from cutting and pasting cos I got a handle on that)

Are they writing yet? Can they write the full alphabet? Are they writing anything? How many words do they recognise.....or are they still forming the sounds etc.

What kind of maths/numbers skills do they have? How are they counting? In groups 2's, 5's etc? Have they started on times tables?

I really need your help and I'd appreciate it very very much.

Love xoxoxo

After the diagnosis ach - the paperwork!

So I got the Golden Ticket. Otherwise known as the Helping Children With Autism package.

Cyclone is now entitled to $12,000 in government funding because he is on the Spectrum and he is under 6.

Well, we got the diagnosis two weeks before he turned six and I nearly broke my neck to get the claim in on time. We nearly missed the cutoff and I surely do not know what would become of us if we did.

The $12,000 does not go to me, it comes in the form of the Golden Ticket (as I call it), a piece of paper that I hand over at Cyclones appointments instead of actual dollars. I only have $6000 to use because the funding stops when he turns seven, but the usual is 12k to spend over 2 years on Early Intervention services. This could be used for

Occupational Therapy
Psychologists
Social Skills

and a whole heap of other things, like computer programs (Boardmaker) and equipment that might make things easier for you and your little superkid. You are also eligible for alot of parenting support. So far it's been a breath of fresh air to speak to people that really know what they are on about

Once your Golden Ticket is approved, and Autism Advisor will call you and help you understand what it all means, and you can ring them for advice anytime.

You will get a list of therapists and services you may use. It will overwhelm you.

I got myself a portable file and a big diary. You will need it - trust me.




I quickly learnt to take notes of every conversation. I was losing track of the barrage of information on a daily basis. So many phone calls taken whilst hiding in various wardrobes/bathrooms/cupboards, so many bribes to keep the children from starting World War 5 at the same time. *sigh

There is also help for the over 7's - HERE is the link to the FAHCSIA site with all information on all packages.

I don't know how many calls I made over those 2-3 weeks, but I have to say again that every SINGLE person I spoke to were so helpful, cheery and so full of information it was just a pleasure to deal with them all.

So....homeschooling

I really wasn't prepared for this!

I looked up all sorts of websites, homeschoolers, Government Education standards and tried to work out what on earth I needed for this.

I decided on some approved workbooks - writing, basic maths, addition and subtraction. I bought plasticine, different coloured pencils and some posters so I can illustrate things in different ways. Cyclone is very hands on, and we have no problems with that side but he hates, hates, HATES writing.

If his letters or numbers are not perfect he throws himself to the floor. I push him to stay at the table, I high five him when he writes a row of C's, a row of 5's but it takes half an hour of him avoiding the task, fidgeting and fighting to get there.

I keep pushing him though it so he can achieve. When he achieves a tiny bit of anxiety falls away. We go backwards and forwards this way for days and days, then I have a breakthrough and I'm kicking myself for forgetting to HAVE FUN.

One morning, after another 20 minutes of screaming and threats after tracing over a's and hating it I pulled a face...OH NO, I say. What? Says Cyclone. What are we going to be about the poor ht? The tp? Oh and look at the poor bby!
Huh? says Cyclone.

Without the a, it's just a ht! Cyclone dissolves into giggles. I'm sure this bby wasn't born to be a bby, poor thing! Does this look like a got? I point to a goat. Cyclone jumps back onto his chair and looks at all the pictures I'm pointing to and asks why I'm calling it a ht, instead hat. Because there is no a - we have to save the bab and the ht honey, quickly give them the letters they need to saaaaave them!

He rips the pencil out of my hands, changes ht to HAT, bab to BABY and got to GOAT - all with near perfect a's, whilst laughing his head off. YAAAAYYY! Plenty of high fives. Tracing over the letters in the books causes him stress. Doing it on his own is much much better.

We continue in this way for a few days, then I find he has taken off with my shopping list and copied most of the words easily. He is not reading the words of course but since we started laughing about writing he doesn't mind doing it anymore.

We also bought special greylead pencils and an eraser last week. You can't erase the coloured ones and Cyclone likes things to be perfect as they can be. Except his bedroom unfortunately

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