Easter 2022
This Easter has been very different. It’s been the first Easter Holidays that my older children were on different term times. This meant my eldest son broke up from school before my middle daughter, which has meant by the the time my daughter goes back to school we will of been “off” and “on holiday” for 25 days!! It is an awful long time to feel out of routine and be in limbo. Easter weekend is even worse as the mix of too much chocolate (how do you stop your child from eating Easter Eggs) and late nights, lazy mornings and nothing to do is absolute hell in this household. To make matters worse my car is broken and will cost around £500 to fix!! So we have no car, and what is normally a pleasure to stay at home and “chill” now all of a sudden feels like being trapped.
We’ve had some wins though. If you follow our socials Advocating for Charlie (Gina) (@advocatingforcharlie) • Instagram photos and videos Instagram mainly, you will know that we have learnt to ride a bike (yay) and we were very kindly given a pressure washer, of which Charlie massively enjoyed blasting the patio. Charlie LOVES water. And spends an awful lot of time enjoying the sensory feedback. The garden is looking fabulous with his help and keeping him engaged has been really lovely. I will take that as a win. Funnily enough we have now started building our own little routines into the days which include hosing down something (doesn’t really matter what with Charlie, he doesn’t care) with the hose pipe. Another purchase, to attach to our newly acquired pressure washer. Walks with the dog, onto the green, and riding the bike. Charlie also has been down to the end of the street (his boundary) on his scooter. It’s incredible to see him out and about. Not too long ago, Charlie’s anxiety meant that we rarely left the house, and simple household chores such as walking the dogs were non existent and impossible. I am so pleased with the progress he is making and continues to make.
I think part of this, don’t be too fooled, is possibly the PlayStation ban he currently has. Unfortunately, Charlie can be rather too vocal on PlayStation and then he ends up with a ban. But I do love the peace and quiet when there is no PlayStation. Technology is absolute paramount to Charlie and his educational needs. There is a study below based on the impact of technology for ASD children
Research done by the National Autistic Society outlines the positives and benefits for gaming when you are autistic.
Charlie is always happier at home. His anxieties are lower, his expectations decreased and he is more likely to engage in other activities away from gaming when he is calmer. So it’s always a win to be surrounded by an environment that supports Charlie and takes care of his needs first.
I would call this holiday a success. Back to some kind of normality tomorrow as play therapy sessions are back on and I am back to arguing Charlie’s non existent EOTAS plan with people on a £30k + pay grade! More on that as it develops.
Happy Easter Hols
Georgina x