This blog post was written on 26/5/2020

There is literally no more routine, no more structure, our days only run into each other no clear boundary. The one thing I can always count on is Mondays are Aldi days. However, this weekend was Bank Holiday and it messed us right up!! I actually genuinely love my little time out, in the car and playing some music. It is the only time I get for myself now.

Saturdays are going well with Charlie’s dad. He has been 3 times now, however, the day after he comes back is always horrific!!! It’s term is masking. And it is when a child with autism, and/or additional needs behaves in a specific way in a different environment to ensure their needs are met in that environment. And then when they are in other environments, they can be their true selves. It happens mostly in the school/home environment. A lot of children mask in school, making it impossible for the parents to get support from the schools as they don’t see the true extent of the child’s difficulties. Luckily for me, Charlie is the same in both school and home. I would say now he is worse in school, and he is better at home, although on occasions Charlie has spilled out at home after a particularly bad day at school.

So, he definitely masks at his dad’s. I’ve had to in the past, take video evidence of him physically assaulting me in meltdown and then send it to him, so that he can understand the behaviours from my point of view. It is incredibly hard to co-parent. We have very different expectations and I find it all very frustrating. For the other children, we co-parent really well and have no issues. It’s a funny one for sure.

There’s really not much to tell you, still no news on the tribunal I think it’s been 5 or 6 weeks now. We are going to be starting some sessions with Relax kids. Hopefully some emotional literacy, so that Charlie can read his emotions better and get some techniques on how to calm himself down. I’m hoping for some positive changes for that. He has totally regressed at sleeping. And still no school work!! We do try and watch a documentary every day though. At the moment we are on May half term. But I am fairly confident that we will not be going back to school, not even in September.

And even if we do get HG, it will be a slow transition. With a very part time timetable, perhaps only 1 hour a day to start with. And maybe not even every day of the week. We will have to just wait and see. If there is no HG, then it will be home school. As I physically can not put myself through the school searching again.

Oh and we got a pool! It’s fab! Charlie is really missing swimming, so a paddling pool in the garden has been an absolute god send.

Take care all

Georgina x