#SENDbloggers. – The Wrong Kind of Snow

A Marathon Not a Sprint

This morning somebody called me an inspiration, and for once I needed to hear it.

If you too parent a small and special individual of varying abilities, you may not appreciate this term.

It tends to be overused at the disability community.

“You’re an inspiration”said glibly, covers up the question of whether a person is getting enough support, is in need of extra help or indeed is managing to cope at all. If the Disabled and Carers are are all inspirations that in itself should be enough, and society at large, need not examine it’s responsibilities too deeply.

At the supermarket with a small non verbal personage having a meltdown (your fault you’ve utterly misunderstood a perfectly well executed Makaton sign, because you were busy looking at the waterproof mascara) “You’re an inspiration Mum”spoken encouragingly from beside the Tampax, (by someone who you are definitely not the Mum of) can have precisely the opposite effect the speaker meant.

I have a variety of ways I maintain my mental health. Punching well meaning people in supermarkets is tempting, but not sustainable. Running is.

Four years ago I decided I’d run a Marathon before I was 50. Just Because . I entered the ballot for the London Marathon. I got in. First time. It was on the day before my 50th Birthday. Meant to be clearly.

I ended up running the Marathon on my own on the 26th of April during our allocated exercise time in lockdown-because yes it was that year and I had prepared and I’m nothing if not pig headed.It was slow, it was hard, but I did it and my mum made me a medal out of a shiny button and a piece of gold elastic, because-well that is who she is.

Deferred to October last year, I picked up a hip injury.(Runnerspeak, non runners hurt their hips, but us runners, we ‘pick up’ injuries, tell all our running friends about them, and they can regale us right back with tales of when their toenails fell off. Nice)

Initially and in common with most runners I was going to continue with the acute stabbing pain in my hip, even if I had to crawl crying around the entire 26.2 miles. Fortunately sanity kicked in and reminded me that:

1.I still had took after a rather large disabled 16 year old and needed to be injury free

2. Running was a rest of my life thing, not something I wanted to stop because I’d accidentally broken myself.

The follow up to this massive introduction is that I am about to run the London Marathon in 5 days.

I have followed my training plan.I have been tired, I have stayed injury free, I have enjoyed some runs and hated others. All this is to be expected.

So now I’m tapering.[Runnerspeak -you don’t usually run the whole 26.2 miles before the race-you work up -one long run a week, shorter runs and speed runs mixed in-to your longest run (between 20-22 miles) about 3 weeks before then cut back (taper) considerably to give yourself your bounce back] What I really did not expect was to hit a mental block during my taper weeks. I don’t want to run, I”m fed up with routes I usually run, I’m absolutely shattered. All I can think about is the marathon but my inner voice is telling me “you can’t run a marathon don’t be ridiculous, and if you do finish (excuse me?!) you’ll be rubbish”

Somewhere I have picked up the idea that unless I am Eliud Kipchoge-and there are oh so many reasons I’m not-I probably have no business running.

I don’t need to tell you this is unrealistic. I know it’s ridiculous-but my inner cheerleader has somehow disappeared and sloped off to encourage another Marathon runner. I only hope they appreciate it.

I am a 53 year old woman. I have had a very difficult year. My mum who had been living well with dementia suddenly lost capacity, peace of mind and a sense of who I or she might be. I may have mentioned I parent an extremely strong willed individual with a variety of health and personal care needs, no verbal language and extremely strong self esteem. It’s exhausting.

I run for head space, for the runners high, to be outside in all weathers. I run for myself, and to make sense of my thoughts. I run to be less shouty, and to sleep better. I can generally place myself in the middle of the pack for my age group. I may not be an athlete BUT I am a runner.

And that should be enough,but this weeks voice says no. This voice insists you should only run if you are chasing a personal best, constantly improving and watching your spilts, which should be negative if at all possible (splits-how fast you run a mile/km-negative splits mean you get faster in the second half of the race)and if you don’t achieve this WHO EVEN ARE YOU? This voice is the sound of my schooldays, with a little bit of disordered eating speak thrown in for good measure (“if you ate more protein/less protein/more/less carbs you’d be better step away from the chocolate egg”)

So at the Optician to pick up some lenses this morning ( I figure I may as well see the sights mooching around the race route) the Optician asked me how I was. When I said fine she asked again (this what happens when you know people before they become your Optician) So I tell her. And she calls me an inspiration. And I don’t cry because she’s checking my contact lenses and they might wash away- which is bad form. It turns out she “used to do bit of cycling”(in an,’ I was on team GB’ kind of way) and that she knows exactly what the week before a race can be like. And then she hugs me and gives me my contact lenses and a pep talk.

So if you are running a race, doing a park run, starting out on a new venture, parenting an SEN child, slowly losing a relative with dementia, let me tell you that you too can do it. That you might have doubts, that your inner voice may be unhelpful, that you will have bad days -but everybody does. It’s normal. It’s Life.

The reason you are an inspiration is that you keep on keeping on during the bad days, not that you are some kind of photoshopped saint who’s already achieved inner grace; because let me tell you these people do not exist outside of your instagram feed.

One foot in front of the other. It’s that simple . It’s that hard.

Good luck to anyone else running the London Marathon this weekend.

Here Comes That Sinking Feeling.

In which I make a clunky link between learning a new sport and parenting a child with additional needs.

I’ve never done drugs. I’ve never smoked a cigarette.

I am, Dear Reader, an Osmond without the teeth and the Mormonism.

I have therefore to choose my highs naturally, and the latest, most modish high is open water swimming.

This is an extremely predictable middle aged women’s pursuit apparently, along with triathlons and getting tattoos to remind you that you are in fact yourself-and not the mother of three complicated individuals who are apparently unable to load a dishwasher, despite being eminently capable of unloading the fridge..

in this spirit you join me about to pack my bag to swim, in a lake under instruction.

I am a rubbish swimmer.

I hate taking children swimming.

I can’t do the sedate and sustainable breast stroke.

Instead I was taught a showy splashy front crawl, which is exhausting and doesn’t coordinate well with my breathing.

Fortunate enough to live bordering the Peak District I have hills surrounding me that are fabulous for running in and bird spotting.

Nearby is a particularly beautiful stream, ending in three waterfalls which people love to swim in. I’d never been despite living 20 minutes drive away for the last 25 years, didn’t even know how to find it.

Six weeks ago on a freezing May Day (oh how I love this country!) in the rain, with 3 people I’ve never met, I swam in it!. It was amazing.

A codicil. Getting out I experienced a continuing drop in body temperature, like a pre hypothermia, that effected my cognition, movement and vision.It was bizarre and unpleasant, and is the reason that if you decide to do this for the first time you do it with someone experienced,who explains that it might happen, tells you what to do if it does and watches you like a hawk to make sure you are OK. (Basically my body wanted to lie down and sleep, but I knew I had to keep warm and keep moving and it would pass) People die in open water, and it is much colder than you or your limbic system is expecting.

Anyway I want more, but I need to improve my swimming and I need to be with someone in case my brain plays hypothermic tricks on me again.

I leave in an hour with everything packed in a ruck sack, and am excited and trepidatious.

14 years ago my body did something extraordinary and heaved out a remarkable individual with no pain relief. (Yes I have mentioned it before and no I won’t stop banging on about it because I am actually a Goddess)

I had experience of birthing and parenting twice, and was well aware that it could be difficult, painful and unexpected, but oh the highs….definitely worth it?

Apparently when faced with uncertainty, disability, and unusual development of a child, coupled with complete lack of diagnosis – a parents body can do strange and unusual things.

Denial is one, fierce overprotectiveness another. Anxiety, depression and an inability to do tasks that were previously achievable all present.

A reasonable reaction at this time may be to lie down and sleep, forever.

I’m afraid sleep is for losers, or people that don’t have to wake up repeatedly in the night to change a teenagers pad/resuscitate a toddler/unblock a PEG feed(delete as appropriate )

If you are new to this extreme parenting I just want to come along side you and say, this reaction is normal.It doesn’t make you a bad parent.It doesn’t make you ableist.It is a reflex your system has that can’t be explained, strikes each of us to a different degree and is not entirely unpredictable..

There is a trick to working through this.

Keep moving.

Keep warm.

Keep someone close by to keep an eye on you.

Make sure you have plenty of coffee and something sweet.

Persisting through this difficult time will bring its own rewards, and teach you about yourself your strengths and weaknesses (believe me you will have both)

It might not be easy. It won’t always be fun, but then training isn’t supposed to be. It’s supposed to be training.

Dear fellow parentsI am in no way minimising the grief, confusion and sheer exhaustion an unexpected Pearl in the bagging area can bring.

But know this. It is possible to survive these early feelings of disorientation.

It is possible to thrive in a harsh environment.

It is possible to be utterly giddy with joy at your achievements. Not always, because come on people this is after all real life,not just a tenuous analogy about sport, but often.

Ease yourself in. Check your breathing.Persist with caution, but nevertheless persist.

You my darling have absolutely got this.

With thanks to Suzie at Peak Swims, currently rebuilding my swimming technique ! (News just in I didn’t drown or get hypothermia but I did work hard and had a massive giggle too!)Check out her page here

Help?!

In which help is required, and two schools take very different approaches to providing it.

We don’t do neurotypical in my family. As well as Pearl, we also have a son with Aspergers. It’s fair to say our school experiences with him have not always been positive.

Differences were apparent throughout Primary school, but as he hit year 6 and the pointless SATs, his stress levels began to rise exponentially.

His school had just been through a particularly unpleasant Ofsted inspection, and as a result staff stress was high, and the pressure to ensure all achieved, made the tests much more of a focus than they had previously been.

Rab (as he is known in the blogosphere) was having ‘tantrums’ (yes, before diagnosis we thought he was acting up) and was becoming very sad and withdrawn. He also experienced frequent stomach aches.

Busy with Pearl I had put Rab’s previous anxieties down to being a sensitive soul and mildly eccentric (oh my boy I’m sorry) I had not realized that the daily trauma of trying to fit into a neurototypical world, was frazzling his autistic sensibilities.

Finally as depression began to bite him and suicidal ideas were voiced I took him to the GP. Twice. And was told twice, that I was overmedicalising the situation.

I do hope the fact that I’m known to live with depression did not cause our splendid GPs to feel I was over reacting. I do hope so. They told me he could be refereed to CAMHS but the service was so busy I probably wouldn’t get an appointment, and that the referral needed to come via school.

Some background. At this point I had had children at this excellent primary for 9 years. I loved it. I had been Chair of Governors and knew the staff. School had participated in a study Rab had been part of when he had been diagnosed with anxiety disorder. I asked his class teacher if she would refer to CAMHS with the help of the school nurse.Transition to High School was approaching. The holidays were looming and I was very, very concerned. I needed help.

On the very last day of school, having heard nothing, and assuming it was all in hand, I asked the class teacher,

“have you heard anything from CAMHS?”

“I’ve discussed it with the Head who feels it would be better coming from his High School”

The High School that hadn’t met him, that did not know his peculiarities and strengths had not seen his ‘tantrums’ in action.

I share this, not to shame the school. It was otherwise excellent. I think in retrospect, Ofsted stress and end of term frenzy all played a part. I also think they had a lot of work to do on training and awareness of Special Needs in general and Autism in particular, which I’m sure has since happened, as they have an experienced Governing Body and a new Senior Leadership Team.

No. I share this in order to show you what busy, overstretched schools are often like, taken up by all the gubbins that Government throws at them, and the admin required more related to school performance than pupil (and teacher) satisfaction.

And now I give you the alternative.

This Monday we had an excellent morning in Horton watching Pearl and her class mates swim, before witnessing the opening of the new school swimming hoist! (Things are a little different in Special Ed! ).

As I left I was grabbed by one of the staff, not Pearl’s teacher, and who in fact has never taught Pearl, although she enjoyed a weeks residential at an outward bound centre (more of this tomorrow!). Pearl is an experienced user of the PODD communication system.

“Jane”

Said this astute individual.

“I’ve been watching Pearl use PODD and I think she is ready for a more high tech version-what do you think?”

Chat followed, and we both agreed.

“Well then, I’ll refer her on to the Specialist Centre, we’ll do it now because we have all the information from knowing Pearl. It will take High School a while to see how she communicates, but we already know”

Two schools both excellent.

One with Classe of 30 + can’t take the extra work and hasn’t spotted an issue.

Another with high staff to pupil ratio, and freed to think inventively about achieving curriculum goals has volunteered information based on pupil observation, and initiated extra work under pressure at a busy time.

All I can say is that if I was a teacher, given the choice, I’d work in Special Ed.

If I ran the Government (and frankly I’m a little too busy to take it on) all schools would have a diversified curriculum and measuring and testing would have low priority at Primary level.

I suspect that pupil mental health would be positively impacted, and teacher burn out greatly reduced.

But what do I know? I’m only a mother.

Come on Secretary of State for Education, lets all #bemorehorton.

This is part of a blog a day for Horton.Any opinions are the authors and does not necessarily reflect those of the school.

Help Pearl leave Horton Lodge PFSA a huge thank you, here.

A blog a day for Horton

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10 Things You Didn’t Know About Me.

I’m not sure this was exactly what Mum on a Mission had in mind when she set day 2 of #30daySEND bloggers challenge. I know she has an excellent campaigning blog in mind, but I’m feeling egocentric-so settle down, or switch off as the mood takes you. If you find you already did know them, consider yourself one of the inner circle. Welcome to my world.

1. I judge people on coffee. I’m very polite, you’d never know. Instant coffee is NOT coffee. Similarly decaffienated-what’s that all about then?

2. I love antique and vintage things. Before blogging I had a little Vintage business Pearlie Queen Collectables (that child gets everywhere) selling homewares and decorative glass and ceramics.(Oh and owls.That is a whole other story) My eldest used to help and we sold at fairs and markets always dressed up vintagely.

3. I was a committed Christian. I think I still might be. Since Pearl, I have had a real struggle over faith, meaning and the purpose of life. It all appears to me to be very random, and some of the things said to me about healing, strength and being a special parent really haven’t helped. Still on a bit of a journey of discovery on this one. Suspect most of us are.

4. I worry. All the time

About money. We are in a very fortunate position, but are both employed by my husbands business. What if it fails?

About health. What if I die or become really ill? What if the Mister does? Who will care for a small special Pearl?

About the future, do I have the stamina to care in the long term?

About Pearl’s health, what if the epilepsy gets worse? What if her mobility deteriorates?

5. I can’t bear people making assumptions about me based on my appearance, gender,accent, politics or beliefs. I can become quite aggressive if I see someone doing this to someone else too. I try very hard to rein in my own assumptions when meeting others, and make every effort to notice those I do make. Unless I see someone drinking decaf instant coffee, then all bets are off.

6. I have a tendency towarsds depression. It’s hideous when it’s here, but it is possible to live with it, and I have had plenty of practice. I believe in Citalopram, exercise and occasional hibernation.You absolutely do not have to be afraid of me because of this, I am a master of disguise, with a well chosen outfit, the right amount of slap, and an impressive smile you would be none the wiser.

7. I am a little bit obsessed with clothes. And styling. And design. And handbags. Oh and shoes. It’s getting worse as I get older. If I see a stylish soul out and about I compliment them. Complete strangers. Mainly people are delighted, except my teenage daughter, who if with me, is mortified especially when it’s her friends I’m complimenting.

8. I am tired and emotionally wrung out much of the time.

Tired of fighting the system for provision that is necessity not luxury.

Tired of wrangling a small girl who can’t bear the ordinary routine of dressing, tooth brushing, and washing.

Tired of the smell of nappies in the house.

Tired of handling people’s stares going out.

Tired most of all of being patient, understanding and reasonable. Surely it is my turn to have a meltdown in public?

I am basically tired of being the grown up and would like someone else to take a shift.

9. I love to laugh. Generally,despite everything I find life to be lovely, people to be fabulous and nearly every situation potentially hilarious. Unless the black dog is visiting obviously and then-well more if that on a future blog.

10. I hate waste. Medicines that have not been opened or used have to be thrown away?Really? Splints that have been grown out of into landfill? In ‘Austerity Britain’? This does not sit well with me.

10.5 ( Oh go on, humour me) I think T.K.Maxx should be offered on prescription:

“take 2 hours browsing at least once a month. In emergency cases of extreme fed-upness enter immediately and do not leave without an unnecessary tea towel or mug.”

True Story.

I leave you with a picture of a Radley Handbag I bought from a charity shop, neatly encapsulating points seven and ten.

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You are most welcome.

Why not check out other fabulous SEND bloggers on Firefly Community? Join in, comment and take part!

Toilet Talk

In which turds resolutely remain unpolished, and I buy shares in bleach.

There are some words guaranteed to make a ten year old giggle.This morning Pearl was beside herself because I said knickers; poo and fart have much the same effect.

We are big on toilet talk in our family as an important precursor to actual toilet training success. This post, is not, I’m afraid, a wonderful campaigning post about the necessity of Changing Places important as these undoubtedly are (you can find one of these here). It is instead a further insight into my complete inability to housewife effectively.

After a Bank Holiday weekend of waiting for a very constipated girl to poo, a delightful combination of movicol and mini enemas started things moving (I’ll spare Pearl’s blushes, and it really isn’t her who needs to be embarrassed by this post). If you imagine a coke bottle stuffed full with hard pebbles you can see that neither she nor I had a great deal of fun.

At the end of the weekend, we returned from our caravan of dreams with a huge bag of washing, and a digestive system slowly restoring itself to normal function. Desperate to get ahead of the washing, which was covered in chocolate coloured stains from both ends of Pearl, I merrily loaded my trusty washing machine.

Completing my first wash load, congratulating myself on my ability to restore order from chaos I hung some of Pearl’s lovely new t-shirts up to dry.

This morning the smell of ordure hung heavily in the air. I smelt the beautifully ‘clean’ shirts and gagged slightly. Then I opened the tumble drier to be met by the same smell. Pulling everything out I found what was apparently a piece of dried chocolate biscuit at the bottom of the dryer. Except it was actually a dessicated poo. Oh yes indeed.

Many irritating things have snuck into my wash and caused chaos in the past, tissues, red skirts, asthma inhalers I’ve washed them all in my time-but this was a new experience. After a full and unexpected bleach of the tumble dryer (accompanied by vocalisations of horror and disgust, and the occasional “oh shit, literal shit!) I went for a run to breathe in fresh air and rinse the idea of tumble dried poo from my mind.

Back, full of the smug endorphins that follow a run, I began to hang the washing on the line in the spring sunshine. I was congratulating myself on saving an unpleasant situation with optimism, quick thinking and bonhomie. What a model of resilient good humour I am. If it was possible to receive a Nobel prize for Special Needs Parenting I was surely on the short list. But wait,what was this? A t shirt, fresh smelling,with a huge brown stain on it, surely not more chocolate? Dear reader I was right, it surely was not.

I’ll admit, I have form with faeces. When The Glory was being potty trained, she snuck into our understairs cupboard for some privacy, it was two days before I found a human poo on the floor of said cupboard.

More recently, this winter, with the electric heater on, a nappy disaster featuring a fast moving Pearl and a subsequent poorly anchored nappy tab, lent me the ablity to use the phrase “the shit hits the fan” non figuratively.

Anyway back to today’s disaster. Running (fast) back to the machine I found a poo squidged into the seal, and, dear Lord why had I not noticed this before?-a damp, glistening offering (Bristol Stool Scale 1 ) which had been through an entire 40 degree wash. Reader you may not be able to polish a turd, but I somehow had managed to wash a whole nappies worth, minus the actual nappy.

At times I reflect on the Special Needs journey and wonder how my life would be were I not living the dream. I can tell you that unequivocally there would be less literal shit, and piss taking, although with a family of five of a sarcastic bent, plenty of the metaphorical stuff.

The time I’d saved “getting ahead with the washing” added an hour to my cleaning of the laundry room, an hours 90 degree and bleach cycle, on an empty machine, and rewashing two loads of suspect smelling clothes.

As you can see I’m very efficient (spell check attempted to change this to effluent how apt!) A marvel of time management. Also practical, and pragmatic, having ignored my initial temptation to throw away all the clothes and set fire to the house to clear the smell.

Now the whole sorry episode is over with no one any the wiser. Apart from you, dear reader, and I trust you to take it no further.

Oh, The Places You’ll Go.

In which a change is as good as a rest.

Going on holiday with my gang of miscreants is not an easy task. A friend of mine with small children describes her holiday experiences as “same sh** different location”In an effort to avoid this we have tried a number of things.

Air travel is currently out.Father of Pearl is properly afraid of flying.Valium helps.
Pearl doesn’t do queuing and waiting, the idea of wrangling her and a 6′ 4” gibbering drugged up wreck through an airport and onto a plane is less than appealing. The Glory flies off to extraordinary places with Guiding.The Gambia and Copenhagen have both been on the list-I’m hoping if I stay on her good side we can go away together in the future.

Rab shows a typical, non typical, resistance to change.He can do holidays if he knows where we are going, how long the journey will take,what time we’ll leave, when we’ll arrive what his room will be like and a rough itinary of the break.He doesn’t like them and is usually desperate to get home.Both teens (and F o P) NEED wi fi.Obvs. I’m a dinosaur and just need lots of books.

We also require flat access, downstairs bedroom for Pearl if at all possible and a flat outside space.

This leaves us with the following options.

Stay at home. Forever. No surprises. No changes of routine, and the real possibility of infanticide.

Choose the same, or similar places. And this brings us to the reason for this blog,a short, non sponsored paen to the place that everyone in the family loves and a big thank you to those who work there.

We have just come back from Center Parcs. We love the place. It is not a cheap holiday alternative, but what it offers us is perfect for everyone.For reasons I cannot begin to explain(and nor can he) Rab loves it.It’s familiar, the villas are the same. We did, it’s true, have a slight wobble, when he realised this time our villa was “the wrong way round”but as he’s 16 and was aware it was the autism speaking he bravely overcame having the living area the wrong side of the kitchen.

In the car on the way to Sherwood Forest the 18 and 16 year olds regressed to being about 10,hitting each other shrieking and laughing, they say this was to amuse Pearl, (it did) but it’s actually the effect of going to Center Parcs that causes it.

If you have never experienced this place I’ll explain. It is a large,managaged forest.There is a variety of accommodation, close together, but orientated so that you have clear views of your surroundings and aren’t at all overlooked.There is an amazing huge swimming pool, sorry, “Sub tropical Swimming Paradise”, with flumes, wave machines shallow pools, this is all included in your stay. There are a massive amount of bookable activities that you pay extra for and can take or leave at your leisure. In the past we have done aerial wires, roller blading,flown hawks, watched owls, a nature walk, scuba dived, Bollywood danced, tried archery,hired bikes and played badminton.

Years ago on a previous stay,The Glory learnt to ride without stabilisers there for the first time. That’s the other thing, when you have unpacked your car, all cars return to the car park and the site is vehicle free.It is possible to be mown down by a middle aged person unused to cycling, but on the whole it’s safe and easy to navigate,and fairly flat so Pearl can walk a bit.

This last weekend came with an ensuite swan.On opening the blinds in the morning he knocked incessantly on the window in the hope of food.I’d like to say that the teens didn’t give him my cereal, but I’m not entirely sure.This,and the gaggle of geese who appeared plus the squirrels, rabbits and moorhens made me feel like Snow White without the dwarves.Pearl was utterly enchanted and ready to feed them Doritos (she doesn’t like them) but was restrained.

All human life can be seen at the pool, all ages, sizes,races and abilities.This makes holidaying with someone small and special easier, as you are absolutely not the only one.There are decent changing facilities with benches, and when the small person with you resists getting out of the pool and changing ,while screaming blue murder, you are sympathised with, and nobody calls Social Services, which is a bonus.

16996122_10155102975247915_7258471289518553828_n — “If I just climb into the wheelchair maybe they’ll take the hint and take me swimming?”

The staff really seem to enjoy their jobs, and most waiting on staff gamely took Pearl’s orders made with the help of her PODD book and came when she looked over her shoulder and shouted “haro”while jabbing at the food and drink page.

There are a handful of fully accessible villas, with wet rooms and hoists.We don’t presently need this, and knowing all the other villas were one storey, did book a villa two stays ago, only to find it was up a steep flight of steps.Within 20 minutes we’d been reallocated something more appropriate.The moral is, an organised parent phones to book and mentions needs rather than doing it online. (I’m sure you all would have done that anyway).

This stay Pearl managed more in the way of walking and of climbing on soft play. We also allowed her an ill advised go on a steep slide in the pool-I went down to the landing area to fish her out, only to realise there were almost vertical steps to get out of the water. We did it once more (she loved the slide) before finally admitting defeat.

However the best thing by far was the World of Spa. Having taken advantage of the fact that Pearl was shattered by all the activity and can’t tell the time, we put her to bed at 5.30 (yes we did pay for it with an early morning) left the 18 year old in charge and floated, bubbled, steamed and relaxed our way around the spa for two and a half hours.It was awesome and I was so relaxed I went to bed as soon as we got back at 9.Which was just as well when Pearl woke up full of beans at 3.Maybe she can tell the time after all?

So Center Parcs,I know you are a large organisation, and our family are only a tiny handful of your yearly visitors, but a HUGE thank you from us for being, inclusive, fun, friendly and good at what you do.

Have you and your family enjoyed and inclusive accessible holiday with great service? We’d love to hear about it in the comments.

*STOP PRESS* We have been nominated for an award! The BAPs awards is a new award for bloggers writing about additional needs parenting.The Wrong Kind of Snow is a finalist in the Promoting Positive Perceptions category.You can vote here, and do take a look at all the other awesome finalists too! Thank you.

How to Win Friends and Influence People (L.A. edition)

In which the system is broken, and no-one applies common sense to fix it.

It is a New Year, time to look forward with hope at the exciting times ahead. Much as I’m trying to move forward with a song in my heart and a spring in my step (other cliches are available) I am having some difficulty.

Is this because my youngest daughter has a myriad of health, educational and physical challenges. Not entirely.

Is it because my eldest, The Glory, is beset by mental health problems and struggling to find her way through her tricky eighteenth year? Well partly.

Is it because Aspie teen is preparing to transition from a very supportive Special provision at GCSE back into the mainstream setting that caused him pain for A Levels (his choice) Well take your pick.

But actually the thing that is causing me the most stress, chaos and down right anger is my local authority and the way they choose to implement direct payments.

Have you heard of Direct Payments? They are an excellent idea for increasing independence and inclusion. In theory.

Pearl is entitled to support in our local community by a Personal Assistant.As her needs are quite significant, we are able to access 6 hours direct payments for support per week in term time and 14 in the holiday.

We are able to use this money in a way that supports Pearl. Initially she attended Rainbows with a Personal Assistant, and I had someone in to help with housework and ironing too. This was recognised as freeing up my time to spend, one to one with Pearl.

As a parent, you have to be very organised to benefit from this system.You have to keep good records (we have a separate bank account) and all receipts.This is all well and good, after all this is tax payers money and an account must be given.You have to find the PA, set up their contract, submit time sheets and pay wages. In effect you have become an employer.

Every year the situation is reviewed and every year you have to submit all the paper work. Our Local Authority regularly believes that asking a parent to submit all the paper work over a half term holiday, when the child in question is at home, with a week deadline, and veiled threats that benefits will be stopped if the date isn’t met is OK. It isn’t, and also it’s unnecessary and shows bad planning on their part.This however is not the thing that has riled me so considerably today.

Last year it was recognised, that we need more hours.It does tend to benefit the system if Carers don’t break. The money immediately started to flood into the account. Marvellous. Finding a PA isn’t instant. It takes a very particular person to work with my girl.They need to know how she works, what her medical needs are, how to communicate with her, and how to administer emergency meds amongst other things.When someone has been found they need to spend time working alongside us and/or the existing PA and getting to know Pearl, for their peace of mind and ours. As I was increasingly stressed by my caring role I thought it would help to use some of the money for help round the house while the new PA was being found. But no.The system had changed without me being told.This was now a luxury and not allowed. I was a horrible entitled middle class woman for even suggesting it.

It took 6 months to get a new PA up and running alongside our existing (and absolutely marvellous) current PA. During this time the money was beginning to back up.It is absolutely not supposed to do this, because it proves that you probably didn’t need it anyway you grubby little scrounger (sorry I mean valued Carer) The new PA was good, but has not been able to fit her hours around what we need. More money backed up. I’ve been struggling with appointments for all three children and have not had time to source another PA-there is not a one stop PA shop where you can find them.More money backed up.

Pearl attends a residential at her school once a week, term time.Paid for by education,it supports her statement.It is awesome (and before you envy my luck it took two years of ‘negotiation’ with the same local authority to get it put in place).One morning while pondering PAs I had a brain wave, perhaps I could use this backlog as a one off, for Pearl to attend a few extra nights at residential? She loves it.As well as working on Activities for Daily Living (washing and dressing to you and me) she has club activities and spends time with her friends. We could afford three extra nights in total.I reckon she could do two nights once a month. the backlog would have been cleared, she would have benefitted, we would have benefitted. Sorted. In principle education would be happy with this, they are not used to billing parents directly, but if my LA gave us the go ahead, as it was effectively a one off they would explore it.

Well,I have to administer the accounts, find the support,pay the wage bills, train, sort contracts, organise liabilities insurance, and keep records.I am not however allowed to come up with ideas because I’m clearly incompetent. A meeting will be held, a panel meeting where this will be proposed. I am not allowed to attend. It’s not my job and it is likely to be rejected because it’s not usually done.

As a parent this system, designed to support Pearl,has made me feel patronised, unsupported, disempowered. Guilty. Angry. Stressed.Undervalued and misunderstood.

I have to believe this isn’t the LA intention?

So what can be done?

Avoid isolating parents.

It is not enough to have a ‘Parent Partnership’ in existence and then treat parents in day to day transactions like naughty children who cannot be trusted.

Give each parent written instructions of what Direct Payments can be used for.Make it the same for all parents across the county, because do you know what? We talk to each other.

Give each parent a fixed date annually in advance to produce the paperwork.

Put the use of payments in line with the adult service users agreement.

Give family support workers a clear idea of the system and the ability to implement it.As nothing is set in stone they basically have good intentions and no idea.

Remember that many parents have not had their own business, or worked in management positions,and they are under constant stress and probably functioning in sleep deficit.Give parents support to get the system up and running.

As long as the money is being used for the benefit of the child, ethically and legally let it be used.The system has put in in place because you,LA,recognise support is needed.So support.

One last thing.We know the system is being squeezed, we recognise your jobs are tough and unrewarding, but you get to go home at the end of the day,and retire.

Some of us are in this for the long haul.

New Year, New You!

As January draws to a close it’s possible that you have not found the right life plan to transform your mind, body and spirit.You, fellow traveller, have come to the right place!

As January draws to a close it’s possible that you have not found the right life plan to transform your mind, body and spirit. You, fellow traveller, have come to the right place!

Having problems dealing with difficult people? Struggling with your relationship with food? Finding living in the moment tricky? This plan, based on the life experience of someone who I have studied assiduously for ten years offers you some answers, what you choose to do with them is your responsibility.

Last week while navigating my way through the endless appointments which seem to just keep landing on our door mat, I was thinking about people I admire, and what it is that makes them stand out.I realised that one young lady, who was cheerily attending the appointments and embracing all of them in a spirit of curiosity and a chance to meet new people, had a better general attitude to life than I did, and wondered what I could learn from her.

I bring you (insert fanfare) Pearlfulness TM *

Firstly, my people, do not be held back by convention and social nicety.If something amuses you laugh.If it saddens you cry. Stoicism and English Reserve do not necessarily make you happy.Get out there, live life and engage. It’s messy, some people won’t like it, but it is a good way to remain in tune with yourself, and find out who is genuinely worth giving the time of day to.

Secondly, believe in yourself. Pearl knows that in any room she enters she is the most interesting and important thing.If people are staring at her, Pearl is not concerned, it is because she is marvellous. Someone I may consider a heartless, callous person, thinking (at best) “what is wrong with that child poor thing,” Pearl believes is waiting to be introduced. Believe me when you have been charmed by Pearl sitting next to you saying “harro”and plonking her communication book on your knee, your preconceptions about learning disability will be challenged. The moral of this tale is believe in yourself, and if you can’t, fake it ’til you make it.

Be kind. Pearl has gaps in her understanding of grammar. The more complex a sentence, the easier it is for her to misinterpret. She has become an expert at using tells, facial expression, body language and the general aura people give off, to help her.Because of this she is very adept at spotting sadness in people, and will go out of her way to cheer people up who she considers need it.She will offer a smile, a laugh or a half eaten biscuit to those in need. Seeing the reaction she gets I would urge you to never underestimate the power of kindness.

Love your body. Pearl’s body is a tricky and mysterious thing. Sometimes legs unexpectedly give way, tap,shake and hurt.This in no way prevents her from using it as best she can. She adores food and punishing herself by refusing cake would not begin to occur to her. In fact if there was a mantra to live by Pearl’s would likely be, Be Kind.Eat Cake. There are far worse ways to live your life.

Be brave and believe in yourself.Standing behind Pearl watching her walk is a marvel. Her centre of gravity is all wrong, her gait defies convention, and her feet strike the ground in odd places and at different levels.This may put you off considering walking on a wall, trying steps, or Parkour on the sofas. This may be wise, but sometimes being sensible can seriously cramp your style. I have learnt from Pearl to give it a go, push yourself, try something tricky and new. A can do attitude could take you into a whole new area of interest.

Be determined. Pearl’s school runs on Conductive Education principles. Movements are repeated, over and over again,and reinforced by song. I have seen the look on the children’s faces as they carry out “task series” The other place I have seen this expression is the faces of Olympic Athletes, and Wimbledon Champions.If you want to achieve something you need some of this.

Lastly, sing everything. Conductive Education has a ‘hello’ song,a ‘potty’ song, greetings song and standing songs. Not only is this immeasurably cheering, it will lead you to believe you too have the glamour and panache of the late, great, Debbie Reynolds. As a side effect it seriously embarrasses any teenagers you are related to if continued in public.This is always a bonus.

Like any regime, if overdone this has drawbacks.Biting people who irritate you is never recommended and the legal liability of such actions remains yours, and not the responsibility of Pearlfulness TM. Approaching attractive strangers and stroking their legs, may increase your vulnerability to exploitation and seriously embarrass your companion.You have been warned.

The most important message of Pearlfulness TM.is enjoy life as much as you can,at whatever level you can, whenever you can.Life is not only there to be lived and grasped by the pert,privileged,perfect, young or famous, it is for all of us, and it is short. Pearl has lost many peers in her young life and none of us know how long we have.

Her message to you in the face of political upheaval,emotional uncertainty and physical difficulty is that you, yes, YOU are fearfully and wonderfully made, a little bit fabulous and definitely worth it.

If all else fails Be Kind. Eat Cake.

*Have I really trademarked this? Oh come on-what do you think?!

Therapy?

Did you wake up this morning to find out your life was less than perfect?

Did you wake up this morning to find you were the parent of someone with additional needs?

Has your family life taken a turn you never expected?

Never fear, The Wrong Kind of Snow is here to help you manage your expectations, embrace your new normal, and hand you a tissue, before,during,and after, the school run.

Learn from one who knows,that good hair, cake, and sarcasm, can give you a veneer of coping without touching on the real issues.

I, Mother Of Pearl,can personally offer a service to help you laugh in the face of forgotten appointments

You too can learn to kick Local Authority ass-if necessary (and believe me it will be)

I can aid you in using the right word to describe the myriad of visiting professionals (hint no matter how they behave, team although a four letter word never starts with c or ends in t)

You will feel better about your housekeeping (pop in for coffee anytime….consider my home a therapeutic installation)

You can improve your distance running with the mantra “if you turn back now you’ll have to do the parenting thing”

You are most welcome.

Todays lesson involves a gold standard of therapy “Early Intervention” This is an excellent idea in theory. Take a child with issues and through intensive therapy bring them up to speed before they hit school age.

Intensive,regular therapy is expensive and hard to come by, but if it’s efficacy is proven it can cut down on future intervention thereby saving the state money. Neat. The child can catch up with peers or narrow the gap .Fabulous idea.

Have any of you come across Hurrah for Gin ? She has neatly personified the guilt that comes with parenting.I urge you to check out the Shitty Guilt Fairy .Unfortunately early intervention has real life guilt fairies of it’s own-the Professionals.Don’t get me wrong, these are knowledgeable, experienced, well educated, well meaning people who each have their own version of early intervention, that will if carried out by the parent to the letter improve an aspect of the child’s (let’s call her Pearl) life.

By the time Pearl was two, our weeks consisted of an afternoon at The Child Development Centre (you can read more about this here).A morning at School for Parents (a substantial drive across a county border). A morning of hydrotherapy. Physiotherapy and Speech Therapy programmes to carry out. A morning at the local mums and tots just to point up the difference between her and her peers.Random visits to the hospital to search for the answer of the enigma that was Pearl with Paediatricians, geneticists, neurologists and a variety of puzzled and interested student nurses and Doctors. Between this I was attempting to keep up my Speech and Language Therapy Registration and feed and parent the other two children and sustain a marriage.It was hell, but I foolishly believed I could continue at this pace in the short term as it would miraculously cure Pearl and life would return to normal. How fondly we would look back on her early difficulties as she received her Nobel prize for Literature.

Truly some of this pressure came from within, but it was unwittingly reinforced by the Professionals individually ‘supporting’ me while not seeing the wider picture.

I would love to know how models of diagnosis and therapy work in other countries.Our Western model of medicine,and our work ethic may be leading us to a mistaken belief that we can work our way out of difficulties.That proper perseverance and elbow grease can solve our problems through sheer exertion and force of will.Pearl was never going to be fixed by tonnes of early intervention.What we needed as a family was support, time to enjoy our girl’s babyhood, practical help with physiotherapy and the necessary equipment, not to become a problem that was there to be fixed.My girl has such strength of character,stubborness and determination,I wanted a professional or two to recognise that and celebrate it with me,not to point out her difficulties and attempt to eradicate them.To be fair the same medical model that wants to fix the Pearls of this world is exerting it’s own strain and pressure on the very Professionals that implement it.The system wants to see they have effectively fixed as many people in as an efficient way as possible.

All this can lead, for the best motives in the world, to a society that sees disability as a problem, and fails to see the individuals behind the case studies.

So what can be done? As parents it’s important to try to keep a sense of who your child is and who you are as a family. This is really difficult when you are going through tough issues and being asked to make tricky decisions with little support.Try to get someone on your side, perhaps a professional who knew you and your family before you became “a problem”. Organisations like The Carers Trust, Carers UK or Contact a Family often have local representatives who can help you make sense of what is beneficial and what can be left until later.

A health visitor came to visit us, and was flabbergasted at how my week was structured, and how little support I was getting.I having become sucked into the Special Needs Vortex had lost all sense of what was a reasonable expectation of family life.

As parents you may have to sit on the naughty step and refuse to do everything-I’ll warn you, you may get a black mark.

Alternatively join me and other parent carers in learning how to look as if you have carried out all the therapy, while actually you have been cuddling your child as they watch someone on youtube unwrap a giant Easter Egg.

At the end of the day your child is part of a family,not a state funded research project.

A Hymn to Him

An unapologetic love letter to my Dad.

I don’t know why you have been on my mind so much lately, it’s twelve and a half years since you died. Perhaps it is watching your small wobbly granddaughter achieving her small significant steps, and hurting that you never met her or knew of our struggles.This morning I saw a bright, quick, robin with worm in beak.I stopped and we made eye contact.I smiled quietly. Somewhere I heard an old story that robins were spirits of loved ones popping back to check up on us. Oh I think this is nonsense, but just like children want to believe in Father Christmas I want to believe in this.

A huge rush of memories was undammed by this bright eyed creature, smells, sounds, questions unanswered.So many stories trail behind all of us and you were quite secretive about yours.

In white working class Essex, I did not know anyone else whose Dad had been brought up in India, with servants and in what looked like a stately home.Your Great Grandmother was half Goan.With Anglo Indian heritage in what was then Bombay your family did not really fit. Too English to be Indian, and too Indian to be English. How was it for you I wonder? I know you had an Ayah, and that she was too young for the job and gave you Opium to keep you quiet.I’m told this affected your lung development and led to the chronic problems with breathing you suffered from throughout your life.I know you loved your Cook and spoke Hindi to him because you told me suddenly in a rush of memories as we were washing up one day. He cried when you left for England. I expect you did too. You told too about the riots during Independence, and the servants coming to find you in a shop and hiding you in the back until the trouble had passed. This memory when voiced was so precious, so rarely heard that I did not push you for more information and now it is too late.

The Hounslow girl who you met at a dance and later married, tells me that your mother was ill prepared for life in a London semi, terribly untidy and that your untidiness was due to servants picking up after you. Who would have thought that a Council House girl and a diffident chap from Bombay would have so much in common? She thought you looked like Clark Gable, she reminded you of Ingrid Bergman.I’m so glad you met, and that the Doctor who told Mum that with your chronic emphysema you wouldn’t make 40 was wrong.I have a particular interest in that part of the story as I was the “autumn blessing”when you’d already got well past the babyhood of the one of each who were already there.

I know I get my work ethic, drive and ambition from you.You also passed on a strong faith in God and politics. People found you gruff, and plain speaking to the point of offence at times. Your views were very black and white, there really was no grey. As I hit my teens this was the cause of huge arguments, theological and political. You had been in and out of hospital and had near misses so many times that I was always concerned that I would be the one to trigger, through stress, the final asthma attack. I think we both knew you were too stubborn for that.

Your best beloved told me not to come home if you died while I was away doing my degree, she would manage just fine, but no you carried right on on your one functioning lung, moved to a new area, made new friends created a new and beautiful garden, gave me away on my wedding day. I remember (I seem to have something in my eye as I type) the speech.You couldn’t believe in arranged marriage you said, as you could never have chosen anyone as perfect for your beloved daughter.(You were right)

You haven’t seen them growing up, my children, the eldest receiving university offers. You stood up and cheered at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester as I walked across the stage to receive my degree, the first in our family to do so. When I think of you I am still trying to make you proud, but I know you were proud of us all, Big Girl , My Son and Girlie .No one calls me Girlie now.

You would have been proud and worried about my boy, who has struggled with depression and life. When he was diagnosed with Aspergers I was adamant. “He’s not on the spectrum he is just like his Grandad” Oh Dad I think he really is and that you would have been a prime candidate for late diagnosis.

As for the Pearlie Girlie, no one could fail to love her, I’m so sorry you didn’t get to meet.

Dad you would have been particularly proud of mum. She cared for you so beautifully at the end, after a lifetime of caring. She was determined to keep you at home with the hospital bed in the living room and very little extra help. Driving that road and not knowing whether you would be there when I arrived, in and out of hospital again, but you stubbornly clung onto life. I will never forget the phone call “the terrible day has come” and there you were looking so young and peaceful in the living room while we just had a cup of tea.

She has gone on that girl of yours to carve out a life in her community, move house to be nearer us, and start all over again. I see her getting on, but missing you.She still says “we think” as if you have discussed it. I suspect you probably have.

More than anything, the thing that hits me right here is a cuddle from your best beloved and the phrase “your Dad would be so proud of you all”

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