Young Brother Dedicates Song To His Sister

A young brother dedicates a song to his sister, Sarah Grace, who has Down's Syndrome. 

Cyndi Lauper - True Colors (MattyBRaps Cover ft Olivia Kay)

This is so beautiful it brought tears to my eyes.

The video below is a behind the scenes look at the video.

Feeling Frustrated

I just got a phone call from Centrelink asking if I had submitted some forms that they needed me to fill out in regards to the Carers Allowance I receive for Brodie. Apparently they never got them. I went into the Centrelink office in Warragul on June 14th and GAVE them to one of the workers there. She stamped it and said that they would send it to the Disability Services section.

I asked the person who phoned me to chase it up. He said that he will send me of another copy of the forms today. If I don't hear back from him I am to fill out the new form.

I am kicking myself that I didn't make a copy of the forms. I swear Centrelink will do my head in one day.

He Had Something To Talk About

Brodie had his first public speaking engagement yesterday. It's part of that Ambassador's Program he and I did earlier this year. He went to a Secondary College in Traralgon and spoke with some of the Yr 12 kids and their parents.

Brodz was desperate for me to join him but I wasn't invited to this one although I guess I could have gone there if I wanted too. I thought it would be good for him to be able to have a go at his talk without me being there. He needs to be a bit more grown up and he needs to be able to do things without his Mum in tow. That's my thinking and I'm sticking with it. It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I don't like speaking in big groups either (+_+)

Anyway, Brodie was very excited about the fact that he DID his talk. He was told by one of the parents that he definitely had their attention and they were listening to everything he had to say. Brodz was also very excited that the audience were laughing with him when he made a few jokes. He had this HUGE smile on his face when he told me that they did NOT laugh at him at all. He really needed this confidence boost. He puts himself down ALL the time so the timing for this was very good thing.

There was one more thing Brodie was happy about. He will be receiving a cheque for $100. I bet he's already worked out what he would love to spend his money on too.

I'm just happy that there was a good outcome for this. That there is this program that allows special needs kids to talk about themselves. Something that shows the community that they aren't just a label & that they do have talents and can achieve things.

Ambassador Program

Yesterday afternoon I went to the GETT Centre in Traralgon (where Brodie goes to TAFE for 2 and a half days a week) so that I could participate in a short course called the Ambassador Program.  Basically it's a program to help young people with disabilities and their parent(s) develop skills & confidence to help them speak publicly and tell their story about their life.

As an ambassador we will be expected to participate in some form of public speaking. From what we learnt today the first group spoke to schools, ADASS (a group for people with disabilities that live in our Shire) and some other groups that I can't think of right.


We got to meet a couple of kids from the last course & their Mums. They spoke to us telling how much they enjoyed the course and what they are now moving on to since completing the course last year. 

This program should be interesting. It's meant to bring us out of our shell. If yesterday was anything to go by I really don't think that is necessary for Brodie. He was the loudest person there and definitely made sure that he was heard. He was also class clown but that's my boy for you!  I wonder what skills he will walk away with after this program .. only time will tell right.

Future Options Expo

Brodie & I went to a Future Options Expo (the info on the site is from last year) this morning in Morwell. Basically it's where a variety of community organisations get together so that parent, schools, carers, youth/students can see what is available to help young adults with disabilities. Whether its to help them get a job, learn life skills or even further their education.

some of the pamphlets we collected

Brodz was very reluctant to go but I made him come. He handled it quite well. In fact he was busy socialising with quite a few people he knew. Kids he knew from Interchange or TAFE through to teachers and an aide he had in High School. I think he was glad I dragged him out of the house.

It was pretty helpful but I was slightly disappointed. There was one service I wanted to talk to but there weren't there today which was a shame. I can't even think of their name right now but I will talk to Miss G. at Brodie's school. I am sure that she will have the contact details I need.

I like the idea of Brodie being associated with Mawarra especially their vocational training program and the catering company that they have. Brodie loves working with food so that is at least one option we can explore.

I have a lot of pamphlets to go and read. I take Brodz up to his school tomorrow so I might see if I can talk with Miss G (the Special Ed. teacher) and let her know how things went today. We probably need a meeting again at any rate.

It's PSG Time

Yesterday was PSG (Peer Support Group) time again. There were a few things to go over this time around. Miss G & two of Brodie's aides were there.

Brodie has been getting a bit behind with his TAFE work as well as his Math stuff. Since I'm not that crash hot with Math the school & I thought it was best if he did his Math homework during his study periods at school. That way he would have someone on hand if he did need help.

The hospitality stuff from TAFE was a different story. That one I do feel comfortable with & I am able to help him out at home. His TAFE work sounds really interesting! There's a few assignments that need doing although there is a little bit of time up our sleeves before they need to be handed in. The mocktail assignment sounds like fun & should be delicious where Brodie needs to create & make a drink. He's designing a chocolate mocktail which he has called Death By Chocolate. He also has a coffee assignment. I'm not too sure what that one involves yet. I'll check his worksheets later.

We spoke about the behaviour issues the school has. Pretty much the same ones we have at home. Although I have a feeling that Brodie might be a tad better behaved at home but not all the time. I'm thinking we need to do some more work on what behaviour is appropriate in mixed company. He gets awfully carried away sometimes and forgets that there are females present. Perhaps some role-playing might be in order.

I noticed that Brodie seems to be louder at school than he is at home. If that was ever possible. He is constantly getting reminded about using a quieter voice at home. I guess it might be working better at here but its not working at school. Poor kid probably thinks we are nagging him.

We also spoke about how Brodie was thinking about not doing an extra year at school. He had it in his mind that he would have to do extra VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education) subjects next year & that he wouldn't graduate this year. Once Miss G explained to Brodie that he still graduates this year and can go to the Year 12 dinner with his friends he seemed to be okay about it. I also explained to him that he gets to do all that fun stuff next year too if he wants too.
Miss G also told Brodie that if he did return next year he doesn't have to to any hard VCE subjects. He can do VCAL (Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning) instead and he can do fun subjects like Art if he wants too. If he chooses not to go back then the school will help prepare him for the 'real' world and make sure that we know of places that can help him work out what he will do after his school life is over.

For now we are going to concentrate on getting his work up to date and Brodie will think about what he is going to do next year. I can't believe that he is almost finished school ...

World Down Syndrome Day 2011

World Down Syndrome Day 2011 - Will you "Let Us In!"?

After watching the video I just knew I had to share.
The smiles are so infectious!

Very Special Kids

One of the ladies from Knit4Charities posted a couple of links for a group called Very Special Kids (VSK) and also about a respite facility called Annie's Cottage, which I sadly cannot find a web address for them. Here's a link to a newsletter (PDF file) with info about Annie's Cottage (see Pg 4)

VSK is based in Victoria and provides counselling & support to families of children diagnosed with life threatening illnesses. Their services include respite, bereavement support & hospice care.

While checking out their site today it makes me feel very grateful that my boys are healthy & happy. If you get the chance to check out their website please do.

Melting Moments (And I don't mean the biscuits)

Angus & I went to Church this morning leaving Brodie at home because he was feeling nauseous (he's been feeling like that a lot lately but I don't think anything is wrong with him its probably just nerves or something). While Brodie was home he was meant to do his Music assignment from school. I'm glad to say that he did work on it. I haven't checked out how much he has done yet.

We left Church earlier than usual. I would have loved to have stayed because its soup Sunday. The name speaks for itself really. Some of the Sisters make a soup to share on the third Sunday of the month. Sad to say we had to leave early because I had forgotten to put the corned beef into the slow cooker so that it would be ready in time for tea & I had forgotten my mobile phone so I was unable to ask Mark or Brodie to get it ready. I do love my 'different corned beef' dish. Its so yummy!

Once at home I got the silverside prepared & asked the boys to do a couple of little jobs. Angus was taking out some boxes to the bin. Brodie began barking orders about how the boxes needed to be broken up to fit into the bin. I said that they didn't need to be. That was NOT good enough for Brodie however. He decided to smack Angus in the back of the head then proceeded to tell me that he didn't know why he had done it. Of course I knew the reason. I had observed the whole thing.

I don't know what happened after that. I mean I don't know why things escalated to where they did. Mark had come inside to find out what was going on & I explained what had transpired. Brodie was getting really defensive (as he does when he gets caught out). He spoke louder & louder as if he thought that would get his point across. He started threatening Mark with physical violence. Brodie challenges Mark a lot. It's like he wants to be boss cocky ALL the time! Both Mark & I tried to get him to go for a walk so that he could calm down.

I swear it was almost like seeing him change. He seemed to go into little kid mode. Only thing was he isn't a little kid & he was still LOUD and very angry. Brodie said 'where do I go? I have nowhere to go' All we had said was put your shoes on and go for a walk. 'Where?' he screams. Just around town I said. I just wanted him out of the house so that he could calm down.
He finally went.

Poor Angus you could see the hurt on his face. I think I heard him say during all of this, "not again". He apologised for the meltdown. It's wasn't his fault. Both Mark & I told him that he didn't start it.

I know that these meltdowns don't happen all the time but when they happen they REALLY happen. I am tired of Brodie's threats of violence. He said he was going to smash things & that he wanted to smash Mark's head through the glass door. There are days where I just wish this would all just disappear & never happen again. I know that will never happen but one day they might be a lot 'calmer' than other meltdowns.

Right now Brodie is back in his bedroom. He's probably on his laptop. I just hope that when he eventually emerges from his room he is in a much better frame of mind.

New Neighbours

We have some new neighbours moving in. Good thing I knew they were coming this week as I was able to 'warn' Brodie of the changes. I also told him that they have at least one small child & that he had to watch his potty mouth language.

I know Aspies aren't always good with change but at least Brodie seems to be coping than he was. Maybe its a maturity thing or maybe he's just learnt strategies that help him cope better. I'd like to think that its a bit of both. We've put in a lot of wok with him over the years to get him where he is now.

Educating the New Leadership Team

I got a phone call from Brodie's High School this morning from the new librarian, she's the one in control of first aid & sick kids at school, stating that he wasn't feeling well & she wondered what she should do about it. So I let her know that Brodie is a little bit of a hypochondriac, well maybe that's not the right term to use, and that he is ultra sensitive to pain. I spoke with him briefly stating that if he still felt the same way at the end of recess time to let me know and I'll come collect him.
Sure enough 30 minutes later I received another phone call.

I had a brief chat with one of Brodie's aides. She told me that he didn't seem to be coping so well with all of the changes at the school. There is a new Acting Principal (P), Assistant Principal (AP) & three new teachers. This made me wonder if that was the reason for his not feeling terribly well today.

Last night Brodie told me that he had to see the principal this morning because he was very loud while waiting for the school bus to arrive for the school run home. If anyone truly knew my boy, they would know that there is NO real volume control for this kid. He is quiet while sleeping but when he is awake he is either loud or louder.

I explained this to his aide and said that may have been one of the reasons he didn't feel well. I can't say that he was foxing or anything because he did have a snooze when we got home.

On the drive home Brodie & I got to have a bit of a chat. He said that the new Principal & Assistant Principal were making a lot of changes at the school & he didn't like it. What kid truly likes change but what Aspie kid likes change. None that I know of. He also stated that with all the changes at school it now makes him feel uncomfortable & he doesn't really want to go any more.
Not only did he lose an AP he liked & knew well, the regular P is on long service leave but his favourite aide retired at the end of last year. Brodie misses him terribly. These three people understood him. They got to know where he was at. They knew how to calm him down if needed. They helped him adapt. Thank goodness the teacher who works with all the special needs kids is the same person. I am so grateful that she hasn't gone anywhere.

Brodie is a senior now. Although he loves the things that come with it like the white shirts he can wear, the VCE jumpers, sitting at the back of the bus. All the things that let the other kids know he's a senior. He is however not so sure about the workload that comes along with it. He understands that its a lot harder for him now. That more is expected of him & that he can't have too many days off or he will get too far behind to catch up. I am so proud of him today for talking with his teachers so that he could get some work.

I am worried that it will become too difficult for him, that he may have a meltdown because of the extra stress placed on him. I am also worried about the new leadership team who know absolutely nothing about him. I have visions of them trying to make him fit into a round hole when he is actually a square peg. Just like that teacher back in Year 7 & 8 tried.

I totally understand that as a new leadership team they have to place their mark on the school. That all the students need to know what is expected of them. That they have their own boundaries to set & programs to implement. I'm just concerned knowing how Brodie behaves in new & strange situations that they wont be as understanding if he implodes/explodes unless they truly know him & the struggles we've had to get him where he is today. And the leaps & bounds he has made in the last two years.

So, I have decided that I am going to make a phone call to the school & arrange a time to meet the new 'team'. To let them know how concerned I am & that he isn't like all the other kids.

Oh dear. I just read the school newsletter (thankfully I get it emailed to me) and found out that our 'regular' principal will not be returning at the end of the first semester like we believed he would. I am so sad to see him go. Brodie adored him & I thought he was pretty 'cool' myself.

Now I definitely have to go to the school to educate the New Leadership Team if I want Brodie to feel comfortable about the rest of his schooling.

The Paediatrician, Our Bishop & Disability Services

I meant to write about this the other day but hadn't gotten around to it. I took Brodie to see the paediatrician last week for a check up and for him to fill in some forms for Centrelink. Anyway while we were there Michael said that Brodie has made some fantastic changes over the past few years. All in a positive way. It made me feel good to know that things for Brodie are moving in the right direction and that people can see the differences.

Yesterday while at Church our Bishop asked to see me. Mostly to for our tithing settlement but he wanted to catch up too because he hadn't seen me much for a while. That's mostly because I haven't always been well enough to go each week. Bishop mentioned that he had spoken with the Young Men's President about Brodie, well all the kids really, but he said how they both thought Brodie has come a long way since they first met him back in 2006.

Bishop explained that he is able to have a decent conversation with Brodie now without him getting angry & frustrated. He also stated that when he first met him it was easier to talk to a brick wall (to be honest I used to think that way about the boys father).

He also said that I have done a wonderful job in raising both boys. Of course I said it was a team effort and that there have been a lot of people involved and it has been a lot of hard work on everyone's part. I did remember to say thank you :)

I know I have said this already but it sure is good to know that people can see the huge difference in Brodie. They can see that he is a wonderful kid & he is able to show it. I must tell Brodie that there are so many people out there that can see how he has changed for the better. I just hope that he is able to show that at home more. Maybe he will once he knows what others think.

One last thing. I got a phone call from the Dept. of Human Services - Disability Services on Friday morning. We had put in an application with them back in January of this year and had our first interview with them at the same time. They were to review our case and contact various other agencies we had been in contact with to see if we qualified for their assistance. So here it is almost 6 months down the track and our application has finally been approved as of last Thursday. Of course once Brodie was accepted as a 'client' he will receive their assistance for life. I am so grateful that it was approved. Not that I didn't think we would be knocked back or anything but its so nice to get some good news.

Tips from the Psychologist

Brodie & I went into Melbourne yesterday to see the Psychologist. Considering how far we had to travel (90 km/55 miles) it was a nice drive really.

I got a few tips/advice from Richard (our psychologist) that should help us out at home.

• to save an argument from occurring apologise even if you are in the right. Aspie kids love to hear you say sorry. For example: In the car after school I didn't ask B all the usual questions like How was your day? He got extremely upset about it. So what I need to do is say Sorry I didn't ask how your day went. My mistake but I thought that you might have needed a break from talk and thinking about your school day & I didn't want to cause you any stress.
  

• Its okay for an Aspie to get distressed a bit. You can't wrap them in cotton wool and protect them forever. For example: Brodie got very distressed last week when someone told him they were dying (they weren't of course they were just having an off day and didn't think before they spoke) and he runs off to his room, let him. He will survive and calm down. Perhaps if we are lucky he may even have a snooze. Its better if Brodie gets distressed than physically violent with me like he has done in the past.

• If he wants his time on the computer or play station let him. Its his way of winding down. Aspie kids need anywhere up to 5 - 6 hours of non-thinking wind down time after a hard day at school. That's why PS2 & computer games are good, they are predictable and kids don't have to think about what happens next. They already know what will happen.
  

• Let them watching the same movies over and over again even if you are sick of them. They don't need to think about what is happening because they know the storyline so well. You can always get another tv and vcr/dvd player for their bedroom.
  

That's pretty much all that I can remember for the moment & some of these tips I knew anyway but its always good to get a fresh reminder.

Positions of Responsibility

After I picked Brodie up from the bus stop after school on Wednesday he told me something that I wasn't very happy with. Well he didn't tell me straight away but I wish he had, I would have phoned his school up immediately and demanded to know the whole story! As it was I didn't speak with the school until Thursday morning.

Brodie had a disagreement with his integration aide (who is also a part time English teacher at the school) early in the day. It seems that in their 'playful' mood that they sometimes get into things got out of hand. Brodie's aide had been mimicking him to the point where Brodie got annoyed and retaliated by grabbing the aides shirt. The aide then in turn grabbed Brodie's shirt and threatened him.
Brodie left the aide and went to see the Assistant Principal. He spoke with Brodie and calmed him down. Brodie was terribly upset, as you would be if you were threatened by an adult, and he was told he didn't have to return to class straight away. In fact Brodie was kept out of classes between recess and lunchtime. Apparently Brodie was so distressed he wanted to phone me immediately and have me come and collect him. The school should have phoned me straight away so I could have at least talked to Brodie and not wait until the next day to tell me about it.
Oh I know they had to 'investigate' the incident first but I should have been called!

I know Brodie can push everyone's buttons at the best of times and I lose my cool with him from time to time as anyone would in our situation. He shouldn't have grabbed his aides shirt and most certainly the aide should NOT have grabbed him back! I was really peeved by this action of his.

While on the phone with the Assistant Principal (AP) on Thursday I certainly let him know how disappointed I was in Brodie's actions. I had a really good talk with Brodie about what he could have done instead. I also let him know that in no uncertain terms was I impressed with the aides response to what Brodie had done. I explained that he had a position of responsibility to students in his care. That the offence in some cases would result in someone getting fired.

Now please don't think I want him sacked, because I don't, but I certainly want the school to know how I feel about all of this. I can understand both sides of the fence. It can be extremely difficult dealing with Brodie. The AP said that he was going to talk with the Principal about how I felt, he said he was writing my comments down, and he had spoken with him the previous day about the 'incident'.

I thought that I would have heard either Thursday afternoon or on Friday whether any further action was going to be taken or not but I hadn't. You can guess what I will be doing on Monday morning! Hmm maybe I might even go up to the school and find out exactly what is going to happen, if anything at all. I wont let them push this 'under the table'

Bribery No Longer Works

I need to find a NEW way to motivate Brodie. It seems that I have exhausted all of the usual bribery, oops I mean, positive & token reinforcements strategies that I normally use.

Let's see what things have we tried... oh yes, the points system (kind of like fly-buys where they can exchange points for money or things of value like PC time, PS2 time, etc), stickers (too old for that now), money (I guess I don't pay enough), extra special items like movies/tv shows he likes but has not seen yet. Gosh I can't think of anything else.

I am so tired of things not working. Or should I say I am so tired of Brodie NOT working. Either Angus or I end up doing the jobs that Brodie is supposed to do. I know I shouldn't complain. Its not like these jobs are overly tiresome and hard to do, its things like drying the dishes, clear the table for dinner etc. Its just that he seems to be winning the war and getting away with not doing them.

I know I shouldn't think like that and even the psychologist said that we shouldn't think of it as a win-lose situation. I am tired of the stress of it all. To be honest with all of the health problems I have right now (see my Scratch That Darn Itch blog for details if you're interested) I don't have the energy to fight back. There are times where I just do all the jobs to save arguing. This is of course what the psychologist suggested but how on earth is this teaching Brodie to become an independent and responsible member of the family? It's showing him that if he really wants to push the issue he will get out of doing the jobs he doesn't like.

I feel like giving up.

Interchange & Respite

We had an interview, for want of a better word, with Interchange Central Gippsland Inc (ICG) yesterday. Brodie has been accepted into their Roadies program. It's on a trial basis for the moment because we just want to make sure that it's the right kind of program for him & that he likes it.

Brodie gets to go on his first activity day this Sunday. Sadly, we will have to miss Church for this one but to be honest I feel that his attending this is very important, if not more important than us attending a Sacrament meeting. To be honest I am not all that fussed about attending Church at the moment any way. Sorry Miss Diva I know I promised to talk with you about all of this kind of stuff and there is no excuse really that I haven't. Maybe one day soon I'll fill you in on everything.

Now where was I .. oh yes back to the Roadies program. The kids get to do things like go to the zoo, see movies, go bowling, sailing, visit the snow fields, visit Phillip Island and more. The kids with Aspergers get teamed up with a teenage volunteer, a buddy for the day, and they get to do the activities together. Of course there are other adults there too about six of them I think to help supervise.

There is only one draw back and that is the amount of paperwork I need to fill out but that is a very small price to pay. Roadies sounds like loads of fun. I know Brodie will enjoy it! Now all I need to do is find something for Angus to do so that he doesn't feel left out. Maybe I'll leave it up to him and see what he would like to do.

Don't Take It Personally

When someone is swearing at you like a trooper calling you all the horrible names under the sun like whore & slut, screaming at you from the top of their lungs. Making you feel terrible and worthless. What do you do? Do you accept it or fight back? Well I am supposed to remember this one sentence .. Don't take it personally. At least that is what the psychologist said when we saw him the other month. How can you not take it personally?

You know I could cope with this more if Brodie didn't get physical too. He says he doesn't realise that he does it. That isn't the point though is it. If he gets like this with me what will he do to his little brother?

I'm at the point where enough is enough. I can't handle his behaviour any more. I was thinking a short time ago how well I was doing and how perhaps I could start coming off the antidepressants that I have been on for years but these past two weeks (school holidays end tomorrow) I have felt more depressed than I have in years. Well maybe not depressed but more blue I suppose you could say. All I can say for the moment is I am glad that school goes back tomorrow!!

Emotional Turmoil

Golly I have knots in my belly and butterflies in my chest thinking about writing this next post. I guess it's because things have been so up and down this past couple of weeks. Especially the weekend before last, well the Saturday before Father's Day to be more specific. I was going to write all about this earlier but it was still feeling a little raw I guess you could say. I don't want to sound as though I am complaining but to be honest I am at my wits end with all of this.

I guess I should start at the beginning or as close to the beginning as I can recall at least. You see we're having heaps of problems with Brodie, our Aspie boy. He's larger than life now - he's 170 cm tall (5 foot 7 inches in the old scale) and weighs in at 100 kilos (around 15 and a half stones or 220 pounds) so he really isn't a small boy. Well a young man really as he is 15 already.
As I was saying we are having problems with him. They're ongoing ones and it seems that no matter what we do nothing seems to improve. Or if it does its such a small improvement that it may even go unnoticed.

We have the usual problems of back answering (what kid doesn't do that?), name calling and stand over tactics. He is taller than I am and much stronger too. He stands over me or Angus and dictates to us what we can and cannot do. He barks orders, thinking he is the head of the house and all, telling Angus what he can watch on tv as far as shows & movies go. He was dictating last Saturday when the shit hit the fan basically and got out of hand!

Mark has been sleeping in the lounge room for the last few months. He is unable to sleep in our bed as when I roll over it hurts his back and wakes him up. He has enough trouble when he rolls over himself as that too wakes him up with the pain.

Anyway Mark was jack of it all too. Sick of the constant bickering that goes on between the two boys. Mark got out of bed & got some cutters and cut the electrical cord on the tv. He had been meaning to replace it with an 'ordinary plug' because the one we had on it was from Germany or something like that as the tv is a blaupunkt (I think, European made at any rate) and it had an adaptor we needed to use in order to watch it.

Well the shit hit the fan didn't it. I fly out of bed to see what was going on. Trying to get Brodie to leave the house and go for a walk. He's standing there puffing his chest out say 'What are you going to do about it?" in reference to me telling him to go for a walk to cool off. He's constantly saying NO. He at least made it out the back door and I am still trying to get him to go for a walk and cool off. He wouldn't. He's mouthing off at me and daring me to make him go. I know I should've walked away but I didn't. I reached out to him and my hand caught the strap on his memory stick. He pulled away at the same time. The strap broke. Next thing I know is his arm is around my chest. I'm not too sure what happened after that as I don't remember; all I do remember is picking myself up off the floor. I have no recollection of being turned around as I was facing a different direction to the one I found myself facing when I finally stood up.

I worked out by this stage that Brodie wasn't home any more. He had taken off. Of course with his behaviour like this he could be a danger to himself and to others. We had no other choice but to phone the police. Something we hesitated to do every other time Brodie had become violent or aggressive. In fact two weeks before this happened he had punched Mark in the face. So as I said with regret the police were called. We were just following recommendations of friends and (former) case workers. The police ended up finding him but get this he was at the local police station waiting for them so that he could tell them what he had done. They sent him home after they had spoken with him. Not that this made a huge difference to his behaviour but he was a little quieter than usual after all of this happened.

There is much more that I could put here about the aftermath of this event but I feel that I have waffled on enough at this stage. I'm sure that there will be a chance in the future to revisit this again and reflect some more. Hindsight is a good thing I guess to help us learn from these types of events.

Pioneer Trek & Mansfield Autistic Centre

Brodie will be going on the Pioneer Hand Cart Trek organised by our stake. It will be at Creswick Regional Park, which is about a two hour drive from home. If you go to Google Maps and do a search you can go to street view and you will be able to see what the place looks like. I must admit that the pictures look like they were taken during summer so it looks rather brown and uninviting.

I can't wait for Brodie to go on the trek. It will do him the world of good to find out how hard the Pioneers had it. I know that he will learn a lot from it. He can't wait either. Brodie said he is looking forward to it.

I think Angus is excited too as he knows he will be getting a much needed break from Brodie! Not that we really want to get rid of him its just that Brodie can take up a lot of our resources I guess you could say.

We also had a phone call recently from Mansfield Autistic Centre. Mansfield is a short term placement residential school situated two hours from Melbourne. Mansfield also runs a Travelling Teacher program providing support to rural families. Anyway we got a phone call from them the other week and last week one of the travelling teachers came out to interview us. We had been on the waiting list since Brodie was officially diagnosed two years ago. So YAY we are now off the waiting list. We just need to wait to be assigned a travelling teacher who will work with us & the school. I did let the teacher know during our interview that I really would like the High School to have some sessions with her so that they can become more Asperger friendly. They really don't seem to be very Autism aware at that school. Not like I want them to be.
Mark said that I have taught them a lot since Brodie has been there but I am not sure that I have really.

I'm not sure how long we need to wait for a travelling teacher to be assigned to us but hopefully it wont be too long.

One of the programs that the Autistic centre runs is a residential program. Its where the kids can spend a whole school term there. They focus on areas like Communications skills, Social skills, Behaviour Management, Independent Living skills & Self help, Health & Well Being, Leisure and Recreation. There are no more than 12 children (it could be less) staying there for the term. I am not sure how many staff there are during the day but I know that there are two that sleep there at night to supervise the kids. It's awful expensive (around $1,000 for the term) but I would love for Brodie to attend for a term. It would give us all a much needed break and Brodie would hopefully learn so many things.

There are home weekends were he will be able to stay for about 4 days before heading back to the school. This happens every 3 weeks or so. I mentioned that I would like him to still attend Church meetings on Sundays. I don't know if I would need to organise for someone to come and collect him but I do remember being told that a staff member would most likely accompany Brodie on these outings.

That's about it for now I guess.

Oops almost forgot. Angus is so excited his soccer team made it into the finals. The first finals game is this weekend! Woohoo!!

Violent Outbursts

Temper tantrums seem to be a commonplace thing of late with Brodie. I'm a little frustrated here, well more tired and at my wits end if anything and struggling to get some form of 'normality' in the home. I know there is no such thing as normal but some peace in the family would be great.

Brodie is intimidating everyone in the family from his little brother, to me and now Mark too. I don't know what to do. He is becoming more aggressive, violent and he has a horrible case of potty mouth. The swearing that comes out of his mouth is shocking!! He towers over Angus and myself. He's an extremely solid kid too and has quite a bit of strength. Only last week he was pushing me about because he did not get his own way.

It probably doesn't help that Mark has Borderline Personality Disorder which, at times, can be a challenge in itself as they tend to clash a little more than they should but that isn't all that much of an issue really.

I've phoned our GCAMHS case manager yesterday and left a message. She doesn't work on Fridays so I wont hear from her until next week. I hope that she manages to phone early in the week.

We seem to be floundering at the moment and I want to be able to survive the weekend. We have tried everything we can think of from positive reinforcement of good behaviours, token rewards, removal of privileges, time out. I could go on but I think you get the idea and nothing seems to be working right now.