Mia x
I haven't really had time to sit and write for such a long time. It has been such a busy two years filled with emotions, big changes and really new beginnings. This last two years has been the time where i learnt the most about my children and their conditions and also people and their perceptions. It has been the year to really teach me about myself and who I am as a person . When I think back about this last two years I wonder how we have managed to get through some of it in one piece. I rarely take time to sit and think about all that has gone on in our life. I think I purposely tend to take things one day at a time because that is my survivor mode. That is the mode I set for myself all those years ago when Mia was diagnosed. 9 years ago. 9 long years in some ways and 9 extremely quick years in other ways. At the start of every school year emotions are high in our house. We never know what way Mia or her sister and brother for that fact will take to the new teachers, back to school routine. Ava was coping the best, naturally laid back and ever so popular Ava was enjoying seeing all her friends again. It was after the midterm break that I realised more was going on with Mia then I had first realised. She started to mention being teased in the yard, or that she had no clue of the social aspect of how to interact with the girls in her class, I had noticed how she obsessed about one girl in particular she adored her. They fell out, Mia was a bit to eager to be her friend full of hyperness and doing anything she could think of to get this girl to like her. The girl got fed up and Mia was inconsolable. I started the social skill training with her privatedly once a week i would drive her with out fail to it to try get her to learn about frienships, I had meetings with the resource teacher the class teacher and the principal so we could put a plan in place for her to try and increase her social skills and be aware of bullying and understand it. As this was all going on we were also coming to terms with Jacks diagnosis and trying to get him as much early intervention as possible and keep an eye on Ava and her therapys to and make sure she was always feeling included and happy. In school they tried to teach Mia social skills but she had no support on the yard and no SNA even though we asked repeatedly for one, Eventually when the bullying got so bad they said an SNA would keep an eye on her but this was 3months of phone calls, messages, meetings and Mia just a shadow of herself, She was having constant panick attacks and was so down in herself that even her psychiatrist wrote to the school insisting on sna support. I never saw myself ever as a home schooler but thats what I did. I refused to send my daugther to be bullied any longer. I couldnt stand the affect it was having on her. She was getting constant nose bleeds, coming out of school hysterical, taking panick attacks, self harming it was horrendous and we had had enough. I home schooled her for 6months. I was so afraid to take on such a responsibility and it was not a decision taken lightly. I took all her school books, registered with TULSA the home schooling board and every day we had our own schedule and we did class work for a couple of hours and then we would work on social skills by going out around the town, shopping , interacting with people teaching her how to look at people speak to them, how to use money, we would go to the library and do history projects we would go to wells house and do nature projects. It was extremely rewarding but extremely tough. I had no free time. I had one morning a week where I could meet my friends to go for a walk that was my only outlet, at night when the kids where gone to bed I would research projects for her do and correct all her work and do a schedule for the next day and research schools for her to go back to but it had to be the right school that understood her. She was so relaxed them 6 months she needed that time to heal. Heal from the bullying and build back up her self esteem. I knew she was always going to go back to school and as her mother it was my job to protect her and protect her. That 6 months we made the best memories she taught me so much about Autism that its probably why her and Jack are doing so well. She taught me a lot about myself to. I never knew I could even do something like that. I put every ounce of myself into my children as much as i possibly can. I put all my anger and shame for the bullies and the school into building Mia back up. We found a great school but its a distance and she has to travel. When I waved her off that first day on the school bus I asked her was she ready and she had a huge smile and said yea mum I really like it there but i will miss u as my teacher. I remember waving her off telling her i loved her and running into the toilet and sobbing, i was so proud of her to start all over again. Her new school so understands Autism and takes the steps to help her. They also have a fantastic no bullying policy and in force it. I have never seen her so happy, she has friends, actual friends, she bounces off the bus most days. Its taken 11 years to see that. 11 years of work and shes done it all. I can't wait to see what she accomplishes when shes older.
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