Hello everyone, just wanted to wish you all a very Happy Easter. Holidays always seem to take the pressure off as my son knows everyone is not going to school. He still hasn't left the house (8 months and counting) but he did sit with me on the sofa for an hour today bird watching.

Little victories......

Thank you to all of your for your support.

Juliet
xxx

Small steps and you will get there - have a lovely Easter

Sarah xx

Hi Juliet,
It is those little victories that put smiles on our faces as they are big mammoth steps for our kids. Enjoy those wee sofa moments and then another wee surprise will be added in.My son would have been in the house a similar length of time and built up to going out for night time drives...we had good conversations ....then youth club....and after a year out of the school system started in the a.e.p. centre three weeks ago. It really is just allowing them time. I am learning the gift of patience ..and I know that both of us have grown through this experience.
Take care and enjoy the holidays,
love Lindy x

Hi everyone

Happy Easter to you all.

We have just been away to Devon for a week. I was quite keen to get my son away for a while as our last holiday in August had felt quite difficult. He wasn't keen to book a week away, but I got him involved in choosing where we'd go and made sure he liked the cottage I'd chosen etc. - otherwise I was worried he'd just refuse to go! It wasn't an easy week (some days he wouldn't go to the place we arrived at because there were too many cars in the car park), but it was good to get him away.

I hope things are a little more relaxing for you all over the holidays.

Sharon

A belated happy easter to you all.
And yes - those small steps are so important. Sharon - I was wishing I had booked a week away. I only got my son to go out to see my mother - other than that - he wouldn't go out. And I recall last holidays when he said he'd like to go into the city - when we got there he refused to get out of the car until I managed to somehow sit and calm him. I think like your son - he saw all the cars in the carpark and perhaps thought a thousand eyes were staring at him. Strangely enough - he copes better in the city with hundreds of people on the footpath than he does in a suburban shopping strip or a shopping centre. I think it gets to a point (as it does with all of us) that if there are just too many people, we have to tune out and they become a mass rather than individual eyes looking. He freaks at buskers with amplifiers, however, and I have to watch that he doesn't bolt in the opposite direction.
Today my son has promised to get out of the house with me - not somewhere he has chosen (as he never choses anywhere) but where I take him. I am anticipating just a drive at this stage. He says, however, that he hates going into the 'country' and prefers the city or driving in the city, despite hating crowds. Is it the wide open spaces he is avoiding? If he stays like this too much for the holidays- then going back to school will become enormously difficult. Oh well - tackle that when we come to it : )
Good luck to everyone - and hopefully you all had some relaxing time over the easter break.
Take care
Linda