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can you read this for me?

is an update for the SEN playgroup that Luke used to go.



Dear Koalas

Hello! I am long overdue sending you an update on Luke.
He started school in September and has settled into his new class. He was full time after a month and although tiredness is still a problem he is enjoying himself and is excited to be there. He looks so smart and grown up in his uniform.

We had some initial problems with staffing issues supporting his lunch time, despite all the initial communication and your detailed records about Luke’s feeding issues it seems they needed to see for themselves the amount of support he needs and he now has a TA sat with him for all meals. We seem to be in a routine now and Luke manages a hot flask of food (puree), yoghurt and juice carton at lunch time whilst doing an activity like a jigsaw puzzle to help reduce the pressure and his anxiety of it being all about eating and the food. Sometimes he can feed himself and other times he needs some help. He hasn’t made any progress with textures and we expect that it will be a long, slow journey of feeding therapy to get Luke to bite and chew but for now we are concentrating on getting him confident with the textures he can mange and self feeding skills.

School are still working on his social skills and he seems to have friends, although no one particular friend and I have been a little disappointed that he has had no play date invites despite me trying to arrange them as well. I’m hoping that as the weather improves (rain, rain, go away!) and the evening are lighter, it will be easier to do trips to the park after school.

He is still enjoying playing with trains and cars. Father Christmas bought him a balance bike for Christmas- it’s a two wheel bike but without peddles and really good for children who have coordination issues because you don’t need to peddle but just scoot along with your feet.

I miss my Friday mornings at Koalas and have such fond memories of our time there. We had an appointment at Salt Way recently and when I told Luke were going to see the Koala Doctor (not a visit to GWH) he got very excited and asked if we would be going in the playroom because he wanted to check the trains.


Best wishes

Carole Fowler

Replies

  • Really lovely update, I am sure thry will love hearing how he is doing!  

  • It sounds like Luke is doing well Carole. Did you want advice on something in the update or was it just a share?

    By the way, don't worry too much about not having playdates yet. I didn't really arrange any for my daughter until later on during reception year. I judged that she was too tired after school to manage them, and I know other parents didn't bother much at first either.

  • I was looking for spell check grammar etc.

    yes I hope that play dates will happen in the spring and summer term. It's so hard when the weather is horrible and you just want to get home. I think the only thing that bothers me is that there have been birthday parties that he's not been invited to and I've found that hard.

    I've added a bit about his feeding tube coming as that's a massive achievement I forgot!

  • Aww, lovely update and reads really well - I bet they'll love to receive your update.

    C also hasn't had any play dates yet (although I haven't initiated trying to get any) or many party invites either - does make me feel sad for him when I hear about parties and birthdays of children who I thought he seemed good friends with, but hasn't been invited. xx

  • It all seems fine to me - the spelling, etc.

    You have to be realistic about birthday parties. They won't get invited to everything, no child is and in reception class in particular they are still working their friendships out. Things shift around quite a bit and the children they like at one point may not be the children they like later on.

  • All seem's fine you me the spelling, I am no good at grammar though lol!

  • Looks great, its a nice letter :-) peddle and peddles should be pedal and pedals though??

    I wouldn't worry about playdates either, DS2 has only been to one and that was a boy he knew at nursery anyway.

    I think spring/summer is def easier to get out and socialise.

  • Thanks LL I will correct that

    I think I'm just a bit sensitive about Luke having the chance to socialise with other children because of a) his difficult start and b) he is an only child and I'm really conscious that he doesn't have siblings or any family locally ie cousins. we can go a whole weekend without him having an opportunity to interact with other children. Last weekend on the Saturday we took him to the zoo, and despite there being lots of other families with children it wasn't the kind of place where you 'play' with other children. the next day it poured down so we stayed in other than a trip to the supermarket.

  • Carole - I have an only child as well and the lack of interaction with other children is also one thing I am also conscious of. However, that doesn't mean that I want to fill up my weekend with play dates with other children either Laugh

    There are classes/social groups that run on the weekend that you might want to look at when he is a little older. My daughter is currently doing swimming lessons, other children go to things like Stagecoach or gymnastics. 

    I've noticed that if we go to a play area or somewhere where there are other children and she is on her own she will try to make friends with another child of a similar age but she is a very outgoing child (she certainly doesn't get this from me as I was very shy at her age). Often we will bump into other children we know when we go to the local park on a weekend anyway. Otherwise she just has to make do with mum and dad, which she seems very happy with at the moment. 

    One thing I am aware of is that when I was a little older than she is now (she's nearly 7) I was allowed to pop up the street to see if my friends were in. Whereas these days we don't allow our children the same freedom and so everything has to be that bit more organised for them. 

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