Single Mom Looking for Peace of Mind

My hobby is owning my own Pampered Chef business. It started out as a way to expand on some cooking skills, make some money to buy the wonderful tools and make new friends. Networking is very valuable for all aspects of my personal life. I never know who I might meet that can help me for personal services from fence repair to housekeeping services. Anyways, this hobby pays me to have fun. Have you thought about a hobby such as this? I'd love to share more and help you see if it's a fit for you. You may reach me by email at ____@____.com.

Not sure if my response went through. Talk with your Dr about support programs for autism. There are groups out there that meet, that may help you both mentally and possibly give you some your own time.
Sorry I know nothing about violins.
J.

The Family Connections Project

The North Texas Autism Project
Shahla Alai-Rosales, Ph.D., BCBA, Director
____@____.com

The primary mission of the Family Connections Project is to enhance the quality of relationships within families who have children with autism. This is accomplished through a three pronged approach. The first approach involves “functional communication training”. Parents are taught techniques to help their children communicate throughout everyday family routines and activities. The second approach involves “planned activities training”. Parents are taught to identify key social routines and social opportunities throughout the day. They then learn to create and capitalize on opportunities in ways that will enhance child skills and overall family life. The final approach extends communication & social activities support to siblings and extended family members, such as grandparents.

Have you tried freecycle.org you can find things on there that people no longer want its no garentee really that anyone will have one but its a place to start and everything on there is free

My daughter took violin lessons in elementary school and we were able to rent her a violin from a music store in Plano. I can't remember the name of it but I do know it was on the west side of Collin Creek Mall off of Alma just north of Plano Parkway. I think it cost about $25.00 per month. Hope this helps.
T.

This may sound silly, but I love to write in a journal. I right anything I want and it can be a release sometimes, even if its just rambling. Its tough have a child with autism, I have one too. If the journal isnt for you, I also, after kids are in bed, listen to jazz music, its so awesome and relaxing.

I am sorry to hear about your struggles with the public school system. My son has autistic tendencies, but has not been diagnosed at this time.

I agree with the response that suggested you contact your school regarding their Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP). It is your right as a parent to have one in place. If your son does not have one, or it is not adequate, it is also your right to call an ARD meeting and set one up. You can take whoever you want with you to the ARD. You can take a parent advocate or maybe a friend who is good at debating stuff.

I also want to applaud your efforts to find something "just for you," like a hobby. Great idea! You can't pour yourself into your son if you are running on empty, right? I have a couple of ideas. First, a lot of churches in our area have Sunday school classes for kids with special needs. You can refresh yourself spiritually while your son is being well taken care of. I know that Chase Oaks Church (Plano/Allen area) and First Baptist Church of Allen have programs like this. Even if you aren't a "church" type person, you can still meet a lot of caring parents who are having similar struggles.

If you don't want to attend a church, Chase Oaks Church also offers a community service called Kids Day Out every 2-3 months. Basically, parents drop off their kids (siblings welcome, too) at the church building for a night of fun (pizza party, bounce house, crafts, songs, etc) while the parents get some time to themselves. I think it lasts 3-5 hours. The kids have an absolute ball and the parents can refresh themselves. You can call them at ###-###-####. It is a free event.

Anyways, I hope this helps and that you find the support and encouragement you need.

There was another posting recently about someone looking for a flute to purchase or rent, and a lot of rental places for musical instruments were posted - maybe you can find a violin at one of these places:
http://mamasource.com/request/recent/75094/1204580510/29

Would music therapy also help your son?

I recently volunteered for an event benefitting the Allen Special Olympics - if you got involved with that or a similar organization, it could allow your son some physical outlet, and you could also meet other parents with Autism or other special needs. Maybe even arrange to trade off babysitting services to give you some time 'off' to relax.
www.sotx.org

Good luck - I hope you find some relief.

I also have a son with Asperger's, and thankfully our marriage has so far survived. It gives us a few more options so we are not trapped dealing with public schools.

The first thing I would do is to look up your state representatives and let them know how difficult it is for you to earn a living with the school situation - Tell them your story, and be sure to ask them to respond to "What would you do?" There will be a lot of autism-related legislation filed during the next session, and it is important for them to know about you. You can look up your state legislators here: http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/

Texas State Senator and Texas State Representative is who you're after. If you happen to live in east Dallas, please let me know, because I have started an autism support group specifically for keeping an eye on our house district.

The school should have a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) in place for your son. If they don't, ask them why not. Again, explain your situation, which they already know, and ask what they would do. You can also ask your state representative to attend your ARD meeting with you. It may or may not happen, but it would get the world offered to your son for a while.

As for a hobby, you might want to start something that is easy to pick up and put down and that will force you to sit and watch a show. If you have fabric scraps, you could get a rotary cutter and cutting board fairly cheap, cut everything into squares and hand stitch a lap quilt or quilted placemat. It doesn't really matter what it becomes - you're using materials you already have, and your hands are staying busy.

Good luck - I am sorry to say that I have heard your story so many times.