Our Half Term

The half term hasn’t been to hectic but despite this making me sound a terrible person, I am kind of looking forward to next weeks return to school.

The toddler just becomes a monster with his siblings in the home. Little man is starting to lose his grip on routine and my daughter… Well, she seems to have developed a taste for attitude.

What’s more I just want to get stuff done and its not easy when your needing to break up your children when they are screaming in one another’s face.

Its been a long week…

I’ve also had the pending announcement of the “Uk Smartest Shopper on my mind” its seems like ages since my interview on Saturday and the suspense has been mounting. Nonetheless the children being home has more than kept the mind occupied

The day was great if not nerve wracking and this week Savoo sent me a little reminder of the day.

Little man’s new IEP has been delivered in the post accompanied with a new timetable. This means I’ve had to prepare him for the pending changes such as the new addition to Fridays routine which is swimming. He seems really excited about this though and we are going out tomorrow so he can choose some new swimming trunks.

Last night was Halloween. Little man decided that his heighten senses would not allow for dressing up especially in a latex mask and costume that he reported made him feel fuzzy. This meant I needed to be creative and out came the face-paints. Its strange as little man used to hate the sensation of face-paint but now he loves having his face painted and yesterday I painted it as Saw (not that he knows who saw is but he liked it all the same). This also meant that he was pretty much able to wear whatever he wanted so of course it was comfortable jogging bottoms and a hoody.

Alice, however wore a handmade creation. I love how my little girl likes to be different and having failed at making her a monsters high outfit she instead became this funky Character ….

I love how it turned out. She wore a tutu I made with funky spiderweb material that we got from the pound shop. She teamed with a vintage scarf I picked up from a charity shop and her beloved H&M hat. I also painted her face taking inspiration from a design I saw on pinterest.

Harley the youngest of the three looked adorable dressed as Scooby Doo. This was a fantastic costume that I brought in the sale at Sainsbury’s. well worth the tenner as he can wear it for parties and other occasions. I brought it in a 3-4 years so he will get plenty of wear from it.

Yesterday was also a fun crafting day. We made everything from tissue paper wreaths to spooky batty bats that glow in the dark. Little man has never been much of a crafter but surprisingly gave a couple of the activities a go. He also helped with the decorating afterwards.

This year all except two spooky window lights were homemade.

The toddler and Alice also had great fun making spooky finger puppets for Halloween. These were sent to us from our favourite craft supplier ‘Baker Ross‘.

You can see how we made some of the items by visiting my sister site (mummy of many talents).

So… With Halloween now over and the kids back at school next week I’m planing on catching up with some of the other stuff I’ve got to do like the food shop and ironing… Yer life is a joy isn’t it!

The Big Fat Autism Myths

Still today we are surrounded by countless myths concerning Autism and Aspergers Syndrome. Yes, we’ve come far to raise awareness for autism and the fact its a spectrum condition but still many struggle to except that some things are myth as opposed to fact.

Here’s some great examples…

Those on the autism spectrum have late language development!

Now although to some extent this is true, its not always the case especially in those at the higher end of the spectrum (Aspergers). Little man actually said his first word at 5 months and was able to speak very well by the age of 12 months.

Children on the autism spectrum make low academic progress because of learning difficulties.

Again this maybe the case for some children, mainly those at the lower end of the spectrum. However, some children on the spectrum have no learning difficulties whatsoever with some actually having higher IQ levels than those of their peers.

All children on the autism spectrum cannot attend mainstream schooling.

Admittedly mainstream school admitted that they could no longer meet little man’s needs and he eventually gained a place at an autism special school. This was despite him being on the higher end of the autism spectrum with an Aspergers diagnosis and a high IQ. Like many children with Aspergers he struggled with the more social side of school and suffered terrible anxiety. The truth is children with autism can receive a mainstream education… It just depends on the child and school in questions.

People on the autism spectrum don’t have feelings.

This is a big fat myth! If anything Little man feels to much and its these feelings of love and worry that cause him to become anxious. For little man its just harder for him to express those feelings… I know they are there and that’s a huge difference.

People on the autism spectrum don’t have an imagination.

Again this is a big fat fib. Little man finds it difficult to play imaginary games as he likes to base things on fact. He also likes to have a visual reference. However little man uses his imagination in other ways and is extremely clever at creating ideas when relating to something of interest.

All people with autism hate loud noise.

This is all down to the senses and regardless of autism we all have our own level of tolerance. Yes, many people with autism have heighten senses and this can make loud noise very uncomfortable (often to the point it becomes physically painful). However as well as children with autism experiencing sensory sensitivity, some are actually sensory seekers and will therefore seek out some type of loud noise.

All children who like Thomas the tank engine are autistic!

What can I say… Total Bull S#%# Yes little man liked Thomas the tank engine and statistics indicate that many children on the autism spectrum have a liking for Thomas at some point, however lots of children love Thomas and not all are autistic… That’s just crap.

All people with Autism are the same. If one person with autism experiences a certain difficulty then so will another.

Rubbish! This is why we call it a spectrum. Plus no two people are the same, we all have our own traits with and without autism. Yes there are a certain collection of traits that make up an autism diagnosis but this is a limited number.

All people with autism are Savants.

As lovely a myth as this is, it is just that… A myth! We all have things we are good at but only some of us have what it takes to be considered as Gifted which is the same for those on the autism spectrum. Many people with autism have things they are extremely good at (like little mans ability to memorise travel information) but rainman he isn’t and this is often the case for many.

Autism can be cured!

Most know how I feel about this myth. Autism is a life long diagnosis… There isn’t a cure. However, with the right education and learnt social skills things can be made less difficult for those on the spectrum.

Autism is caused by the MMR

Many will argue with me that this is not a myth. However I do believe it to be just that. You are born with autism, you do not develop it at some stage of your life. You don’t suddenly become autistic. And you don’t become autistic because of a childhood immunisation!

People with Autism are good a math.

Admittedly, little man is excellent at Math, but I do know other children on the autism spectrum who struggle with math and therefore find it their most difficult subject at school.

Children with autism can’t grow up to lead independent adult lives.

Many people on the autism spectrum, especially those on the higher end of the spectrum go on to have fully independent adult lives. This includes having a job, home and family of their own!

The Big Bang Campaign… Keep it before 9 p.m

Remember, remember the 5th of November…

My guess is, many parents of children on the autism spectrum remember the 5th of November and remember it well!

The 5th of November is a night that will see the skies above us alight in an array of stunning, spectacular colours, but that’s not all we will see! Many of us throughout Britain will see not just our pets dart around the house in distress, but also a child or loved one.

Bonfire night is celebrated by huge numbers whether it’s by attending a large public display or hosting their own back yard antics. For some it’s a night of fun and laughter, a chance to meet friends, drink wine out of plastic beakers while eating hot-dogs smothered in mustard. For others it’s a night of hiding, turning up the TV and comforting their frighten child.

We grow up looking forward to such events, we loved them as a child and can’t wait to share a night stood by the bonfire with our own children. What is there not to like about this fun and eventful night?

Why don’t you ask that question to a child on the autism spectrum!

No, not all hate fireworks, but a large proportion of children and adults on the autism spectrum will spend the year dreading it! I wrote a last year about little mans fear of the firework! He thinks they are stunning and at a distance his not to bad with the big bang. But when there’s rockets flying about above his head, then bursting into a glittering infusion of colour, my child will likely do what I refer to as the “Army drop and crawl” Basically he fears the fireworks will come clashing back down on top of him, he freezes then drops, before embanking on his army crawl to safety. Despite this reaction, my little man could hold a sparkler all night long. As I explained before, it’s a sensory reaction, because the firework is above him and he cannot judge the distance between himself and the exploding firework, he then begins to fear it! My Little man feels much safer stood behind a pane of glass watching fireworks from the safety of his home.

For many people on the autism spectrum the dislike of fireworks relates to sensory sensitivity as-well as the dislike of “social gatherings”.

Even those who are not on the spectrum can have difficulties tolerating the loudness of a firework display, especially a big one! For the person with autism, this sensitivity to noise is sometimes so overbearing it causes actual pain. Now, can you even begin to imagine how hard that must be? I can’t and thank myself lucky that I do not experience such a difficulty. However this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t matter, because it does, it really does! Little man only has problems when we go out, so of course we avoid the public displays, or one parent stays home while the other treats the other children to a trip to our local display. That’s just how it is and always has been. I think that we are quite lucky, some children experience such anxiety that they require comfort from their parent throughout the night meaning little sleep is had by many.

I’m not trying to make you all feel guilty, nor am I saying this in the hope that you wont go to your local fireworks display or celebrate in your own way. I’m just asking that you all spare a thought for the families housing an autistic child or adult. I simply ask that as much fun as bonfire night can be, take a second to stop and think… Light your fireworks at a reasonable hour! Who is your neighbour, do you know a family affected by autism? Keep it early, keep it safe, keep it before 9 p.m.! That is all I ask!

“ Do you think that’s fair? If so, how about tweeting this post just once using one of the share button (tweet, Facebook, Stumble, etc.) located at the bottom of this post. You could even raise awareness on this one day, just by right clicking the image above and uploading as your profile pic on your social network” after all it is just one day!”

A Back To School Special

Oh my goodness can you believe how quickly the holidays passes by. I just cannot believe that they’re going back to school already.

Ok, admittedly there have been certain days, weeks even, when I could be heard asking “When do they go back to school already” But on the whole, the holidays have been relatively good (and thats regardless of them good old meltdowns)!

Yes, I’m pretty nervous about little man’s return to school! Although he went up to the secondary school a few weeks before the breakup, as to allow him some time to get used to the change, I’m guessing there will still be problems. Now, I’m not a pessimist, just a realist, a mother who’s now been parenting a boy with Aspergers for almost 12 years!

These last few weeks of the holidays I’ve been doing certain things to prepare little man.

I’ve got him to wear his new shoes on a daily basis as to wear them in.Then there’s his new uniform that I’ve had him sit around in for 15 minutes each day.This is all in the hope that it helps him to avoid any sensory related difficulties or induced meltdown, on the day that he starts.

My daughter has her uniform all hung up ready for her return to school on Thursday. I admit to getting this really last minute (Saturday, that’s how last minute)! Luckily ‘Matalan’ had fresh stock and saved the day. You can catch our review here tomorrow.

As for stationary… This year I’m over organised, taking no chances whatsoever!

Many will know how little man has poor fine motor skills a trait of his Aspergers Syndrome. As a result he stopped writing for a few years of his life. He would only write using a computer and as a mother who still believes in the benefits of good old fashion writing, this upset me!

He completely lost all his confidence when it came to putting pen to paper but since leaving mainstream and starting at his independent special school where his undergoing weekly OT sessions, this is all history now as his writing and enthusiasm to do so, is improving with each passing day.

My daughter Alice-Sara who like myself, loves to write and is also actually very creative, has her own difficulties. However these are more so with her letter formation, and writing style. She is finally just in the process of being tested for Dyslexia. She is left handed like myself and for many years did mirror writing and at times still does. (This is where letters and numbers are written back to front)!

This is why the right stationary is important to us. For many a pen is nothing other than simply that… “A pen” but it’s important for my children to use pens and pencils that they are comfortable using.

This year the lovely PR for STABILO offered to help us find some stationary that the children could really benefit from.

Here’s a selection of what we tried.

The Double ended pen is available in sets of 10 and are targeted at children 6 years and above. The pen feature stackable lids to encourage good organisation skills. This double tip pen has a fine tip for writing and sketching and a broad tip for colouring in. What’s more each end has an ergonomic triangular grip zone which helps the child to hold the pen correctly. Perfect for little man a child with poor fine motor skills.

Other great features to the STABILO Trio double ended pen is its washable ink! A must have feature unless you enjoy trying to remove ink from white school shirts? Mmmm… I thought not!

This is a great pen for both my children and Alice-Sara loves how this allows her to switch quickly between writing and colouring. Little man liked it’s fine tip, the fact he could write in colour. He especially liked how it felt against the paper, commenting that it writes really nicely.

The Cappi Pen is targeted at children aged 6 years and above. I love these pens as the caps can be easily threaded onto a cap ring making them less likely to lose (that’s unless they lose the entire cap ring with all the lids attached or worse the pens them self). Again these are great for both my children as both have issues with organisation skills and are forever misplacing things.

Like before the STABILO Cappi pen features that all important ergonomic grip zone that allows children to hold their pen correctly, giving them a better grip and prevents little fingers from slipping. Another feature is its unusual tube shape that has been designed so the pen doesn`t roll away and can be easily picked-up. Oh and if you do happen to misplace your cap ring when using a pen then don’t panic you have plenty of time to look for it as these won’t dry out for at least 24 hours.

Alice-Sara, my fellow lefty was lucky to get her hands on the STABILO EASYOriginal pen. I say lucky as this has been a godsend and I can’t see her using anything else again.The pen is targeted at children learning to write as well as school age children over 6 years. There are two kinds of EasyOriginal available! Those designed for left handed children as well as one designed for the right handed child.

Features… A new interpretation of the fountain pen but instead an ergonomically designed rollerball. This is the first rollerball especially designed for left- and right-handers.

The pen has a specially formulated grip zone made from non-slip material which gives children far better control over the pen.

I loved the easy no mess solution it provided when it comes to refilling your pen. Every refill has a new tip which means that children are not exposed to the ink itself avoiding spillages.

Alice-Sara loves the pen and we are going to seek permission for her to be able to take and use the pen at school. She’s currently at Primary school and as standard they can usually be found writing in pencil (unless given pen licenses which means obtaining a standard handwriting pen)! I can’t see why it should be a problem what with the been being praised by teachers, approved by parents and loved by children.

I’ve since brought a right handed STABILO EASYOriginal pen for Little Man as STABILO report how children using an EASYOriginal pen, are given a more relaxed hold whilst writing! This in itself prevents muscle fatigue which is great news for my son.

I’ve even tried my daughters left hand pen and can comment on its ease of use, comfortable handling resulting in my improved neat and tidy handwriting (even when rushing) For me the fact that it doesn’t blot or scratch is a real bonus!

Available with royal-blue erasable ink, document-proof black ink or red ink.
All colour combinations feature a space for a name tag.

The STABILO Trio Scribbi is targeted at artist who want to get to grips with a pen for the first time, as well as children who have difficulties with using pens because of motor skills (like Little man). So… Why is it different? Well, this is a pen that is said to be almost indestructible thanks to its push-resistant thick tip. Its clever triangular design helps children get a secure ergonomic grip. Its great for kids like Little man who tends to get more pen on his hands than on that of the paper as its super-washable for problem-free cleaning of hands and even clothes.

Little man used it but states that he still couldn’t colour correctly with it as he still coloured outside the lines of his drawing. I think his looking for a pen with a Miracle solution to the problem.

The STABLIO Woody 3 in one was for Alice-Sara as its a pencil that has been designed for the child who loves to draw. The pencil has a unique feature that acts as a colored pencil, watercolour and wax crayon all in one.
It has XXL break-proof lead ­that is as thick as 8 standard coloured pencils. It’s designed to be highly pigmented with high opacity and colour intensity, even on dark paper! Better still this is a pencil that writes on smooth surfaces such as glass, metal, leather etc.

This is ideal for Alice-Sara as its unique versatility supports her every expanding creative development.

This awesome 3-in-1 comes in translucent colors (red, green, blue).

But it’s not just stationary we needed to think about. I still had the issue of little man’s hygiene. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that he just don’t want to wash, his just extremely tactile defensive. The way his skin feels once its absorbed water Is something he finds hard to tolerate… “You know that squeaky clean feeling or worse the one where your fingers wrinkle?” It’s so hard as this tactile defensiveness affects many areas such as nail cutting and teeth brushing. Every single day morning and night without fail it remains a battle. This means that getting little man to wash his hands before eating or after using the toilet is just plain handwork that I’m losing the energy for.

Little man is at an age where I should no longer need to follow him around demanding he does these basic acts of hygiene.Then there is the issue of school! I don’t want staff to have to constantly ask him to wash his hands. As a solution I’d just have him keep a small tube of hand cream (though he still found it hard to overcome the anxiety about the initial task). We also tried hand sanitiser, only these created there own problems. Not only did some bring around the exact same problem as before but the smell would make him feel ill. One or two even caused him reactions due to there harsh ingredients.

We were sent a bottle of my pocket buddy on-the-go hand sanitiser to review. Our problem was detected in a tweet and the lovely social media team behind the brand, got in contact and as a result, shipped one of these to the little man pretty quickly.

Here’s what this pocket buddy claims to do…

“My Pocket Buddy® on-the-go hand sanitiser has been scientifically formulated to kill 99.99% of germs, whilst still being kind to your hands. Our product range includes an 8ml pen spray for children, a 50ml foamer for adults, and a 500ml foaming dispenser, ideal for the home, nursery, or your place of work.

Not only is My Pocket Buddy® alcohol free and made from 100% natural ingredients, it’s effective in seconds, helping reduce germs, bacteria, viruses and fungi on the skin. There are no chemical nasties in any of our products, ensuring safe protection for your hands, and giving you peace of mind that your loved ones are protected too.”

For us the thin pen design is the perfect size for little man to carry around yet big enough for him to find in his pocket without getting stressed (the little man hates losing things and having to look for them)! The fact that it’s also a spray makes it so quick and easy to use.

Most importantly and I say this with a huge smile on my face… He likes it, there is a massive reduction in the uncomfortableness he would normally feel when using water or another alcohol based sanitiser. What’s more it doesn’t smell as potent and his therefore coping well with using it.

The only issue we are left with now is ensuring we have enough and don’t run out as his built up a routine and as Little man will tell you… “Routines were not designed to be broken!”

Those who have similar problems can find out more by visiting the product page online

This is not a sponsored post and no payment has been made by those brands mentioned. I didn’t have to write and review any of the products discussed within this post, as I was not asked to included them here. All words are my own and not influenced from anyone other than myself.

Aspergers – Worrying what the future holds

When you mention that your child has Aspergers Syndrome, most that have some understanding of the syndrome, just think the characteristics are a lacking in social interaction skills, literal understanding, or an intense special interest. There is so much more to Aspergers then this! One of the main difficulties for Little man is learning independence skills, the most basic everyday things that a “typical” child masters in the early years of life, such as tying their own shoe laces, Little man is only just beginning to do at the age of 11 years.

We have always struggled when it comes to daily hygiene, basic teeth brushing and hand washing are a few amongst the list of difficulties Little man has. This is due to a combination of factors such as, sensory sensitivity (which is defiantly the case for brushing his teeth, and reluctance in letting me cut his nails) to lacking the basic skills needed to do what you or I can only describe as the most basic of tasks.

The hard thing for us as a family is the fact Little man is more than aware that these are skills he should have mastered by now and yes it make him very anxious and upset.
It’s not that he doesn’t want to wash his face & hands, like I have said this is just a basic skill his lacking, which is why we use visual aids in the bathroom. Little man just needs a visual reminder to remind him of the order in which certain things need to be done!

So, here’s my worry… shouldn’t Little man have mastered the order of play by now, not be relying on visual direction as much? This is something he cannot be doing as an adult and as we reach the years of puberty (oh god I’m dreading these) this will become an even bigger and more needed skill that he must acquire.

When Little man was much younger, even though we struggled to obtain a diagnosis, then a statement of sen… things such as these were much easier to cope with! Now my Little man is growing fast, before I know it he will be 16, what then?

Like any mother, I only want the best for my child! I want him to grow up, get a job, a wife, have a family of his own! I’m not stating he can’t do these things, I know he can! What I need to do is step back and help him to help himself!

It sounds harsh, yes, I know! But he is my son and I love him! I am guilty of doing what many mothers of children on the spectrum do… helping him that little bit too much! If Little man finds something hard to cope with, it’s easier for me to remove the source of the problem, yet in the long run how will this help him? I’m not just talking about hygiene now… I’m talking about everything, from sensory overload, when we take a visit to the supermarket or fighting with his sister (there is only so many times you can remove a child from the situation after all)!

Yes, such issues are true struggles for my child, however it must get to that stage where in order to help my child cope with the things he finds most difficult I need to slowly introduce new techniques to help him acquire better skills for his future, I’m gonna have to start now… before my child is relying on his mum, come age 21!

I just wish these things were easier… that’s all!

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Natural and Clean the green way to clean your home

I was recently asked to review some products from the ‘Natural and Clean‘ range, Of course I said, “Please, bring them on” Why wouldn’t I? As much as I hate to clean, I still find myself engaging in such a task, what with three children and two kittens, I don’t have a choice!

Natural and Clean are UK specialist that sell a selection of  home, travel and pet cleaning essentials that are all 100% natural, no nasty chemicals to contend with and environmentally friendly!

The lovely people at ‘Natural and Clean’ sent me a great selection of their products to put to the test, these were…

100% Natural Cat Litter

This Litter is 100% Biodegradable and consists of 100% waste vegetable matter from only sustainable sources. The patented odour control formulation removes the smell of cat urine permanently and with this clumping formula, you need only remove the waste clumps. A 6 litre bag will last 1 cat approximately 4 weeks and can absorb 300% of its weight in liquid and this lightweight formulation makes it even easier to carry!

My thoughts… It all sounds fabulous, I received the litter (which was as light as a feather) and started using it straight away. However all was not fabulous for these two naughty kittens, as they went a toilet everywhere but the litter. The kittens just wouldn’t go near the stuff and I only noticed having discovered a puddle of pee smack bang on the middle of the living room floor. I persisted, yet no matter what, the Kittens just wouldn’t use the litter. I think this may have been due to the fact it was so… different to what we were using before! Sadly my kittens had got a bit used to the cheap crap ( kittens are not cheap to keep so I had been using the cheap rubbish that is super heavy to carry, for far to long) I only wished my kittens had taken to this litter and maybe I should have tried mixing it with the rubbish I’ve been using. If this does what it claims to do then it will be an excellent product! Sadly I can’t comment and only wished I could give more useful feedback. £6.65 would seem a high price for cat litter, but if it does last the length of time it claims, then it’s actually no more expensive than any other litter as the cheaper brands tend to last no more than a week!

Whoops a-daisy

The fine crystals of Natural & Clean Whoops a-daisy! Convert liquid spillage’s into gel, making them easy to control and remove. Whoops a-daisy! is non-toxic, biodegradable and safe to use around both children and animals. It can be used on any carpet, hard flooring, upholstery, bedding or clothing.

My thoughts… I’m a massive Whoops a-daisy fan, I’m not the kind of girl you will usually find raving about a cleaning product, it’s just a cleaning product right! No, not right… you couldn’t be more wrong if you tried. Honest, this stuff is my new best friend, it’s converted me into an advertisement, seriously whenever someone comes around mine, I find myself pouring water on the floor just to demonstrate its magic. I can’t stand having to deal with all them nasty accidents what with the kittens not taking to the litter and a toddler in potty training mode I’ve had to deal with my fair share this week alone. Whoops a-daisy makes it real easy. I love the fact there is no strong and overpowering odour. Little man is sensitive to certain smells and I can only use everyday cleaning products when his at school or sleeping , etc. In this respect We didn’t have any problems with the ‘Natural and Clean’ range. Basically you sprinkle some whoops a-daisy on any spillage wait a few minutes and the powder absorbs the spillage along with it’s odour, once fully absorbed you can hover or use a dustpan and brush to remove the power and it’s horrid contents that has now become some form of jelly. It’s fantastic for them emergency accidents like blood or red wine on white carpets. Honestly I’ll be buying more, its awesome the results are instant and amazing. Priced at £4.99 it’s simply a ‘Must Have’ bargain.

The Natural clean and clear essential travel clean up kit

The Essential Travel Clean-up kit is the ideal portable solution for accidental spillage’s when on the move, potty training or coping with your little one’s sick bug. Suitable for carpets, upholstery and hard surfaces, the travel kit is perfect for use in cars, buggies, caravans, boats or planes. The simple to use products contain and absorb the spillage and the clean-up process is completed with a deodoriser to remove any odour. £10.99

My thoughts… Excellent product, it contains a travel sized Whoops a-daisy some cardboard scrapers to remove any horrid accidents, some throw away silicon gloves, deodoriser, travel hand sterilising solution and a disposing bag. The only thing that I couldn’t get my head around was why the disposing bag was so huge? I dunno maybe others have a lot bigger accidents than us! However I think it would have been more useful to have maybe one or two smaller bags. All contents came in a handy carry zip case, and I kept mine under the pushchair. I used the emergency Whoops a-daisy when little Harley spilt his juice all over his trousers, the water was removed quickly leaving them a tad damp instead of soaked. Price £10.99

Natural & Clean spot remover wipes

Disposable Natural & Clean spot remover wipes makes removing spots and spills more convenient, eliminating the potential to over wet the carpet. The special cleaning formula leaves no sticky residue and dries to a powder, preventing re-soiling and ensuring carpets stay cleaner for longer. The safe to use Natural & Clean spot remover wipes are pH 5.5 and have a unique “active plant” formulation for gentle, effective cleaning of all spots and spills. They contain a naturally derived fragrance and are free from solvents and phosphates.

My thoughts… At first I really wasn’t sure about this as when I opened them they felt as if they had dried out, however once using them on the carpet I released that they are actually meant to be this way. The wipes don’t make the carpet overly wet and instead turn to a powdery substance that you can just vacuum over. Some wipes really do make a spillage so much worse, these didn’t. A really good product, though it has nothing on Whoops a-daisy (I really can’t see how anything will ever compare again). A good price at just £3.49

Natural & Clean Pet Shampoo

Natural & Clean Pet Shampoo is suitable for all Dogs, Puppies, Cats & Kittens. Its low irritation green formulation is kind to pets’ sensitive skin; leaving coats not just soft and clean, but smelling fresh.

My thoughts… My Kittens again would have non of it! I found myself chasing them around the house like a mad woman (they can get in the tiniest of spaces)! After a week or maybe two I gave up and passed this on to a much-needed best friend who has one very small dog and one very large dog (I know a weird combo). My lovely mate had promised to come and show off their shiny coats once she had used the shampoo. ‘Daisy’ the smaller of the two, even had her picture taken (honestly some pet portrait thing at one of the large chain pet stores) I’m really looking forward to having a peep, never seen a pet portrait before 🙂 Would she buy the product? Her answer was… Yes, she would! What a result!

Natural & Clean pet spot & odour eliminator

Natural & Clean pet spot & odour eliminator is a modern approach to odour removal. It is designed to attack and eliminate odours and they’re offending causes naturally. The product has been successfully manufactured through harnessing naturally occurring microbes which attack and degrade organic waste matter, thus eliminating odours and their primary sources.

My thoughts… Honest People this is the last one I know I get quite deep but trust me, you will thank me next time your puppy poops on the carpet and you have this in the cupboard! There isn’t much to say about this one, apart from yes, It works and works very well! It also smells fantastically  awesome (not too overpowering, to little mans delight) priced at £3.49 how can you complain? Another great product worth having.

I love the range, and found that it didn’t only tackle the tasks at hand but also was great to work with. I have really sensitive skin and the range didn’t cause me any irritation. Little man is also very sensitive, but this time its to the odour that some cleaning products let off, especially bleach (he really gets upset by it). Again we had no issues of this kind when using the Natural and Clean range… Bonus!

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The big bang campaign… Keep it before 9 p.m

Remember, remember the 5th of November…

 My guess is, many parents of children on the autism spectrum remember the 5th of November and remember it well!

 Tonight is the night that will see the skies above us alight in an array of stunning, spectacular colours, but that’s not all we will see! Many of us throughout Britain will see not just our pets dart around the house in distress, but also our child or loved one. 

 Bonfire night is celebrated by huge numbers whether it’s by attending a large public display or hosting their own back yard antics. For some it’s a night of fun and laughter, a chance to meet friends, drink wine out of plastic beakers while eating hot-dogs smothered in mustard. For others it’s a night of hiding, turning up the TV and comforting their frighten child.

 We grow up looking forward to such events, we loved them as a child and can’t wait to share a night stood by the bonfire with our own children. What is there not to like about this fun and eventful night?

 Why don’t you ask that question to a child on the autism spectrum!

 No, not all hate fireworks, but a large proportion of child and adults on the spectrum will spend the year dreading it! I wrote a few weeks back about little mans fear of the firework! He thinks they are stunning and at a distance his not to bad with the big bang. But when there’s rockets flying about above his head, then bursting into a glittering infusion of colour, my child will likely do what I refer to as the “Army drop and crawl” Basically he fears the fireworks will come clashing back down on top of him, he freezes then drops, before embanking on his army crawl to safety. Despite this reaction, my little man could hold a sparkler all night long. As I explained before, it’s a sensory reaction, because the firework is above him and he cannot judge the distance between himself and the exploding firework, he then begins to fear it! My Little man feels much safer stood behind a pane of glass watching fireworks from the safety of his home. 

 For many people on the autism spectrum the dislike of fireworks relates to sensory sensitivity as-well as the dislike of “social gatherings”.

 Even those who are not on the spectrum can have difficulties tolerating the loudness of a firework display, especially a big one! For the person with autism, this sensitivity to noise is sometimes so overbearing it causes actual pain. Now, can you even begin to imagine how hard that must be? I can’t and think myself lucky that I do not experience such a difficulty. However this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t matter, because it does, it really does! Little man only has problems when we go out, so of course we avoid the public displays, or one parent stays home while the other treats the other children to a trip to our local display. That’s just how it is and always has been. I think that we are quite lucky, some children experience such anxiety that they require comfort from their parent throughout the night meaning little sleep is had by many.

 I’m not trying to make you all feel guilty, nor am I saying this in the hope that you wont go to your local fireworks display or celebrate in your own way. I’m just asking that you all spare a thought for the families housing an autistic child or adult. I simply ask that as much fun as bonfire night can be, take a second to stop and think… Light your fireworks at a reasonable hour! Who is your neighbour, do you know a family affected by autism? Keep it early, keep it safe, keep it before 9 p.m.! That is all I ask!   

” Do you think that’s fair? If so, how about tweeting this post just once using one of the share button (tweet, Facebook, Stumble, etc.) located at the bottom of this post. You could even raise awareness on this one day, just by “Right clicking the image below and uploading as your profile pic on your social network” after all it is just one day!”  

 

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Autumn’s frights and delights

The leafs on the tree’s have that tint of brownness, the conkers have started to fall! The air is becoming somewhat noticeably cooler, and as the days go on, I notice more and more children heading to school in their wooly hats and winter coats!

google image

Well, all except little man that is! His a hater of coats (though his worn them in the summer when it resembles Spain outside the window)

I’ve spent so much money on these things, it’s driving me bonkers!

he isn’t outgrowing them, he isn’t even wrecking them , his just simply refusing to wear them. 

Do I get some deadly stares from fellow mothers when we are out and about?

GOSH, YES…

… You can see just what they are thinking, though the stare of their spiteful eyes…

“SHAME ON YOU, HOW CAN YOU CALL YOURSELF A MOTHER”

Raincoats are the biggest No, No!

Trust me, put one of them things near his skin and he’ll eat you for tea. 

A tactile related & highly upsetting meltdown, will be delivered quicker than you can possibly redirect your horrendous mistake.

Then there’s the issue of scarfs! 

I try to keep my baby warm, his hyperventilating accusing me of strangulation!

Wooly jumpers, Please don’t!

“I wanna get out the door alive”

Gloves, make sure there the right material, fingerless are my best bet…

despite the fact his fingers may drop of with frost bite!

This is what he likes!

I love the colder months, the festive events that near! 

I love being by the warmth of the fire, while a casserole slowly cooks in the oven releasing that savoury aroma.

I love the autumn smell that you get in the air and the extra bedding loaded on my bed at night!

I love the 5th November when the bonfires alight and the fireworks fly up into the dark musty sky. 

google image

Fireworks, these send Little man into almighty panic, throwing himself down onto the ground and army shuffling out of sight!

Oh Yes, we are now passed the fear of sun burn (hence the coat in summer).

Little man will no longer need to run from the buzzing bees & warps or shake his head at the flying ants

But with the fall of Autumn comes a whole different set of sensory related triggers & anxieties, ones you would never have imagined!

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Scooting is much more fun with Scooterearz

I love writing a blog, not only is it a way to help me relax, reach out, raise awareness, share and vent, it also brings me some awesome opportunities, testing some of the latest products to hit the market.

 Scooterearz, is one of them awesome products,

and here’s why!

If your child has a scooter, then you will relate when I say, “Kids like to take them everywhere” (Well, mine do). This is fine, I’m a mum who’s cool with that, after all it’s a great way for your children to stay fit and active.

However, when them summer days are turning cold, things are not so simple. Little man loves using his scooter, yet in the winter I’ve discovered that I’m the one dragging the scooter up the road because his decided his hands are much to cold to have out of his pockets. Yes, there are gloves, but this makes it harder to get a firm comfortable grip on the handle bars, therefore giving less control over the scooter. (which isn’t great with Little man’s motor skills) Little man also has sensory sensitivities (especially tactile) so he can’t seem to tolerate gloves for to long, preferring the fingerless type which isn’t ideal when out on your scooter.

That’s why I was interested in finding out more about this new product, ‘Scooterearz’.

 Here’s what the founders say…

Founded: October 2010

About: A brand new product designed to keep those little fingers warm in those cooler months.

Description: Scooterearz is a universal weatherproof hand warmer to be used specifically on children’s push along scooters. They stay attached to the scooter handlebars (although can be transferred easily ) and keep children’s hands snuggly warm.

Our Scooterearz came is a nice clear sturdy bag that can be used to keep and store your hand warmers in! We were sent the Dark blue Scooterearz with the red outer thread. There are a number of other colours you can choose from therefore offering something suitable for both girls & boys.

  Little man was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to review the new Maxi micro scooter a few months back, so the scooterearz makes the perfect accessory while keeping the little guys fingers all lovely a cosy. 

 It was pretty hard to fully appreciate the product for its true potential given the weather was still pretty nice when they arrived! Then suddenly yesterday I noticed how cool the evenings had become! At around 8pm I decided to take Little man out on his scooter to burn of some energy to enable him to settle and therefore sleep once home (Yes, little man has problems with his sleeping so getting him to burn of some excess energy is a good idea). 

 At home on my Mac, already sat a review on the Scooterearz, yet I felt it deserved so much better, a real good  testing in the appropriate conditions and weather!

 Little man instantly took to the hand warmer, despite the fact it is waterproof  (the waterproof material normally drives him up and around the bend) but Scooterearz has a cosy fluffy lining, removing that tactile experience for the little man. 

 Little man reported how his hands were nice and warm, the material was nice and cosy and he was still able to have a firm grip, maintaining full control of his scooter. 

 My daughter also had a go on her scooter (not a micro scooter, one she’s actually had a few years and due an upgrade) despite his fact the scooterearz still fitted to the handlebars of her scooter without any issues at all.

 What I do love about the product is the fact that once the Scooterearz are attached to the handlebars (one on each side) they can remain there, but can be easily removed if & when desired. 

We even tried it one the handlebars of little man’s bike which provided the same comfort.

 We really like Scooterearz and feel it’s an awesome new product at a really reasonable price of just £12.99 RRP.

The full product launch is set for autumn, though you can already buy Scooterearz from a selected number of online stores or direct form scooterearz themselves, Right NOW. 

Visit the site for a full list of retailers now stocking Scooterearz or buy direct. CLICK HERE

What’s everyone else think about Scooterearz?

Check out a few of my “follow mummy bloggers” to see what they have to say about Scooterearz

Busy mum of 3

The lovely Mummy bird (including a giveaway of a scooterearz to one of her lucky readers. Closes 3rd Oct)

Loved by Lexi

and one of my favourite review sites: Bubbaloves

As part of the big launch Scooterearz are offering some amazing offers to schools

Scooterearz Schools Promotion!
Your school can earn 20% of all sales of Scooterarz in our Schools Promotion – If your school or nursery would like to take part contact us 

info@scooterearz.com

Visit the Scooterearz facebook page where all the different colours and designs will be displayed. They are also in the process of launching their new and improved website any day now and will celebrate this by offering introductory offers and other exciting opportunities. Click HERE.

Toys for the sensory seeker

Some children with autism and SPD love the sensation they get from certain tactile experiences.

Little man can is very tactile defensive, but also seeks out certain textures. He is a child who becomes very anxious and one who likes to fidget.

When Little man broke up from school at the end of term (autism special school) his teacher gave him a gift called a squishy mesh ball. The ball is very sensory friendly, filled with a goo like substance, the ball is covered in netting and when squeezed the ball pushes though the netting and appears all bubbly. Little man loved it!

Just over a month later I was sent a link to a website so that I could check out some products to review. The site is owned by a well known retailer called ‘Hawkin’s Bazaar’ I was overjoyed at what I discovered! So many of the products just throw themselves at me. These are toys at silly prices that many  children with autism, SPD (sensory processing disorder) & ADHD would not only love but greatly benefit from. I even came across that Little squishy mesh ball, little man loves so much at the bargain price of £2.50.

I picked four items that came to a total of just £10.50 these were…

1x Little terrors £2.50

 1x The Germies £2.50

1x Pack of bath crayons £4.00

1x Flexiface £1.50

Little terrors, The Germies and Flexiface can all be found on their website under the category labelled, ‘Stress’ Here’s my opinion on why these are great for children on the spectrum!

Both Little Terrors and The Germies are toys that have been designed to offer some kind of comfort as a stress reliever. It is said that such items are beneficial because when held and squeezed it helps to naturally clam the person/child down, removing the stress, giving them something else to concentrate on. 

The Child with autism get this same comfort when feeling anxious, stressed and upset. It also provides the child with some degree of sensory stimulation. It can be used to redirect certain other behaviours such as hand flapping while also working as a fidget for the child who feels the need to constantly use their hands. Just by holding one of these the child maybe able to concentrate on school work, or remain clam in a challenging, stressful situation.

Another fun thing about the Little Terrors and The Germies that make them really appealing to children, are their design. Both are designed to resemble little monsters if you like, and when squeezed both give a great sensation and visual experience. The Little terror felt as if it was filled with sand, however once sqeezed you could see it was filled with lots of little balls. If you sqeezed slowly, you could then carefully remove your hand and the balls would stay in place making it look like monster brains (if you know what I mean) well if you don’t just check out the picture below!

Little mans favourite the Fexiface can be used for all the above and so much more. This is a toy that I remember as a child. My mother brought me a Fexiface some twenty-one years ago or more when I was around eight. I remember it well, it was during a day trip to Margate, we brought it from a joke shop. The Fexiface has three little holes on the opposite side which you insert you fingers into. You can then move your fingers about which causes the fexiface to change facial expression. For such a small price this is a toy that can potentially help your child learn how to better understand facial expression. Though I’m sure Fexiface was never created for such a purpose as this, it sure does a great job at it. Myself and little man played a game where I would ask him to change the fexiface facial expression to a display a face that was happy, angry, sad, etc. We had brilliant fun and for me it brought back some lovely childhood memories.

Bath Crayons are excellent. These are great for the creative child. They come out really well and we used them on the bath room tiles. All three of the children had fun drawing on the bath room tiles while actually being allowed to do so. Little man hates sitting in the tub. Again this is for sensory reasons, he would rather stand and wash under a power shower, sitting in the bath makes his skin wrinkle which upsets him. The Croyons are a great distraction and in a way helped him to relax.

The other great thing about Bath Crayons is the fact you can use them as a visual aid. If your child uses symbols to help them sequence things, like a bath routine these are perfect. You can easy draw the symbols on the tiles, allowing your child to wipe off or even cross out each action they have carried out. A great alternative to using magnetic or Velcro visuals as despite them being made to be waterproof, the stream and condensation from the bath will eventually have an impact on this type of product.

We had great fun testing all the products and would highly recommend these toys as sensory products as they offer this feature and so much more.

So, why not check out Hawkin’s Bazaar online or visit your newest store where you will find the above and more. 

Note some toys/gadgets aimed at adults only. 

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