Blimey, who invented summer holidays? Why so long?
It's slightly easier when you have a neurotypical child ( 'normal') and they understand about the breaks from school, but for J it is confusing,frustrating and upsetting ( count me in for the last two).
I am lucky this year that J got into a play scheme for the first two weeks, but thereafter it is the boredom of the house for him, with occasional trips out to parks and the forest.
I have to time trips to the playgrounds quite early in the day so that we avoid the manic rush at around 11am of all other exhausted parents, where it then means J cannot have free reign of the swings.
It may be idealistic, but I think school should not end for a solid 6-7 weeks for special needs children.
J has no thrill of the impending break and excitement of playing every day with friends. He wants to be in the routine and expectation of schooling.
It is similar to when there is non-uniform day.
J would flip if I were to send him in without his uniform. He equates school uniform with school. Pyjamas or normal dress is odd and freaky to him.
I struggled the first day with his play scheme as he went to his school (where it is being held) and was quite upset. It was recorded in his book that he only calmed down with the flapping after lunch. Luckily he now accepts he is going into school, in regular clothes, but it is a play scheme and not school. But this will end in a weeks time, and he will be anxious as to why he is not going anywhere like that again.
There may be more help available such as carers hired through organisations, but these are sporadic ( 90 minutes per week, but can be saved up for a big block of time) and the structure and routine of the usual school week is abandoned, causing our children to fall into unwanted behaviours. It doesn't seem logical to me that this happens, especially when life is hard enough in general for the family and the child.
