I remember spelling signs out as they sounds we walked along on the daily walks. I asked him to repeat the words.

Hubby thinks that the letters on the page became characters “with a life of their own”. My 9 year old can read from the word go but my 5 year old is having challenges in this area. Both Autistic. Both very different. It’s all to hard for the 5 year old.

The 5 yr old finds It difficult to concentrate as there is too many variables to distract attention away from putting two or three letters together (segmentation and phonics). What is the key to undo this lock???

I put the visual representation of awards/certificates on the wall to show these visual learners they can do it!

Waking up and full of boundless hope and enthusiasm at the benefits of a 2 km walk. It works. It satisfies this 9 yr old pacer.  It was a light beaming from the light house that happens occasionally when one is muddling through the stressful darkness of daily life. By the way, it’s not a punishment for not getting in car by 8.30 am.

This afternoon I’ve been pipped at the post by his SOS.  When I asked school support teacher curiously if walking made a difference before school, and during the school day. She shrugged like she wasn’t sure! I thought it was sure as eggs I had done the best thing since sliced bread.

I walked my son and my dog, the 2 kms to school today and when they got to school the jitterbugs and lack of concentration was all walked out. Both boys had used up energy and sat down to engage in the class when they got there. I’m stoked! Your’e thinking: Well, How obvious is that!
What was amazing to me was that he wanted to do this! Even  comfortable doing this. This is bribe currency in the making. Why oh why by did I not continue taking kiddo to little Athletics some years ago! Was it a Sunday morn sleeping! Oh dear! How to work it?I am just tired now.

The 9 yr old had done the walk quite a few times with Dad, but it was my first time walking that distance to school (it’s usually the case that he hates going to school/leaving the house/ lots of stress) with the 9 yr old.

At the last minute the 5 yr old decides  he wants to come too. So we do (!) cause movement rules and it’s non digital! Of course we are late to school but the cost/benefit ratio favours life skill learning from observation of unspoken rules/crossing road at lights/ building construction etc.

5 yr old can walk no more after 1 km and who arrives just on time as its super dad with his super timing. Drives us the rest of the way to school.

Dad:  It took me so long to get here because I could not find you guys and I couldn’t find my keys. !!!