Q&A with Heather Dymock-Autism Mom

May 13, 2012 Margalit Sturm Francus

“Everyone carries their own backpacks with the appropriate medications, snacks and so on…” [caption id="attachment_10223" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Q&A with Heather Ann Dymock-Autism Mom photo credit Heather Ann Dymock[/caption] Hi there, My name is Heather Dymock, and I am a single and a stay at home parent to four kids from Glasgow, Scotland. My oldest son, Scott is fourteen1 and has been diagnosed with learning difficulties, incontinence and autism. My other son, Sean is now ten, was diagnosed with Asperger’s or the high-functioning form of autism. My daughter, Sara, who just turned thirteen, has some learning challenges but has managed to cope with her studies with no official diagnosis and helps me out tremendously. And my youngest, Drew is a rambunctious two-year-old toddler who isn’t speaking yet, which is of concern for me. Living in a big city like Glasgow, I’m happy to report that my family benefits from many educational opportunities since art galleries, museums, theatres are all a subway ride away, and some even offer family discounts and free entry on selected days! Our location is also convenient for short trips by train to the famous Scottish Highlands, Edinburgh and Blackpool. My system is to make a home chart in which we detail all the trips before hand to help the kids understand the plan better especially if we travel on public transport. My kids are expected to follow instructions and rules before we even leave the house! That part is not negotiable! Since I am a single mum, and can’t possibly carry all the supplies necessary on my own; everyone (except the little one) needs to carry their individual backpacks with the appropriate medications, snacks and so on.This rule mainly applies to my ten-year-old Sean since he has a very restricted diet and needs to carry his special snacks around. Despite the challenges our family faces and a tight budget, we still enjoy taking day excursions, overnight trips and even brief hops abroad within the continent to places like Belgium and Spain. Every year or so, we get to cross ‘the pond ‘ and visit family and friends in the U.S. Furthermore, we are always on the lookout for coupons, discounts and special offers to major attractions in the UK that we can use during school holidays. We have a ‘bucket list’ a mile long and are busy crossing destinations off our list each with every year that passes. As the slogan goes ‘the Dymock five ‘are always ready for a new adventure! ]]>