Attention Parents, I need some advice! | Autism PDD
I was thinking schedule too, but I guess that's not the problem....sorry no advice, but can offer hugs...maybe he just needs a few more days to get used to the transitions and changes. Hang in there!Thanks I appreciate it.
I am just trying so hard to find out what is doing this, and what I can do to help him. It just breaks my heart.
maybe if he is missing school you could get him to sit at the table and draw some pictures of things he saw that day at school or did or of his teacher...something to remind him of how happy he is at school and that happiness will transition over to home? And then he could give the picture to his teacher the next day?
That is a wonderful idea. I will try that with him this afternoon. Thanks!!Keep'em coming
Maybe something he can control himself? A music player with some calming music he likes and he can control the volume? For my daughter it's one of those white noise makers that also has buttons for ocean, brook, rain, birds and crickets. Since I gave it to her, she's been adjusting the volume up and down, listening and zenning, and her sensitivity to mild noises has decreased a bit. That sounds pretty cool!
School is filled with schedules and schedules and they fill our kids time wonderfully. At home its down time, down time, and maybe we'll do this tonight.
Maybe set a good schedule at home. 4-5 pm is the worst around here because I am trying to make dinner. Someone's starving, 1-2 are crying, I'm bored, can I play play dough....UUUHHHH!
I try to make a schedule so everyone knows what to expect snack, homework, friends or outside, wash up, TV, dinner, baths, bed, etc...
Issue is, when he gets home in the afternoon (about 2:15) he is so excited and happy and telling me what all he did at school. But..about 30 minutes or so later, he gets real sad, then angry and leads right into lots of aggression. His sister gets off of school at 3:00 (gets home about 3:15) and there is no change in his attitude until after about 5 pm. I know that its a big transition from home to school and then from school to home. But the home to school is awesome, loads of happiness and excitement. But the transition from school to home is a damn nightmare. One the first day of school, when he got home he was so happy, and then about 30 minutes later, he hid behind a pillow and told me"mommy I don't want you", I asked him why and he said "I want to go back to school" I figured this was totally normal, but every afternoon his attitude has gotten worse and I have noticed that even very mild noises completely sets him off. This morning while walking to the corner to wait on my daughter's bus, there was a lady watering her plants and he latched on to me and said "mommy, what is that noise and covered his ears".
Now before he started school, loud noises really bothered him, but now it is very mild noises that set him off and he is just all around different and I don't know how to make this afternoon transition easier for him. I don't have time between when he gets home and then when I have to go down to the corner to get his sister off of the bus. to take him to the park or something. I even put some new PC games on his computer thinking that it would help distract him (he LOVES his computer), but won't have anything to do with it until after about 5pm and with his sister in there with him.
What do I do to help him adjust? I even sent a letter to his teacher this morning asking for her help (since she raised an autistic child herself).
Please help me help him
What about a nap? Do you think he's tired from school?They have cots and their own little blankets and have rest time everyday at the same time. If he is like this after school right now, I don't know what I am gonna do with a long weekend coming. They are out of school this coming Monday. He looks forward to getting up in the morning to get ready for school.
Do you have a daily sensory diet? Maybe some sensory imput after school might help him transition smoothly. Some of the things we do around here are ; swing in the hamock, squishing Sam under the couch cushions, eating crunchy foods, bouncing on mini tramp, gentle rough-housing (Sam's not cuddly, this is how I get my hugs in) I'm planning on putting together a mini-obstacle course to try with Sam after school starts next week.
The ever popular Out of Sync Child Has Fun has lots of good ideas.
Mama to Sam PDD NOS OCD ODD PPD
Those sound like great ideas, I am making a list of all that you guys suggest and I am willing to try just about anything. Thank you guys so much for your support with this. I just want the happy little boy that I see in the mornings, back in the afternoons. You guys are awesome.
If this household gets anymore of a strict schedule we will be considered a military base. My dh, ds and I are all routine freaks. His afternoon routine at home hasn't changed a bit, except for the fact that he is not doing the same exact things that he does while he is in school. While I get dinner ready with the help of my dh, the kids are usually watching tv or on the computer (has ALWAYS been that way), but now he absolutely refuses the do the things that he loves to do in the afternoons.
Just so confused
When Skylar's bus pulled up yesterday afternoon, I walked up to get him off and his aide told me that he was very upset and has been crying since they left school. I asked why and she said it was because he was building things with the wooden blocks and they had to make him stop because it was time to go home, and he got really upset. As soon as I got my daughter off of her bus, I went and bought him a big pack of multi-colored wooden blocks from Wal-mart. He was perfectly happy all afternoon.
I had sent a letter in his backpack to his teacher to ask her if he had been having tantrums, or crying spells in class, and this is word for word from the letter she sent back.
Mrs. Anthony,
Skylar has had three GREAT days! He is participating and energetic in all that he does. There have been NO tantrums or anger issues-he takes re-direction very well. He has shown no sign of running either. He walks in line with his friends when we travel to our destinations.
Feel free to call me if you have any concerns. (and she gave me her number and conference times)
Thanks,
Ms. Debbie
I was totally in tears when I read this. After we went to wal-mart, I stopped and got his favorite thing in the world ( a cheeseburger from McDonald's) and he came home and sat in his floor eating his cheeseburger and playing with his new blocks.
I also spoke with his ECI worker yesterday asking for suggestions, and she told me that a method they use quite a bit was: make a calendar of the day from AM to PM and cut out squares of card stock and put a routine on each card starting from waking up in the morning all the way until he goes to bed at night. Put Velcro on the back of each little square and put them in order on the day calendar. Get a little plastic crayon box that has a lid on it. And everyday, as he finishes each task, let HIM pull the card off and put in the box. This will give him control and allow him to see what is supposed to happen next, since autistic children are very visual and hands on, this will help him "plan his day" and know what to expect.
So needless to say, this is what I will be working on today. I think something like this will work with him.
But after getting him off of the bus yesterday, sobbing his little heart out with his head buried in my chest, going out in the pouring down rain and fighting Wal-mart was well worth the results that I got. He was wonderful ALL afternoon.
Hi there
I don't know what they teach him at school, but what about carrying it over at home ( home schooling of sorts). Maybe flash cards, drawing pictures, story time or something like show and tell? just a thought
Grandma to Devin 3yrs ASD/ SID
We've started doing task completion in our home program and my ds loves it! You take those plastic drawers and number them - he does 3 drawers. He has a card with the on them that are removable (velcro). He takes the #1 and puts it next to the #1 on the drawer and takes out whatever I put in there (a worksheet, puzzle, etc) and he does it, then he puts it back in the drawer and does the next one. the last drawer is a prize like a piece of candy or a cool little toy that is special or stickers. He is going to work up to 6 drawers. He loves this and it totally calms him down when he is bouncing off the walls.My youngest son started elementary school last Monday, and his stress-level has been sky high. He started wetting his pants again after a totally dry summer, and he fights and screams at his big brother when they're playing together. Yesterday, the 8th day of school, he stayed dry and seemed calmer. He also ate his lunch better at school (maybe your son has trouble eating in the new and noisy environment at school too, it's a common problem).
So, I can definitely sympathize with you. I hope your son will be past the worst of it soon. And at least your son loves school, my son says "school stinks!"
Good luck with everything.
Hi there, is he hungry? I always forget, and sometimes its causing my ds behavior.
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