Dusting

Aril

My son has Aspergers so we have faced many of the same issues over the years. At 10 his room is great deal tidier than it used to be but this is all relative:D I started by tackling one small area at a time [I discussed the process with him] at a pace he could cope with and then we bought storage boxes [which he chose] and packed some items into a box but the contents were all along the same line eg my son has a whole box of elephant related toys, one for his crystals, another for his Beano Annual collection. Having it all in one place and easily accessible seemed to calm him. He does still have some "treasure" out in designated areas. It's been a process I've carried out over many months...any faster and he would have dug his heels in and not cooperated. He had a similar system at school that he had a lidded box of things pertinent to him until he was 8 but he decided of his own accord that the one he no longer needed.
I do understand how hard this is and how frustrating it can be!
Aril

champys

OddjobKIA wrote: »

Nothing imho works as well as a traditional feather duster...

even the lightest touch brings the most intricate of items up to a dust free shine

I would second that - I hate dusting with a vengeance, and have tried everything over the years from using the vacuum cleaner-with-attachment to the just-damp microfibre cloth. It all works. But a REAL ostrich feather duster is so much more fun to use, I have no longer any problems with this chore. Dusting with ostrich plumes is quick, and an easy warm-up to the rest of the cleaning round. And actually not as expensive as you might think. Wish I had discovered it years ago!

lil_me

Traditional feather dusters

Damp dusting things I find best in the bedrooms as it stops the dust just being moved from place to place.

Get him to do it himself

Teach him through change that life will not always be change free, trust me it does get easier to do this and it's something they need to develop coping strategies for later in life. One way he may choose with your support is to label where he likes each to go, but if he's so specific he probably knows where they go like my boys do. They help put them back. Think of it not as a dislike for change but a like for sameness, if he knows how long the change will last, why it's done etc he will likely find it easier to cope with. One thing little guys on the spectrum don't usually have is the ability to perceive what something will be like when it's changed so it meets resistance before it is done, this is also another reason they sometimes find it difficult to predict what will happen when they do something and why they look horrified when the phone won't work after they have put it in the bath for example.

I have got my sons down to a limited amount of items out on display, they have come round to the idea more after one treasured item was broken in a dusting accident, they want to protect them more now.

(Mother of one diagnosed and one being assessed)

thriftyscotslass

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions - it looks like a traditional feather duster is going to be bought this weekend

Thanks especially to all_change; aril and lil_me - this is all new to me. My son is 16 and he has only now been referred to the Educational Psychologist. The fact that he has finally had enough of school, either refuses to go or walks out has brought him to their attention. He is a quiet lad, very intelligent, has been no trouble at school over the years and as such has just "slipped through the net".

Looking back over the years, I find it amazing the way we have accepted all his quirks as being "just being his way". As a family we have consciously and unconsciously adapted to meet his needs. He certainly ticks all the boxes in the triad of impairments - so he may yet get an Aspergers diagnosis.

So I'm going to go back and reread your emails - I like the ideas of the storage boxes and showing him that change can be controlled. This is a learning curve for Mum as well as son. Thanks again.

nanokitten

how about using clear perspex boxes (like the posh ones for shoes) or a dispaly cabinet (maybe with perspex front not glass) to display the treasures.
you could even put perspex fronts on all the shelves to keep the dust down (say hinged at the top)
Everything is then still on disaplay, but kept safe from being moved or damaged, then you can just wipe the tops with a damp cloth.

If its all a bit new, dont forget the disability and dosh forum on this site as there are quite a few parents of autistic spectrum kids who hang out there.

discountmummy

I have been using the pledge disposable dusters and ever so often use a damp cloth wipe down. As the refill packs are getting expensive I was wondering what everyone else uses or does. Any tips or advice would be appriciated.

lostinrates

discountmummy wrote: »

damp cloth wipe down.

This, its free and quick and easy. Just a very, very well squeezed out cloth/rag/microfibre cloth weekly...or ten minutes before guests are due:o I find it an enjoyable job really.

furball

Microfibre cloths and a watered down solution of stardrops in a spray bottle, trust me you will never go back to disposables again and will save quite a bit of cash as well. HTH

LJM

i use microfibre cloths all the time

tanith

plain old microfibre cloths for me I haven't bought polish for years now...