Aspergers/ASD support thread

cazscoob

He would be able to stay at the centre until he reaches school age, although they do like to get them started at the local nursery when they come of age. Charlie shouldnt start until the after the summer when he would be 3 1/2.

Having a really bad time with him just now, he has spent most of the day banging his head off the tiled floor and screaming at everyone. We managed to get him out for a while to see the pony and play in the snow but he wasnt interested and want to go home as he was too cold.

How do you all manage with the tantrums and outbursts etc? he is only little and im terrified of what the future is to bring for him and us

carerof3

cazscoob wrote: »

He would be able to stay at the centre until he reaches school age, although they do like to get them started at the local nursery when they come of age. Charlie shouldnt start until the after the summer when he would be 3 1/2.

Having a really bad time with him just now, he has spent most of the day banging his head off the tiled floor and screaming at everyone. We managed to get him out for a while to see the pony and play in the snow but he wasnt interested and want to go home as he was too cold.

How do you all manage with the tantrums and outbursts etc? he is only little and im terrified of what the future is to bring for him and us

Have you tried looking at his diet? Do the tantrums etc, occur after eating certain foods? My son was terrible, needing constant 1:1, attacking me and himself. He became calmer on a gluten free diet with no artificial colours or flavours. He's 19 now and still on the diet - even now having an ordinary biscuit, for example, would lead him to attack someone. Taking Omega 3 can also help.

Indie_Kid

cazscoob wrote: »

I have thought that this is a little too quick for him as he doesnt like change and as his behaviour can be uncontrollable i am scared at how the other nursery children and teachers will react.

would it make any difference if instead of just being put there however many days you want him at nursery for, he gets put in for one day and this is gradually increased? That way, he may cope better with the change.

Luciferswench

Help! My 12 year old Ds has just this very week finally been diagnosed with Aspergers. We've always known he was different but no one has ever believed so im currently in shock, but what happens next i just came away from the mental health unit with some reading materials a number of a support group and the mental health doctor is writing a letter to our gp ive also ask that it be forwarded to school. But what do i do next im lost completely..... Its a relief that hes no longer going to be labelled a naughty child but im just not sure how to proceed now im a single parent and extremely overwhelmed.

Flyboy152

Luciferswench wrote: »

Help! My 12 year old Ds has just this very week finally been diagnosed with Aspergers. We've always known he was different but no one has ever believed so im currently in shock, but what happens next i just came away from the mental health unit with some reading materials a number of a support group and the mental health doctor is writing a letter to our gp ive also ask that it be forwarded to school. But what do i do next im lost completely..... Its a relief that hes no longer going to be labelled a naughty child but im just not sure how to proceed now im a single parent and extremely overwhelmed.

It can be a mixed blessing I am afraid. On the one hand you have a label to use when it comes to seeking the appropriate support, but it can also be a bat to beat you with when it comes to school. He will still be labelled as a naughty child (not by everyone, but by some), but at least now everyone knows why.

Your head must be full of loads of questions and anxieties. There are lots of Aspie parents on here who can help and offer advice, ranging from help with school and hospital etc., to help with support and comfort. The first thing to not do is to panic, or lay back and feel too relieved. There is much to do and the early bird, so to speak, catches the worm.





Just some quick early, but important, questions for you:

• What is the situation like at school, how is he doing, does he need and is he getting extra help?
• If he needs extra help, is he on school action plus or does he have a statement?
• What are his primary needs?
• Does he have any co-morbid conditions?
• What has the schools re-action to the diagnosis?
• What was their strategy before the diagnosis?

Sorry, but these are kind of the basic questions that you need to consider, in order to access some of the channels of support at a local level.

cazscoob

carerof3 wrote: »

Have you tried looking at his diet? Do the tantrums etc, occur after eating certain foods? My son was terrible, needing constant 1:1, attacking me and himself. He became calmer on a gluten free diet with no artificial colours or flavours. He's 19 now and still on the diet - even now having an ordinary biscuit, for example, would lead him to attack someone. Taking Omega 3 can also help.

His diet is good with little processed foods and the odd treat, i havent ever thought about gluten free though. will have a read into this and will give it a go! He is 3 next week and can hurt us so i am worried about him getting to 19 and being out of control.

sh1305 wrote: »

would it make any difference if instead of just being put there however many days you want him at nursery for, he gets put in for one day and this is gradually increased? That way, he may cope better with the change.

He has been allocated 5 afternoons per week starting next thursday, the staff where he is just now have agreed to stay with him until he settles so that there will be a familiar face around and someone who he can turn to.

They are going to ref him back to the doctor as they think his tonsils are too big and making him wake at night and also delaying his speech? wether anything comes of this is another story lol!

carerof3

cazscoob wrote: »

His diet is good with little processed foods and the odd treat, i havent ever thought about gluten free though. will have a read into this and will give it a go! He is 3 next week and can hurt us so i am worried about him getting to 19 and being out of control.

My son was the same, we had hardly any processed foods when he was young, and he had hardly any sweets, until he started school - when the teacher gave them to the class! The first food I identified as causing problems was oranges - until then I had thought they were good for him! The foods that he is intollerant to seem to change over time, there has also been Chocolate, Salt, Apples .. For other children, dairy foods can be a problem. The university of Sunderland used to do urine tests to identify if there may be a problem with gluten or dairy, but I think the unit has closed now. I would really encourage anyone to give a gluten free diet a try, you will usually see a difference after two weeks, and is cheaper now all supermarkets have 'free from' foods. It's easier to try with young children as you have more control over what they are eating. Holiday times are best to start, as they are not at school. I've had to turn my son back round to gluten free twice, when residential schools gave him the wrong foods and turned him into a monster.

Breast_Cancer_Survivor

I'm having serious problems with my 14 year old son Liam atm, he was diagnosed as ASD/Dyspraxia with motor/vocal tics when he was 10.

He has always been quite difficult, stroppy & lashed out at his brother & sister when he couldn't get his own way but has started getting quite violent recently.

I'm 3 months pregnant & he kneed me in the stomach last Sunday whilst I was trying to restrain him saying he wanted to kill the baby & i'm at my wits end.

It ended up with him running away, me calling the police who went & found him and brought him home.

The guys on DT as well as my other 2 children think I should put him in care so that he can't hurt his siblings but I really don't want to go down that route unless absoloutely necessary.

When I mentioned what had happened to my family they said if I put him in care they will never speak to me again & won't support me with Liam at all.

Infact I believe they are making the situation worse but coming & getting him everytime he phones them up moaning as they always take his side no matter what he has done so are teaching him nothing.

I've been on the phone all week to Social Services, his school, the gp & CAMHS but they are all saying that they can't help as he doesn't have a mental illness diagnosis & he isn't badly behaved at school.

I've been told to phone the police next time he kicks off & thats as much help as they can give me. :mad:

I've spoken to my OT who knows us as a family & she thinks he may have ADD as he seems to be jealous of his siblings and wanting all the attention for himself so i'm worried sick what he might be like when the baby is born.

My daughter has been off school all week with Laryngitis & it's been a battle just to get him to go to school as he perceives it as unfair that he has to go while his sister isn't.

He seems to have a huge chip on his shoulder & expects evertyhing to be equal & fair in his eyes but of course the world isn't like that.

When he came home one day this week & saw i'd had a burger from Mcdonalds for lunch he kicked off because he hadn't had one & demanded that I go buy him one or it wasn't fair.

Has anyone else had any similar problems or have any ideas of how I can help Liam as I don't seem to be able to get through to him at all?

I am really at my wits end & feel like i'm constantly banging my head against a brick wall & that the authorities are not taking any of this seriously.

Flyboy152

Just one piece of advice right now; don't listen to your OT. She hasn't got a clue what she is talking about. Her assessment of his symptoms have nothing to do with ADD. Having attention Deficit Disorder does not mean that he his lacking attention from someone else, it mean his ability to attend (pay attention) is in deficit, hence the attention part and the deficit part. Sorry if my tone sounds condescending, it is no way aimed at you, but at your unqualified and inexperienced occupational therapist. It really winds me up when barrack room professionals make spurious diagnoses.

I don't understand the attitude of CAMHS, social services and the school, what have they suggested you do?

Breast_Cancer_Survivor

Flyboy152 wrote: »

Just one piece of advice right now; don't listen to your OT. She hasn't got a clue what she is talking about. Her assessment of his symptoms have nothing to do with ADD. Having attention Deficit Disorder does not mean that he his lacking attention from someone else, it mean his ability to attend (pay attention) is in deficit, hence the attention part and the deficit part. Sorry if my tone sounds condescending, it is no way aimed at you, but at your unqualified and inexperienced occupational therapist. It really winds me up when barrack room professionals make spurious diagnoses.

I don't understand the attitude of CAMHS, social services and the school, what have they suggested you do?

The school just said sorry we can't help, CAMHS said we can't help because he doesn't have a mental illness diagnosis, Social Services said to phone the police & my GP when he is violent & the GP said to buy him some drawing pencils & paper so he can draw to distract himself when he starts to feel angry.