Autism / Autism Spectrum Support Group

Autism is classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder which manifests itself in markedly abnormal social interaction, communication ability, patterns of interests, and patterns of behavior. Although the specific etiology of autism is unknown, many researchers suspect that autism results from genetically mediated vulnerabilities to environmental triggers.

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jprjat 02/25/2010

My son is 3 1/2 and was diagnosed with Austism a year ago. He started preschool last August. Things have been going well with getting him ready, on the bus and on his way to preschool. No big behavior problems to speak of. Then a couple of weeks ago he started fighting me in the morning when I was getting him dressed. I thought it might have been lack of sleep because he figured out how to turn the tv on in the middle of the night and watch tv. I fixed that issue and now he gets a good amount of sleep but he still fights with me. His shirt is the biggest issue. He fights the whole process and then trys to take his shirt off once I finally get it on. It usually takes him awhile to calm down after the dressing incident. Then a few days ago he started not wanting to get on the bus. One day I had to pick him up and carry him onto the bus. I didn't know what to do. Now every morning is a battle and I just don't know what to do. I thought it might be the clothes and the material they were made of but I don't think it is that because sometimes he fights with me when I put on one shirt and than fights with me when I am trying to take that same shirt off. Please any advice, suggestions, anything.

Olismom 02/25/2010

Oliver did that exactly. First he was fine, then he systematically refused to go to school. Eventually he would throw head banging fits. It was something at school. What has changed at school? A new kid or a different aid or therapist?
Tell the school he is resisting school. It is referred to as avoidance behavior. They need to help you with this.
Good Luck!

deleted_user 02/27/2010

Oh I so feel your pain!!! My son is 3 recently diagnoses and has sarted intense one on one ABA EVERYDAY so we have to be out of the house by 7am. I HATE mornings because it is an all out BATTLE to get him dressed!!! His thing is that he just doesn't want to take his Jammies off.

As soon as I mention it's time to get dressed the tantrum begins. I have to wrestle him to get him dressed and like your son once I get something on he tries to take it off. He screams at the top of his lungs and stiffens up to make it harder to get him dressed.

I don't have a ton of advice but this is what his therapist told me to do. Don't talk about what you are doing JUST DO IT and do it as fast as you can! Don't make eye contact with him either. If you do talk or look at him he is getting a response from you and you don't want that! Once he is dressed if he is still screaming and trying to take things off put him right in his car seat where he can't. If you have to feed him in the car, feed him in the car. I have to tell you that in just a couple of days this has made things a lot better for us.

Good luck and let me know how it goes!!!

deleted_user 02/27/2010

So sorry, just remembered that he rides the bus, but try everything other than the car seat!

deleted_user 02/27/2010

Check out the school.See is they changed the bus route.They Don't like change.My son is 27 and still doesn't like tags to touch his neck So I remove then and I stay on the group home about everything that concerns my son.What bI mean is people sometimes think they can take advance of our children but we have be their voices.Now I am going through because people sometimes think you will take a back seat and be quiet you can't.Walker has now began to butt the front of his head before it was only the back.Anyway good luck

sambod 02/28/2010

you need to check to see if there is anything going on at school. Is there a change in the routine? Is there another student in the class that seems to bother him? when my son was younger, he used to do this and i found out that they had changed the schedule and another child was humming constantly and that upset him. I now have headset in the classroom and he used to have a pecs schedule at his desk.

Wonderbaby 03/04/2010

I learned about a year ago how meltdowns like this are really another form of communication.

When our kids stress, many become non verbal. So they revert back to their primal instincts. When our kids were experiecing these meltdowns...we had to treat it like we were trying to communicate with a baby. (for example...if a baby is crying...you check their diaper, you offer them a bottle, do they just need to be held)

As our kids grow, obviously that list changes....so I learned quickly to evaluate the room around them. Did they fall? Did a toy get tipped over...did one of them take a toy from the other. (and that list goes on)

But once I started listening the meltdowns stopped.

I agree with the others. Look into all that has changed.

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