Talk

Flip

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

SN children

Social communication disorder and severe behaviour problems

10 replies

sambo79 · 14/04/2014 15:38

Hi please forgive me if I go on and on.

Basically my son has been having appointments with the hospital and after questionnaires have been filled out from myself and my sons school he has scored 127 on the chart they use for autism (72 being the min score for a child with autism apparently). So they say he is suffering with "social communication disorder" but my main concern is his violent constant behaviour. We are walking on egg shells everyday as we are extremely drained from all the tantrums and shouting that's going on over the last few years especially as he's got older they are more intense. He can not control his behaviour and the slightest thing can set him off. They are telling me this could be his autism but I can't explain to anybody how non control he is when he's in a meltdown. Anything can trigger him off but I am so concerned as he's hitting walls doors and for instance he walked in to a metal sign and he just kept punching the sign and cut his hand up. I have tried charts time out in a quiet area but he has so many meltdown and tantrums a day nothing seems to be working. He is starting to show this side at school as he has only just starting to come out of his shell. But at home I have it every single day. I have asked that he be tested for ADHD but as he's not as violent at school this is unlikely but surely his social communication will play a part of him not being able to be his true self at school?.

I have no support at all where I leave and nobody has pointed me in any direction for help as my sons paediatrician has said there's not enough money or staff to help parents. I feel so alone and unable to cope with my son which then makes me feel guilty as a mother being unable to care for my son (I'm physically disabled and struggle with the physical violence). Any advice or direction to any help would be highly appreciated. He does have IEP too at school as he also has dyspraxia.

Sorry if I have put this in the wrong place :-)

OP posts:

Report

sambo79 · 14/04/2014 15:39

OP posts:

Report

PolterGoose · 14/04/2014 16:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bochead · 14/04/2014 16:30

Beg and plead for an occupational therapy assessment as with asd & dyspraxia it's highly likely there is something sensory going on.

It wasn't until my son's sensory needs were understood that real progress could be made on behavior(though mine wasn't violent, just a bolter).

The book "The out of sync child" is very helpful in helping you to work out what if any sensory things may be going on.

www.challengingbehaviour.org.uk/

This site has some really helpful resources, and is well worth a browse.

www.coursera.org/course/behaviorprinciples?from_restricted_preview=1&course_id=971394&r=https%3A%2F%2Fclass.coursera.org%2Fbehaviorprinciples-001%2Fwiki%2FWeek_1

This is an introduction to behavior management for school aged kids on the spectrum. It's aimed at professionals (what isn't?) but has some very helpful info for parents too. ABA is hard to access in the UK, but has the strongest evidence base for helping with challenging behavior of any therapy. The course is free.

Lastly if you can video the behavior on your mobile, (I could never manage this) lots of people find it helps to be taken seriously. Or keep a daily diary to take to you to any appointments - this is very useful for professionals and yourself to use in identifying triggers for challenging behavior. It also helps if you have a few months of data written down in black and white to be taken seriously by professionals.

Report

sambo79 · 14/04/2014 19:01

Thank you both for your help in this he's 10yrs old in May and we have full support at school for him SENCO etc... And we have regular meetings every term to discuss his needs etc.... It's taken 4 yrs to finally get somebody to listen to me that he was extremely unhappy and struggling with school in the end we had to move him and it ws the best move we as parents have ever done as his new school have picked his learning disability up got him tested and hence how we found out that his dyspraxia was there and other possible under lying conditions. He is now in the process of waiting for an interview for his "social communication disorder" but the socialist peadictrian did say he was scoring very highly in this area from my questionaire and the schools and by what she had witnessed from her own face to face evaluation.

I did show her a video but I was getting so upset as she said its frustration that's making him act like this. But it doesn't matter what he's is always throwing these tantrums and 8/10 they do get very violent if our dog barks, if I ask him to pick something up or even something as getting his own shoes and I can't ex

OP posts:

Report

PolterGoose · 14/04/2014 19:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sambo79 · 14/04/2014 19:22

I can't explain how worried I am over his behaviour but maybe it's just that I'm not getting the support that us parents need especially when we have a child that has disabilities etc... So how can I get hold of somebody to help me. I'm not clever and understanding literacy is very difficult for me as sometimes I need things to be spoken to me in more simple terms. They did mention sensory problems as he gets very mad trying to use a knife and water going anywhere near his head and loud noises etc... But I just thought it was my son being stubborn and difficult as I'm sure I'm not the only mum to make excuses for their child's ways lol. I shown the hospital specialist peadictrian a video of him punching his father and then punching doors he was screaming and so angry. She asked what made him act like this and the reason was because My son found out that we was recording him so we could show the hospital how he gets angry. I always need to tell him as if he knew it wasn't the truth he would tantrum again and that is how my life is at the minute. I have to try and get the true recording for the professionals to see as I know they think I'm making it up but I just wish they could see him in his environment and being him not this quiet boy that just sits their. They have said it will be 4 months until we see them again so now it's another "where do I turn" moment I just need help and support and just don't know how to do it on my own. I feel so silly for pouring my life on here but I just honestly don't know who to turn too. thanks for you info x

OP posts:

Report

PolterGoose · 14/04/2014 19:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Biff654 · 14/04/2014 20:01

Thank you so much. Certain things you have just said are what my son is like and yes I know when he's getting hungry as he does get more moody then so I'm going to defiantly do the diary of incidents and see if I can spot a pattern or a sign of what sets him off. Love the idea of egg timer that's a defiantly and shoyld I ask him what would be the best way for him to calm his temper cadge down (that's what we call it lol) or shall I just do as what I think will calm him down?.

Is this all normal for children with dyspraxia nd autism to have this violent behaviour and constant shouting argument etc... Also how and what does a occupational therapy expert do for him please. Sorry to bombard you ;-)