Autism - shut down

[Imaginosity]

DS - age 6 - has high functioning autism. A lot of the time he is very engaged. Sometimes it's like he shuts down and seems very far away. When he's like that it's like he's on another planet and doesn't seem to hear you calling his name. He's a completely different person when he's engaged and lively.

Is this something that will always happen to him? It's a problem if he's with other people and kind of needs to make some bit of an effort to engage.

I can't really identify when he does it. It's less likely to happen when he's just with my, DH and DS2.

In mentioned it to an OT who he's due to see soon and he said DS will be doing the Alert Program and this might help with the shutdowns.

[youarenotkiddingme]

My DS has just down the alert programme as he does exactly the same thing.

It was a great programme and encouraged them to work out for themselves if they were too high or low and what helped them feel just right.

[reader108]

My ds has totally shut down on several occasions stops talking; unheard of behaviour, it's like he becomes overloaded. You have to 'sort of' drag him back to the real world long hugs, singing same song over and over, x tables all return him eventually. He can't remember afterwards, and is exhausted for ages after the event. he wet himself once was 6 years old had been toilet trained since 2 just isn't there at tall! Happens less frequently last couple of years now 10 although had one at his new school last month they phoned and said he hadn't spoken since noon it was now 2pm!!!! They thought he was upset due to an event that had taken place he was took me 5 minutes to get him to respond. Used to really scare me that one day he wouldn't come back

[frazzledmumma]

We get the Shut down but have realised a pattern, straight after nursery he needs 30 mins to decompress alone. Also he shuts down around people he's not comfottable with. Loses eye contact etc. It used to alarm me but now i recognise its his coping strategy. And I'm guilty of the same at times if I've got a lot on so I totally get it. I'm still 'there' but choosing to check out of engaging.

[reader108]

Used to work with Children who had major and absent seizures never thought of it for my boy. However never thought about ASD either! He only ever 'shuts down' during high stress situations surely would happen during relaxed times too? He did once say he couldn't see me during a haircut (a very stressful time for him)lasted 4 or 5 minutes said he could only see purple things. Took him outside head down thought he was going to faint, but didn't. After 4 or 5 minutes he said 'there you are how did we get outside'! He was very pale top lip a little blue slept for 50 minutes in the car on the way home. Feel pretty stupid now even to me sounds like more then overload

[youarenotkiddingme]

Excellent point zzzzz

My DS was tested for seizures as he would see room go out of shape, be absent, tic or spasm. (Still does!) but luckily no epileptic activity was found so we could rule it out and out it down to sensory stuff.

[Imaginosity]

I think for my DS it is not absence seizures as he never has them when he's somewhere he feels comfortable or doing something like Lego that he enjoys