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

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SN children

Bloody Baby Mozart! Anyone got any suggestions for how to get DS3 away from it???

19 replies

SixSpotBurnet · 15/07/2008 09:51

DS3 (nearly 4, autistic) is poorly. He was in such a dreadful state yesterday morning that we ended up putting on his old Baby Mozart video and guess what??? yes, we now have a full-blown, major obsession on our hands. Every time it finishes he sobs, heartbroken, and then PECs for it to be put on again. Eventually, I had to physically carry upstairs last night - usually he is very good when you sign "finish" but it just cut no ice at all last night.

Wtf do we do? He is still too poorly to go to nursery or go out anywhere else. Have tried distracting him with other things but this is, seemingly, the only show in town at the moment. HELP!!!

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jimjamshaslefttheyurt · 15/07/2008 10:10

Either decide he can have it and then just play it repeatedly. Or decide that he can't.

If he can't tell him he;s having it for the last time then it will be going off (don't worry if you think he won't understand- just keep the language simple)
"ds3 is the last time, last time, then finished"

Repeat over and over and over as the tape plays.

Then when it finishes remove it and place it somewhere he can't see it (preferably hide it so it doesn't remind him).

Then stay near him so you can prevent him hurting himself and let him have the tantrum.

He'll stop eventually (although it can take hours the first time)

You can't reason with a compulsion (this is more of a compulsion than an obsession). You have to be totally in charge - so it's either allowed or it isn't. And if it isn't you just stay firm and don't allow it. There isn't any other gentler way to do it.

SixSpotBurnet · 15/07/2008 10:22

Thanks Jimjams. DH is pretty good at doing the "last time, last time" thing and sticking with it (we used to have to do it a lot with DS1 when he was 3).

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bullet123 · 15/07/2008 10:23

I do that with Ds1 as well (tell him it's the last one and let him know as the programme is ending that "telly goes off now". He has just appeared to get out of an obsession with the Number 8 episode of the Teletubbies, he was watching it every day two or three times in a row (would have been more but I made that limit for my own sanity ). However, he only stopped it because he got a new Teletubbies dvd for his birthday so wants to watch that one all the time now.
I don't mind letting him watch the dvd a couple of times a day as to be honest it allows me to get on with things.

SixSpotBurnet · 15/07/2008 10:26

It's just reassuring to know that this is the way to do it!

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Seuss · 15/07/2008 11:18

Ours is Fraggle rock at the moment. Not too bad becuase for once it's something all three children like but he will insist on the same episode and likes to flick with the remote control. I think it's Sprocket howling at the moon that gets him1The other two have got quite good at hiding the remote from him but he did have quite a tantrum about it this morning - not helped by the fact that I made a deal that he could watch it after something else and then couldn't find the remote control because the other little monkeys had hidden it!

And all before 8am...

SixSpotBurnet · 15/07/2008 16:07

Oh dear Seuss. Hope the rest of the day has been calmer!

I just had a text from DH: "he has just run off howling clutching Iggle Piggle" (DS3 has just run off, that is, not DH).

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SixSpotBurnet · 16/07/2008 15:18

Update: DH managed to steer him through the day yesterday although he got pretty upset at times.

Last night we hid the video and the PECs card for it - he was a bit crestfallen not to be able to find them this morning, but he coped, and went back to nursery where he had a good morning.

So I think we have weathered the great Baby Mozart crisis. Thanks for all your help and support, everyone.

(Oh, and he successfully used the potty three times during the course of the afternoon despite being so upset, so that was good.)

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CaptainPlump · 16/07/2008 15:48

DS (4, autistic) used to love Baby Mozart but went for such long periods without watching it (between full blown obsessions) that DH got rid of the videos. I'm suddenly wishing we still had them as he's just rediscovered his love of the teletubbies after a year long haitus...

SixSpotBurnet · 16/07/2008 21:02

Well, DS3's is staying well and truly hidden for the moment!

DS3 also likes Teletubbies but has never been obsessed with them in quite the same way, and has actually learned quite a few words from them.

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Seuss · 16/07/2008 23:04

My ds not only becomes obsessed with certain dvd's but with certain parts of the dvd - which infuriates other dcs and leads to the hiding of the remote. Tweenies crashing on bikes, Sprocket howling at the moon - tends to be the most slapstick bit of any programme and the one bit I really don't want him to imitate, yet of course he does! It's got to the point where nothing is safe to watch - we put on Sesame Street the other day thinking it was educational and yet he stood on stage for his school concert and did a very good cookie-monster impression!

SixSpotBurnet · 17/07/2008 22:42

at cookie monster!

DS3 keeps saying "come on - join in" at the moment - no idea what he has copied that from! I like it, though!

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sphil · 17/07/2008 23:41

It sounds like Dave from Fun Song Factory to me.

We get 'Cat. You sign - cat....Dog. You sign - dog' etc from Something Special.

Seuss · 18/07/2008 01:05

re. Cookie Monster - have to confess to giving him a choccy biccy yesterday on the proviso that he did 'Cookie Monster' for me. I know I shouldn't but it is soooooooooooo funny!

Plus it's good we share a love of muppets!

SixSpotBurnet · 18/07/2008 10:47

So him doing Cookie Monster is a reinforcer for you .

They do control us, don't they??

DS3 loves anything where they do counting as well. We have an episode of Teletubbies where they count to 8 and he adores that - it brought him out of a dreadful strop yesterday afternoon.

Sphil - I wonder if he might have seen that on the white board at nursery?

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Seuss · 18/07/2008 13:23

'Reinforcer' - LOL. I've been 'working for' a bacon sarnie all morning but I've decided I've been so good I deserve a kit-kat too. We will resume the healthy eating programme when the kids get home - dd3 won't grass me up because I gave her some sweets! Then I'm going to check my visual time-table but I'm already pretty sure it's going to say it's time for a nap...

SixSpotBurnet · 18/07/2008 16:51

Hope you enjoyed the nap!

Apparently DS3 enjoyed his end of term party today . He joined in the general jumping around but I don't know if he actually said "Come on - join in!"

He is very sweet at the moment .

We are attempting to go on holiday (to Norfolk) the week after next - I don't know what he will make of it but I thought we should try and have a family holiday all together, albeit a short one.

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Seuss · 18/07/2008 21:51

Kit-kat and nap well and truly enjoyed - all the more pleasurable because I knew I should really be doing the hoovering!

My ds loves holidays, in some ways it's actually easier than at home - you don't have to worry so much about the day to day stuff and can just deal with the kids. Hope you have a great time! I do find there is an element of constant risk assessment tho - but then that is par for the course in this family!

SixSpotBurnet · 21/07/2008 14:17

I think he will be fine for a while but then will want to go home .

But we're only going to Norfolk, and we're going by train, so DH can bring him home if he is terrible and I can stay on with the other two DSs.

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Seuss · 21/07/2008 18:54

Ah - the old 'worst case scenario' - I'm a fan of those!

My ds kept on about going on about holidays for weeks before our last holiday (getting almost hysterical at points) - eventually we went away and I was dreading the last day, thinking we'd have to drag him home. On the last day he was absolutely fine until bed-time - when he started getting hysterical because he wanted to go home there and then because he was missing his computer too much! Grrrrrrrrrr

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