ASD behaviours and symptoms coming and going in phases...

[mysonben]

This has already been discussed i think, but i post again about it as i'm worried about ds's erratic behaviours.

Earlier during the year we had an increase in routines and rituals, from which ds used to show great distress if stopped or something changed.

At the same time he had a massive improvement in his speech and communication, but then echololia set in, it was very bad for a few months.

Now the routines side of things have reduced , he still has a few rituals but is showing more and more flexibility.
However he constantly repeats himself or what is said to him, it goes something like this : i say "we're going in the car, we're going to see nanny" , ds " we're going car, see nanny,...going car, see nanny" then 10 secs later again and again up to 5 or 6 times.
If dh is with us he will ask or repeat it to him too as well as me.

His vocal stims are increasing too, he constantly do this throat noise something between a low growl and a throat clearing sort of noise, keeping his mouth shut.

I feel like whislt a set of behaviours is played down another set goes up, iykwim?

[mysonben]

Something else too, ds is not a violent child but he has always randomly trown things and toys around, and more and more he 's aiming at dd.
He also has started to push her from the sofa or when he's playing and she gets close.
She will cry, he will stik his fingers in his ears, and ignore her cries.

[flyingmum]

Yup can recognise this. DS1 used to ask me the same question constantly. AAHHHHHH

I find he has good weeks and bad weeks. The good thing is that now he is older the changes are more spaced out. I do find that he now 'shuts down' for a week or two and becomes like a zombie and I can't get him to do anything. It's usually down to stress or tiredness. He's been like it for the past week and tadaa today been brilliant. Woke up at 11 (teenagers!) and been on the ball and really happy.

I do find that there is an up time - so they are really trying to do something that they haven't done before or have developed and then a down time when they seem to regress but after the regression they seem to come out of it and do something developmentally positive and move on. The down times though are really really hard. The echolia does get better (honest).

The throwing things at his sister needs to be stamped on. I find with my chap I sometimes have to really get very tough with him so that it gets through.

Is he about to start back at school. The on set of anxiety definately links to more autie behaviours. Also growing. Mine always goes a bit bonkers when he grows.

[mysonben]

Thsnks for reply.
Yes absolutely we must get through to him that throwing and lobbing stuff around is a no-no.
But the trouble is we have been trying to stop him doing it since he was about 18 months old.
It peaked at age 2 1/2 where he would walk up to people and throw things at them for no reason , and he is still doing now but from a distance and he 's aiming now.
Don't know when he will get the idea that he must'nt do it,...i've lost count of the amount of times we have told him to stop throwing.

[jasdox]

my sis said when her ds was throwing things constantly, they took him by the hand and made him pick it up and put it back, he stopped after 3/4 days - it was the headmistress of the nursery he was two that showed her.

[Barmymummy]

Oh yesssss can join this one. The throwing is fairly recent but the pushing/hitting has been going on since he was 18 months old and I have simply run out of tactics. The only thing that hits home is being put in his room but thats impossible when we are out. It is definately more aimed at his sister though more than anyone else.

He has always enjoyed bashing into things (preferably us) very hard and clearly enjoys the sensation. Anyone got any suggestions how we can stop this or substitute us for something?!

I cant help with the rituals etc as DS doesn't really have any but his autie behaviours do have peaks and troughs. The echolalia definately has high and low points though, garfield and monsters inc have alot to answer for