ds6 wrote number 1s all over bedroom wall

[nicolaleavethemkidsalone]

He's obsessed with numbers with number one being a favourite.
He often writes number 1s on his body but early this morning he decided to decorate his bedroom instead.
where do i start? repaint?

btw he's on the spectrum with limited understanding.

Can you repaint with black board paint and let him use the chalk?

Can you simply make a wall like a giant blackboard so he can write away?

long term yes that would be perfect but we're in the process of trying to move.

If you decide to use blackboard paint please line the wall with lining paper. So much easier to remove!

Repaint it until you move and then redecorae his new bedroom with blackboard paint or put up a giant roll of drawing paper.
this will also not reward his behaviour with a lovely treat! Ultimately he needs to know he cannot draw on walls.

If he’s on the spectrum with limited understanding there’s very little you can really do. You could paint over it and accept that he might do it again, or you could ensure he can’t access any crayons/pens/pencils without active supervision from an adult. But other than doing that I think it would be fairly difficult to stop him doing it if he doesn’t have understanding.

IAmSanta - you do understand that he will not find a repainted wall 'a treat' and is not performing this behaviour to be naughty.

He may never be able to understand he must not (he can, he does, there is no 'cannot' here) or should not draw on walls, and trying to teach anyone something they're incapable of understanding merely because it is the social norm, can cause huge distress and other problems.

The suggestion to repaint and then secure lining paper so he can draw on that is probably best - I would avoid blackboard paint, it is awful but it also feels HORRID to touch for many people, and chalk might well feel horrid to hold and use too.

Leave it until you move. You could perhaps in the meantime try to redirect him/her to drawing on something else. Purchase giant pads that are his and especially just for his numbers. Could you get him engaged with lego and use that to get him to create a number 1?

Are you selling or ending a tenancy? What stage are you at?

I would leave the wall as it is. It's his bedroom and really, it's not much different than saying he can choose the scheme for his bedroom and then he chooses something you don't like. The important thing is he knows he's not allowed to write on walls elsewhere, fabrics and furniture.

We got some blackboard roll for ds' room off Amazon, it's just a roll of blackboard paper with sticky on the back you peel off and stick on the wall like wallpaper, and then got some chalk pens for it. Looks great!
Obviously for now I'd just repaint it though

I used the sticky roll of blackboard paper. It was much easier than paint
I got my little artist chalk pens

Wait till just before you move and put up heavy lining paper, then paint with white undercoat. It should save you a lot of work.

It looks very dark so this might not work, but magic eraser is great for taking marks off walls generally. Though I’ve only ever had to do a couple of lines, not the whole wall.

Make a big sign that says Billy’s Wall. If he’s got communication difficulties such Mark Making should be celebrated. Easy enough to paint over when you’re leaving

Try the pink stuff. My little boy is also autistic and loves numbers. He managed to get a crayon out of his sisters room and wrote on his wall. I used the pink stuff and took it strait off ( we are also hoping to move so can’t do blackboard paint). Have you looked at magnetic writing board. I have this so son can write as much as he wants without risk of writing on other stuff. Doesn’t always work but does reduce it.

We had good results getting wax crayon off the walls using Pink Stuff. The one in a tub.

Ah, just seen you’re moving - otherwise I would have said leave him to it! I’d just wallop over it with cheap white paint tbh, then it’s not a hassle if you have to do it again.

I agree!

I also tend to make sure any pens we buy are washable. Crayola pens tend to come off easily. I also let son write numbers, letters and pictures on paper which we can put up in room.

Wow, how did he manage to get all those marks so high up the wall, they are the same level as the curtain rail

I agree with other posters, do something with the wall covering so he can draw on it seems to be the best solution.

My child was always writing on walls. Doesn't do it now but in the end we found it best to just let her. Also autistic and trying to stop caused huge meltdowns and escalated behaviour to her hurting herself, others and damaging furniture.
Redirecting onto paper which we could keep in a special folder did work slightly but you had to catch it before the drawing started and even then it wasnt always successful.
We decided she needed to do it as a form or expression and the walls can be painted over later on. It is something that has stopped on its own as she got older.

In many ways it was one of the easier challenges we faced and I wish I hadn't spent so long stressing over it.

So normally he isn't allowed pens etc without us being there and he has no access so perhaps he found one or two.
Dh messaged saying he picked up two big whiteboards from Tesco to hang on his wall. So hopefully that works

I want to know that too!!

@nicolaleavethemkidsalone @WiddlinDiddlin
apologies I missed the last sentence stating he has limited understanding as he’s on the spectrum. I was reading in the garden in the bright sunlight and just missed it. Once again apologies.