How To Stop Hitting

[Kindhandsplease]

My DS is 6, diagnosed with ASD and ADHD, he has severe ADHD and is constantly on the move, hyper and impulsive.

When things don’t go his way, or he gets overwhelmed, he will lash out, hit, bite, kick, this is mainly directed at me and his dad, but does happen in school too, with other children or teachers. He attends a specialist school.

I have asked for help with local services, and they always say identify the trigger, it’s better to avoid the meltdown, than try to manage it, but it’s not always possible! Sometimes he can’t do what he wants to do, and things don’t go his way.

Time out, or taking him somewhere to calm down doesn’t work unless I stay with him, as when he is angry he would throw everything in the room.

Has anyone been through similar, and found anything that worked? Now he’s getting bigger it’s harder because he can hurt us.

What help is DS receiving with emotional regulation?

Has DS had OT assessments? Including a home OT assessment and a sensory OT assessment. Does he have ongoing OT support?

When was the last review of the EHCP?

Some people find the books The Explosive Child and the Out of Sync Child helpful. Others find non-violent resistance resources useful.

Thanks @flawlessflipper, OT were fairly useless for us, we had finally had an appointment, after being declined previously three times, and they did a school visit, and they gave us advice, but my DS will not do the things that would help him. They then discharged him.

EHCP review in November, school are good and do what they can, but there’s only so much they can do.

It sounds like the EHCP needs to be improved. Ongoing OT needs to be in F. You don’t need to go via the normal NHS process. Provision needs to be delivered in a way he can engage (and things you can do that don’t require DS to engage). He also needs therapeutic provision from SALT and CP, including around emotional regulation.

You need a home OT assessment too. This will look at making the house safer and better meet DS’s needs, including when he is dysregulated.

I highly recommend looking into reflex integration OT... It has transformed our child's life.

Also read the book 'the explosive child's, which was also transforming for us.

It is so difficult. My child also has very intense ADHD and ASD. You aren't alone! But those two things above have been huge. If you get DLA, use the DLA to pay for reflex integration therapy - it's honestly an amazing, amazing therapy with incredible results xx

Capa First Response | Together for safer families - Capa First Response https://share.google/o7SPMoK2Usfartwfr

We found these people helpful. And we have tried a LOT of things!