I'm not sure if this is in the right place so please forgive me but I'm trying to get some information for my SIL.
My DN is 12.5yo and suffers from autism. I don't know all the details so am unclear where on the spectrum she falls and she may have other issues as well such as tourettes but again, I'm not privy to all the details. She has just been given some medication (sorry, don't know what) but it doesn't sound like its working.
She has always suffered terrible anxiety and anger problems but this used to be expressed verbally. Recently however, she has taken to being very physically abusive to her mother and the family dog - hitting, biting and kicking. Actually, it's not limited to them - anyone who tries to intervene to restrain her is getting attacked and the house is just permanently trashed.
Last weekend me and DH were at the in-laws when DN and SIL arrived from picking her up from horse riding. We heard some sort of argument going on - the jist being that she couldn't have her laptop as a consequence of something she had done. They ended up staying in the hallway with DN shrieking that she must have her laptop, kicking the walls and radiator etc. Eventually, SIL said, right - we're off home then if you're going to be like this and FIL took them home in the car. When he got back, he was very shaken and upset as DN had basically attacked her mum and the dog when they got home, bitten her mum very hard and then hurt FIL when he pulled her off the mum. SIL then sent me a text apologising for not staying (to celebrate my birthday) and basically confessed that this has been going on a while and she is at her wits end and doesn't know what to do. Apparently she called the police out a couple of weeks ago in an attempt to get social services involved, but 10days later they only just contacted her to say there was nothing they can do.
I am very worried for my SIL and obviously my DN. She is a single mother and has no one at home to help and support her. I haven't got the first idea where she should go for help - she mentioned that she wants to do a course on how to restrain her daughter safely but is not getting referred. Please, can someone please advise what they think the best course of action could be? Is there any organisation I can refer her to or has anyone else been through this and can offer any insight?