Hi all
I'm in need of some advice regarding my 9 year old dd with AS. We visited a place called Hazard Alley in April, this is a place where they recreate things like road crossings, petrol stations, houses etc and talk about everyday dangers, how to cross to road, how to be safe around railways etc. We went with out local Dyspraxia support group and there were children as young a 7 there. She had a good time and seemed fine with it all, that was until we got to bedtime! We basically had 3 nights of hell, she was hysterical, sobbing, even vomited once - all due to her being "scared of hazard alley". I think she was scared by the talk of fire and of other bits and bobs too. It didn't help that we were staying with her Aunt at the time and she wasn't in her own bed. I thought it would improve when we got home but it didn't really.
We have spoken at length about all her fears, I've tried to be understanding and have reassured her so many times but at bedtime she is still in tears over it all. Last night she was still awake at 10pm and called me in about 5 times over the next hour. She was in tears, said she couldn't sleep because she just thinks about hazard alley, she refused to turn the light off, got out of bed and begged me to stay with her. In the end she read her book for about 40 mins and then fell asleep with the night light on. She was very tired this morning and I am dreading the same happening night after night.
How can I help her get over this? She gets things in her head and in her words "just wants to forget it ever happend. I want to erase it from my brain". She seems so irrational about it all, I can't reassure her or comfort her.
I really want to help her, its starting to affect her sleep and night time routine. I can see her mood drop and her anxiety rise as bedtime gets closer. She has always been a great sleeper, always been in her own room and has never ever been in our bed once. It seems like she is scared of everything now, being alone, being in the dark, scared or fire, scared of dangers in the home.
It was meant to be informative but it has just made her super scared of all potential dangers in life. This is life though and if this is how she reacts to a few little dangers then I dread to think how she'll cope with REAL LIFE. I really feel for her and want to help but don't know where to start.
Thanks
dinks