DS with HFA struggling with school holidays.

[CrunchyFrog]

Please help if you can!

There are complicating issues - he had an anaphylactic pollen allergy a couple of weeks ago and is not 100% yet (waiting for referral.)

But he's really struggling - bed wetting, sleeping in my bed, screaming tantrums every time we have to leave the house...

He had improved immensely but this is a massive step back. All he wants to do is go on the computer or DS, even his beloved puzzles are out. Bath time is a battle, getting him to do anything is a flash point. I've ended up bodily lifting him into mum's car without shoes as it was so bad.

I can't drive, and I'm skint, so the kids only have routine based activities (tennis and dance) for 3 weeks of the holiday. There's the beach/ parks, but his hay fever is precluding a lot of outdoors stuff, plus he just doesn't want to do it!

I threatened him with the buggy, he was delighted

Any advice? He just wants to go back to school

In NI, by the way, so been off for 4 weeks already!

Hi crunchyfrog, sounds like you have your hands full. Not sure I've got any useful advice but can sympathise with what you're facing.

The anaphylactic reaction must have been scary for both of you. Could you get your gp to prescribe junior epipen to have to hand in case of bad reactions while you are waiting for the referral to come through? We have epipens for dd and they do give you peace of mind. If that's not possible I would advise carrying around a bottle of Piriton or Cetirizine anti-histamine which you can buy over the counter as a first line treatmetn until you can get to A and E should he have bad reaction again.

My ds also has ASD and although a lot older than your ds is similarly glued to nintendo and computer given the choice. Although it is incredibly hard work I would persevere if you can with getting him out of the house and his comfort zone because it's all too easy for the unwillingness to go out to become entrenched behaviour. And use the buggy if that makes life easier. As he is saying he wants to go back to school, maybe he would respond to a visual timetable of things you have planned for the day or the week- predictability might make him feel more in control especially if you do it together. you can look on met office www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/ or similar website for pollen counts for each day so you can plan which days you could maybe risk the beach or which would be better off in say leisure centre or library.

good luck

Thanks for replying

We had another reaction last night, had to call by lance (that's the protocol, because you don't know if the piriton is going to work until it would be too late for ambulance. They were lovely, excellent with him. Then GP this morning, who took it very seriously, and he had bloods done. Amazingly he didn't even flinch, the nurse was so impressed with him!

He's clingy and behaving quite oddly today, but I think that's to be expected, he was absolutely terrified last night.

He's on the beach with DSis and his siblings now. I've decided to look for a proper summer scheme for him for next year.

Knackered!