Starling (DS) is 7..has ADHD & Aspergers. Is on medication (20mg long release during the day / 5mg quick release for evening & 3ml Melatonin for sleeping). He's been on meds for over a year now and it?s really made a difference with his concentration at school etc (he is also currently being assessed for statementing at last) and even his aggression but obviously we still occasions where he drives us mental!!!!
He loses his temper easily and will argue with anyone be it a child or an adult. He will, at the slightest word from you snap at you, pull faces, argues and growls. When he is behaving like this, if you try to talk to him he will grown at each word or he will shout at you to 'shut up', call you and 'idiot' or tell us that he 'hates us' etc...he will put his fingers in his ears so as not to hear us and this is whether we are talking or shouting. Due to his condition he is very hyper as well as disruptive and loud; he has no sense of danger and often runs away and can ignore any shouts of warning. He acts without thinking and can be violently aggressive and is actively defiant.
He can sometimes be very literal, i.e. "put your hand up when you cough" so he raises his hand in the air or if you ask him to turn around because he has his back to you and instead of just turning to face you he will turn and turn and turn...
If he wants to avoid doing something (i.e. tidy up before bed) he will try to distract, ignore or often destroyed something completely. He is also very good at manipulation and will do as much as he can in order to turn a situation to his own benefit. Starling will also exhibit ?silly? behaviour where he will ignore and run around, jump on beds, tease by throwing something or grabbing something and running away and is almost hysterical/manic while laughing the whole time, it is generally a delaying tactic as the majority of this behaviour is shown on a school day when trying to get ready for school. He is capable of doing school work but refuses to do so. At home it takes a lot of effort to get him to read his book or to do any writing at all and it often leads to an aggressive outburst.
At home he is sometimes unable to make up his mind about a choice and often changes it very quickly which can result in a loss of temper if we have already started on his first choice. He also does not seem to be able to accept consequences, if told more than once that an item will be confiscated should a certain behaviour continue, he will continue with the behaviour (openly defiantly) which of course results in said item being confiscated but then he will have a melt down when he realises the consequence has taken place, despite being told and warned more than once.
We have tried many different methods including all of the following:
? ABC charts.
? Daily record book between us and school.
? IEP with school.
? Instructions guides (with pictures of him) showing him what to do (i.e. getting ready for school).
? Personal work station at school with a personal timetable.
? Questionnaires on Social Communications & Connors etc.
? Reward and sticker charts.
? Rules in the house (pinned up).
? Sensory Differences Profile.
? Strategy plans.
? Triple P course.
? Various meetings with school and doctors etc.
It sounds awful when I write it all down but I have to say that my son is such a beautiful boy the majority of the time, he is very sensitive and is loving and kind and very caring about others, especially younger children but when this behaviour appears, its like a switch is pressed in him and he turns into this child that I hate myself for say but I don?t like??. isn?t that awful :(
We can handle his behaviour most of the time but the mornings are the worst (with the ?silly? behaviour) he just goads us constantly and we feel powerless ?.. people tell us to walk away when he is screaming?he would follow, if we ignore it still when walking away he would follow us and pull at our clothes, if we ignored that he would find something to throw at us (such as our mobile phones etc) until he gets the reaction that he quite obviously wants. I?ve left rooms and he follows, I?ve physically removed him and he will just come back ?? sigh!!!
Just wondered if anyone had any ideas? (apologies for the long and moany post lol).
A tired mummy x