DD so angry...is this normal?

[sunshine99789]

Hi,

My DD is currently under CAMHS, awaiting ADOS appointment....'suspected high functioning autism' she has issues with noise...routine etc but the main thing worrying me is her temper.

Is part of HFA having anger issues or are we looking at something totally different? In the run up to school breaking up she has been a total nightmare...screaming at me over the tiniest thing, her siblings are terrified of her.

I have tried various reward/charts/timeout/removal of toys but NOTHING PHASES HER! she is quite obviously very different from her siblings.

Just very recently when she is having a tantrum she will try to escape from where ever she is.

She is golden at school and there are no issues reported from them aside from transitioning at the start and end of the school day.

I honestly dont know what to do with her and its breaking my heart for all my children.

I ceased to know normality a long time ago but, yes, we have seen a lot of anger issues in ds1 and ds2 (they have a diagnosis of an ASC). It is worse when they are anxious and the only thing that really works for them is to try to reduce that anxiety. Sanctions / rewards are only really going to be effective if your dd has control over her behaviour. If she has reached overload point then probably she doesn't. Fleeing is absolutely natural too (google "fight or flee" response which is an innate response to danger). You could perhaps help by trying to allocate a safe space in your house or garden that she can go to destress - ds1 used to use the trampoline in the garden as he found bouncing very calming .