Sleeping and chair solutions for autistic twins - help!

[SinkGirl]

My twin boys are autistic, one has other disabilities / medical issues as well. They are almost 3.

They are still in their cot beds at present. They sleep in sleeping bags, without which they’d be able to climb out but as they get taller they’ll be able to get out soon and then I am totally screwed. They are expert climbers. They are awake in the middle of the night anywhere from 2-4 hours, hurling themselves around their cots. They both gnaw on the cot rails. I don’t know what to do.

They have a pretty small bedroom so I need something that’s compact but safe as they grow. They’re not very tall (approx 89cm at present) and growing very slowly.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Also we’ve been loaned two chairs from the children’s centre that are the size of normal toddler chairs but have a little mound in the middle and straps. They are a godsend. We will have to give them back soon and I don’t know what we are going to do. They like sitting at their little table so would like something similar. Any suggestions?

The chairs you have for your twins sound good. Can they site unaided on a chair ok or are the straps to help them?

We are also just debating about taking the sides down on my sons cot bed. He is three but actually doesn't try to get out. I would really like to take them down but then opens a whole other door for him moving around the house at night.

They can sit fine - they sit get up, take each other’s food etc so it’s more to keep them in one place really! We can’t explain to them not to take food from others as they just don’t have the understanding of words.

I think your options are to either make the space as safe as possible for them - minimal furniture, nothing loose etc. and to use a stair gate on the door. You can buy tall stair gates which may help for a while.

Another option is one of these if you have or can get the funds:
www.safespaces.co.uk/safespace/
If space is an issue they may be able to share one while they are small?

I think I know what chairs you mean, you should be able to buy them somewhere. I’ll have a look...

What about a booster seat like this?
www.mothercare.com/boosters/mothercare-creative-booster-with-tray---red/631687.html?wgu=11983_187205_15663244011076_ebf47baa33&wgexpiry=1574100401&utm_source=webgains&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_content=71875&utm_campaign=Staircase%2051%20Ltd_187205

I’m reluctant to put them on boosters as I think they’d tip the chairs - the best things about the low ones we have is that they’re heavy and sturdy with rubber feet so they don’t budge!

Ds had chairs and a bed loaned by a community OT, but I know it is a lot more difficult to access equipment these days, and some areas are better than others. It might be worth asking for a referral though (via GP?)

There is a charity called New Life here who help with equipment and grants and have a subsection called newlifeable with second hand equipment for sale.

On a forum I used to go on theraposture and beds by carebase
we're both popular choices, and came recommended.

There are several second hand special needs equipment boards on Facebook and as equipment is so expensive, you may have to apply for a grant from someone like Cerebra (I have a list of potential grant providers somewhere, if it would help)

Wrt the chair - some of the above options may have something. Have you seen the Smirthwaite chair here ....are the ones they have similar?

The chairs are very similar to these except there’s a little mound in the middle front of the seat, and a strap that goes round the wait. Annoyingly I can’t find them online and I’m sure they’re stupidly priced but I can’t imagine they’d be impossible to afford

www.tts-group.co.uk/toddler-wooden-chair/1002273.html?cgid=Furniture-Tables_--Chairs-Early_Years_Tables--_Chairs

The SafeSpace thing looks incredible. Unfortunately as it needs 25cm clearance on three sides I expect their room is too small. We are considering moving them into our larger room and us moving into theirs - we could just about fit a double bed into it. One of these would be amazing in a larger room.

I was thinking a small toddler bunk bed where one bed is basically on the floor, minimal clearance so they can’t stand up in it, with the beds mostly enclosed for safety... then I realised that’s basically a double decker cage so not sure that’s really ethical 😂

I’m not sure how they’d handle sharing a bigger sleep space. They mainly ignore each other at the moment but that may change.

They sound like the ones our nursery used for babies. If so, I think suppliers of nursery & preschool furniture would be the place to look.

Is this any good? httpss://www.communityplaythings.co.uk/products/baby-room/toddler-chairs/mealtime-chairs

Re the waist strap, maybe think of it as just some webbing and clips. You can buy replacement highchair straps on eBay, or reins are often adaptable to highchairs. Alternatively get some webbing and clips the same size (they are sold for replacing broken rucksack clips etc) and rig something up. It's probably the last thing you want to be doing of an evening, but it is doable. Maybe take some pics of how the current straps attach before you return the chairs. A lot of highchair straps can be removed completely for washing/replacing, though of course these chairs might be different.

Better link www.communityplaythings.co.uk/products/baby-room/toddler-chairs/mealtime-chairs see 3rd pic

Thank you - those are almost identical to what we have! I will order some when we need to give them back :)

Also, I found this website that does custom beds, bunk beds, triple beds etc. I think something like this could work well with some adaptations like higher sides on the top bunk. I’m going to contact them and see if they’d be able to help. Worth looking at for anyone with similar needs :)
www.andersonsthemesanddreams.co.uk/collections/bunk-beds/products/themes-house-style-bunk-beds

I think any bunk type arrangement is going to be unsafe if they can climb.
You can get small safe space type beds. Alternatively you can try with low bed / mattress on the floor in a room with no furniture and a high staircase or barn door.
Ds got the larger room when he needed a safe space.

Staircase should be stair gate.

I wouldn’t go for bunk beds either, especially if they are night wakers.

Don’t put mattresses directly on the floor though as they need air to circulate around them. Toddler beds are usually very low and safe.

No, I’d use bases if they had floor beds. I’m just not sure what to do as I can’t make their room totally safe - there’s a chimney breast with a fireplace (not used obviously!) they could climb, a very chunky radiator, some built in shelves... it’s a nightmare!

We can’t move any time soon - we need to wait until we’ve sorted out EHCPs to see where they need to go to school. I’m hoping they will get funding for one of two specialist ASD schools locally - one is only 15 mins away but the other is at least a 40 minute drive and I can’t drive (yet, working on it!) so we will be looking to move to wherever is most convenient on that basis. Can’t afford to move twice in the next couple of years.

Looks like my only practical option is much deeper cots, but they’re mostly very large and I’m not sure we’d fit two in there. Someone needs to make a much deeper cot with gate access but which is toddler bed size! Maybe I can look into something custom.

Radiator can be covered, built in shelves can be removed but it might be easier to switch rooms. Are they ok with each other? We had to separate our 2 because we couldn't keep one safe from the other without cot bars.

A friend with tall children drilled out extra holes in the existing cot, below the lowest setting, to give an extra deep cot. Could that buy you a few more months? Appreciate you might well need something more specialist.

I don’t think that would work sadly. There’d be a gap under the bars then which is risky.

I could definitely add a radiator cover, but they’d just climb on that. If we moved into their room, we’d have to keep furniture in the bigger room to store clothes etc as their room is literally the size of a double bed...

They’re fine with each other - they just ignore each other so no risk to each other.

Agh, I don’t know what to do but I need to figure it out before I’m forced to!

If you can prove the school is the nearest that meets needs the LA should supply transport. My youngest goes to a specialist school and goes on a bus.

Would a single wooden bedframe do and ask a joiner to the Saw legs off - it’s what we did.