Dd with ASD and lockdown - pls help!

[Blossom4538]

Hi all,

Dd is 8 and has been enjoying been at home mostly. However, she will no longer enjoy the garden or venture outside, as she is terrified of the bees and flies. She’s cooped up, bored, having meltdowns, physically aggressive and swearing at us. We are all now really struggling.

Any ideas?

Its a very tough time all round.

Autism varies so much so i dont know if she is more PDA or more typical ASD.

I would suggest a visual timetable and a bit of structute to the day if she is more typical ASD. Then using the whole now and next language to help with the timetable. (Now we are watching tv, next is lunch)
I also think its likely the agression is coming from being a bit scared so a social story about the whole thing might help?
If you want to encourage her outside would a social story about bees and insects being useful help.

she will no longer enjoy the garden or venture outside, as she is terrified of the bees and flies

We had that.

Is there a 'bare' area you can make for her outside which has a hard surface, no plants and absolutely nothing to attract insects ?

Make sure she has no yellow clothing on when outdoors. What about an electric fan to 'blow' insects away from that area, I know I tried it a few times, can't remember how successful it was as DD is adult now. She's still not keen on insects in close proximity, but doesn't have a meltdown every time one's within 10 feet of her any more

We laid a large terrace and got a table with parasol, my dreams of her playing outside for a long time every day and dining al fresco were dashed, but I learned that certain times of the day and certain temperatures meant less insects, so we went outside then for quite a few years. Gradually her tolerance for insects improved.

Citronella candles are supposed to help but I find the smell really choking and the area they cover around you depends on the breeze, otherwise peppermint essential oil is about the cheapest to put on a tissue nearby (never on skin, it's an irritant) but again limited effectiveness outdoors.

I moved all our outdoor plants from near our windows and made flyscreens with material bought online so we can have our windows open, but not have to deal with insects indoors any more.

Can you get her a zapper bug bat? We have one indoors for the occasional interloper.

If she's also not going outside at all because of insects, do get her an age appropriate VitD3 supplement as its only natural source is sunshine.

Sometimes though, things just happen and you have to deal with it. A couple of years ago, we had a wasps nest in the roof above the bathroom and you could hear them quietly buzzing, almost humming and I'd patiently explained multiple times daily that they couldn't get through the low ceiling to be indoors, so she was safe.
It takes time for the council pest control chap to turn up after you've requested his presence, but we were managing day by day ... until the day I bought her an electric toothbrush. I'd had her practise with it in the kitchen until I was sure she could use it on her own properly unsupervised. Off she went into the bathroom, switched the toothbrush on and the frequency it buzzed at must have been one which meant 'Armageddon is imminent, go to Defcon1' in wasp language.
The wasps went into a buzzing and flying frenzy, DD was terrified and ran out of the bathroom in a blind panic, screaming in terror, still holding the buzzing toothbrush.
Equilibrium was restored when I switched it off, dealt with her meltdown and she used a manual toothbrush until after the Council chap had visited.

Thank you all so much.

I would say some kind of structure helps, but
she appears to have a PDA profile.

It’s a miracle, she’s been out in the garden this morning!!