Really struggling

[mummybear456]

Hi everyone, my 3 year old son has been diagnosed with Autism recently and I'm really struggling with his behaviour.
I'm finding that I'm losing my temper with him and I forget that he might be having a sensory overload and feel awful after.

Does anyone have any tips on how to handle this behaviour??

You need to understand what causes his behaviour, then parent accordingly.

All behaviour is communication and your son is telling you loud and clear when he can't cope.

Forget about NT behaviour and consequences and learn all you can about how your son perceives his world, what he needs to feel safe in his world and what unnerves him and cases him distress.
Once you're confident doing that, life will be much easier for both of you.

Understanding his needs and putting interventions into place for him should be a priority.

First off, big deep breath; it can be really tough coping as an asd parent - whilst also sometimes being wonderful.
Practical things to try; explain now/next/later and use a visual timetable at home.
Sleep can be a huge issue - do have a look at ways to try and support his sleep (weighted blankets, darker room, etc) being sleep deprived can make everyone grouchy. Melatonin from his paediatrician might help.
Trying to reduce sensory stimuli can be helpful; a calmer environment, fewer noises, fewer colours.

But honestly; it can be so hard when you’re trying to work all this out, so be gentle with yourself too. . Have a “coping plan” of things that help and stick it on the fridge for when it’s all going tits up.

@BlankTimes is absolutely spot on here. Understanding the cause of the behaviour is absolutely the key to managing it.

Are there any trained adults you could approach for help - nursery SENCO, local children's centre staff etc? This absolutely was the game-changer for us. We accessed help from Banardos at our local children and families centre (i appreciate this might be a long shot as so many centres have closed in recent years.) But it helped me understand the triggers behind my son's behaviour which was the start of turning things around.

If there's no obvious avenues of support - could you claim DLA and pay for private help - child psychologist or play therapist or something. We've used our DLA to pay for a lot of specialist support over the past few years.