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Supporting an autistic child with anxiety and violent outbursts at home

3 replies

Mumbythesea1 · 28/09/2026 21:56

DS (10) is autistic and suffers from a huge amount of anxiety. He is currently having some support for his anxiety but I’m feeling a bit broken and like I’m a dreadful Mum. When something triggers his anxiety he becomes violent and me and DH are covered in bruises and scratches from these outbursts. DD who is also autistic is never hurt but only because we put ourselves in the way so that she doesn’t get hurt.
We’ve managed to work out some worries that trigger this but a huge one is school. We can’t afford for one of us not to work because I would home school him if I could.
I don’t know what else to do. We have tried so much to help him but tonight I just got so sad as I’m always getting hurt, DH is always getting hurt and DD is scared of her brother.

What do we do?

OP posts:
roaringdragon · 28/09/2026 23:12

What support is the school providing?

Does DS have an EHCP? If not, has an EHCNA been requested? If he already has one, what provision is already in it and have you requested an early review? There are other options if the school isn’t suitable.

While sorting more support via an EHCP, if DS is unable to attend school, you could request alternative provision.

What support for his anxiety is he receiving?

Has DS had an OT assessment? Including a sensory OT assessment? Has he also had a home OT assessment?

How are his eating and sleeping?

Some people find the books The Explosive Child and the Out of Sync Child helpful. Some find low demand resources useful. Some find non-violent resistance resources useful.

You can request social care assessments. A carer’s assessment for you and an assessment of DS’s needs. On their website, Contact has model letters you can use. Sometimes there is funding available for courses on how to deescalate and if necessary safely hold/restrain DC.

For DD, have a look at your local young carer’s service and Sibs.

As well as diary looking for triggers, it can help to keep a diary about the wider circumstances to help you spot signs so you can deescalate before DS receives the point of no return, and to know what strategies work/what don’t.

Mumbythesea1 · Yesterday 18:55

Thank you so much. No an ECHNA was refused and I’m currently going to tribunal for this.
School doing very little as he is “fine in school”. He’s currently having CBT for anxiety

OP posts:
roaringdragon · Yesterday 21:30

Request a meeting with the school. Remind them they must make their best endeavours to meet DS’s SEN as per the Children and Families Act 2014 and they must make reasonable adjustments as per the Equality Act 2010. Follow up all verbal conversations with emails to create a paper trail.

The explosions at home show there are unmet needs at school. The school just isn’t seeing the signs or is seeing them but not recognising them for what they are.

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