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SN children

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Original poster

DS nearly strangled himself last night...

13 replies

mysonben · 27/09/2009 12:04

DS (3.11 ,asd) has got this habit of wrapping himself with pieces of elastic , strings, trousers belt,... a sensory thing i believe.
He likes the feeling of it obviously. He wraps his fingers and hands, arms, or chest usually, a couple of times i caught him with elastic straps (from ds1 bedroom), wrapped around his neck, once he had looped one around door handle and popped his head within the loop and was moving back and forth so that the elastic would catch on his neck

Anyway, yesterday we went to get a new pair of glasses for him (he now has to wear them but of course refuses to), and he was given a helium ballon on a string. He wanted it attached to his wrist so we obliged.
He was quite happy carrying the ballon like this for the rest of the day. Then we were watching a bit of tv when we heard a gaging sort of noise, we turned to DS who was sitting at his little table and he had wrapped the string around his neck. His face was turning purple and his eyes were bulging out, how scary!
DS1 (16y) was closest, jumped to loosen the string.
We took it off quick. And DS just sat there as if nothing had happened!!! WTH???

He was making a lot of throat noises so i called NHS direct to ask for advice.
We usually hide all strings , elastic, belts,... as he will hunt for them and has the nack of finding stuff like that.
Just didn't think he would try it with the ballon string...how silly of us!

OP posts:

Original poster

mysonben · 27/09/2009 12:06

Oooops... Meant 'balloon' not ballon!

OP posts:

starfish71 · 27/09/2009 12:52

That is so scary mysonben. My ds (5.9) has a liking for putting things around his neck too - am really hoping it is so going wear off and so far (thankfully) he hasn't hurt himself. It is just something else to be careful about - dressing gown cords etc - keep them out of way! Hope you feeling ok now and hope ds is too.

Original poster

mysonben · 27/09/2009 13:21

Thank you Starfih71. Yes we're ok.
DS is good, didn't shake him up one little bit!
I would have expected him to cry maybe... but no as i said he just carried on watching tv as if nothing had happened.
He does cry when he is hurt though, he goes ott with the crying , pain thing normally.

OP posts:

starfish71 · 27/09/2009 13:43

Glad you both ok. Yes my DS cries very loudly when he hurts himself too - its hard to get him to calm down when he has hurt himself too. All early days for us - just starting to go down the assessement route but had a lovely chat with Autism outreach worker who really explained to me and DH that he really feels pain more than we would expect and I am bit better now at dealing with it (inspite of the stares if he is very loud if outside and hurts himself!) Even his Grandad looks horrified at him if he is hurt (DS can be soo loud!) but just trying to go with flow at moment - not easy but trying to take it one day at a time. (or a hour at time!)

cornsilk · 27/09/2009 13:46

How scary for you. Sounds like ds1 is a cool customer! Hope he's feeling okay now.

DoNotPressTheRedButton · 27/09/2009 13:48

MSB

DS3 is another with a liking fortings aorund his neck- didn'tr elaise it was a shared thing

Barmymummy · 27/09/2009 14:03

Oh how scarey am so glad he is OK. My DS likes to tie things round his legs, we have so far escaped him trying to put things round his neck. You really have to second guess them don't you?

So, he's not really into the glasses then as you rightly expected

Original poster

mysonben · 27/09/2009 14:33

Yes DS1 is always on the ball , he is 16y.old , nt.

Barmy, yes my feeling about the glasses was right .
DS hates them with a vengance!
If we can get him to get used to them a bit more each day, it'll be an achievement!

OP posts:

BriocheDoree · 27/09/2009 14:36

Have you ever thought of getting him one of those vibrating tube / sensory toys to put round his neck? I considered this at one point for DD but she (thankfully!!) grew out of it. (Was trying to find a link to one of the toys that I mean but can't find it - they sell them on hoptoys.fr and probably in the UK somewhere as well).

BriocheDoree · 27/09/2009 14:38

Sorry, found it, meant one of these

DoNotPressTheRedButton · 27/09/2009 15:03

DS1 still won't wear glases 8.5 years after his first pair..... fortuntely his sight ahs improved (was 50% now 75%) so he can cope without them usually (withn a day of getting a pair they will be thrown from a car windopw on a motorway or whatever new trick he has- NHS won't give us mroe than 2 pairs a year becuase its so gusranteed)

Original poster

mysonben · 27/09/2009 20:38

Briochedoree, thanks for the link. Will look for one, seems like DS kind of thing!

DonotpressTRB, 8.5y later!... i can see it could be a battle with the glasses then! DS will have them on for a minute max. He will cry and tantrum if we try to put them back on again.
I hope he can get use to them eventually.

OP posts:

linglette · 28/09/2009 10:25

mysonben, moondog has suggested I use her timetimer for getting Ds2 used to wearing a cycling helmet - starting with 2 minutes etc.

But clearly you'd have to build the timetimer into his positive experiences for weeks if not months first otherwise he'd just associate it with the glasses.

sorry to hear about the scary incident. I remember banging my head underwater whilst in a pool with my dad at about the same age - was stunned so didn't breathe in - feeling the hands lift me out, coming round a bit, starting to breathe again, then happily diving down again, not entirely sure about why the grownups were making such a fuss.

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