Any one have an autistic preschooler?

Question

I need any suggestions for this problem. My son is 4 and is autistic. He gets terrible tantrums where he throws himself onto the floor and screams for sometimes as long as 45 mins solid. He will not listen and gets out of control. This happens when you tell him it is nap time or take a toy away from him etc...His dr really has no ideas for me are there any parents with tried and true things they do for this? Thanks so much for ANY ideas!

Answer 1

My 2-1/2 year old son has FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) and autism and does the same thing.

No, he's NOT spoiled--he cannot control his behavior because his bio-mother chose to drink and do drugs while she was pregnant with him. He has a brain disorder!

You need the help of a team of therapists, not just a pediatrician. My son sees an OT, ST, and behavioralist. We are lucky and have help from an agency in our county. Check and see what agencies are in your area that can help you defray costs if you cannot afford the fees. Also, ask about a sliding scale for fees if you must pay out of pocket. Many will give you a discount if your insurance won't cover it or you don't have any insurance to help.

In the meantime, your son probably would benefit most from having a set schedule every day. My son does and his behavior improves. Get your child up every day at the same time. Do the same thing every morning--if he is thirsty or hungry when he gets up, make sure breakfast and juice/milk is ready for him. A child with his needs met tends to have less issues.

A good friend of mine has a timetable on her diningroom wall that lists all of the things her autistic 8 year old does during the day and when he does them. It helps him because he knows what to expect and when to expect it. She got a camera and took pictures of everything that she could (his school, his seat at the set table, his bed, his closet with clothes in it, his full bathtub, etc.) and then pasted them on this timetable. It works for her and her son because he's less frustrated and has fewer tantrums because if he's not sure what to do, it's on the wall.

I know life is unpredicable and things happen that throw off schedules. Not everything can be planned ahead but if he has a comfort zone, his behavior should improve dramatically.

Good Luck to you!!

Answer 2

My friends son is also autistic and acts the very same way. He has recently started on abilify and has started "ABA" therapy as well as a glutton free diet and it has made all the difference in the world. His fits are down to may 2 a week and they last only a fraction of the time. He is also nonverbal and has begun to say a few words. The other day he put a puzzle together and said :I did it:. Good luck with your son and have a merry christmas. Also sorry about what "m" said... What a idioit.

Answer 3

Sounds like you need a better doctor. I have two children with autism, and I'd bet money that he has no idea what's going on when you change things on him. Children with autism are NOT SPOILED, to the ignorant jerk who said that. They are very slow at processing, and changes in routine or surroundings makes it almost impossible for them to think. Very often physical touch is horribly painful and also causes a short-circuit in the thought processes.

You should have a behavioral therapist or an ABA trainer that is working with you and/or your son every day. You don't say how functional your child is, can he talk? Does he have any form of communication? Is he in therapy? Do you take advantage of the fact that your public school system has to provide free schooling and therapy for every child with disabilities from birth to age 22? Are you in a local support group? There are too many questions to be answered, and too many gaps.

So, find a better doctor, in fact he should be seeing an OT, ST, psychologist and some kind of behavioral therapist, whether it's ABA, Greenspan, etc. He should be evaluated for any biochemical imbalances through a DAN dr or a nutritionist. He should be in a public school setting, where they can help teach these skills to both him and you.

If you have any more questions you can email me. It's in my profile.

Answer 4

Do you feel that the tantrums are in defiance of the suggested activity, or that he doesn't understand what is expected of him during the transition? Transitions are particularly difficult for children with autism, because it means shifting gears. That is very hard for someone who has perservative behaviors. Not only is it difficult to switch gears, but interacting with others when they don't want to can cause tantrums. Have you tried using pictures with him? Children with autism respond better to pictures, since they are more visually reactive. Try using pictures of the places you want him to go and do. Take digital photos of all the rooms in your house, places you go often such as the grocery store, school, etc. Laminate them and put them on a key ring so that you can carry it around with you. When you are getting ready to switch from one room to another, or one activity to another, show him the picture and give him warning... "In one minute we will go to your room for nap." Then, show him the picture again in a minute, and say, "We are going to take a nap." or whatever the case may be. Many times this can help alleviate the stress for your child about what is expected of him and where he is expected to go. Because of the communication barrier and sensory issues, getting a child with autism to do something is very difficult... they are resistant to change, and have a hard time expressing their needs and wants. You can find out more information about autism/sensory processing difficulties and solutions in a book titled, Building Bridges, which you can find on amazon.com.

Answer 5

Growing up my friends little brother had the same problem,
his tantrums would last for ages,
and his parents were still clueless.

When he would have a little fit, they would send him to his room for a little
and just tried to let him pout it out,
they always told him when he was done pouting he could do something he enjoyed [they'd take him to the park, or bake cookies]

after a few years he calmed down a lot
and stopped pouting.

i really don't know much about autistic kids, but i hope that atleast helped you out a little, and good luck hope you find something that works.

Answer 6

Well I myself do not have a child with autisim but my nephew who is 8 now does...and my sister would run the bath water when he was throwing his fits and that would distract him and calm him down. Then she got a white noise machine and played that for him if they were out and about...I hope that helps good luck

Answer 7

my son is 6 and autism/ biploar maybe you need to get to see a psychologist it may be biploar, some kids has this too he may need meds my son is on some right now and it helps it sounds like you son may have this problem

Answer 8

You are describing the behavior of a spoiled brat, not a child with autism.

What works is growing up, being the parent, and disciplining your child with age appropriate methods.

Edit: Seriously, you are not describing any language problems, transition problems, sensory problems, communication problems, or problems with understanding. Just a me! me! me!, I want! attitude. People in this day and age will do anything to get out of responsibility for raising a child like this. They want it to be labeled autism, or ADHD, or anything medical to get out of the responsibility. I stand by my interpretation of what you wrote.