Fear of being alone

Hello everyone, This is my first post. My 10-year-old son is diagnosed autistic 6 months ago. He is very possessive of his toys and does not want my younger son to enter his room but at the same time very scared to be alone and wants one of the parents to be with him all the time. This includes going to the bathroom as well.

Could you please tell us some techniques which could help him overcome his fears or for us to be able to support him better? Thanks in advance!

  • Thanks for sharing your experience! :)

  • Thanks! He imagines a lot of things he watches on TV.. He mentioned he is scared of mice in the house although we don't have any OR spiders because he has seen poisonous spiders in books or on TV.

  • I am 53 and had similar traits as a child, however i was an only child so was quite lonely. I am no expert, and don't have kids. For me it was about feeling secure, he maybe frightened of, or atleast be anxious about something. Could it be something about his brother? Maybe he feels he wants to have your attention constantly? As a kid I was just frightened of life in general and found it a massive challenge so my mum was the one who could protect me. I grew out of my needyness when I was about 10, but everybody is diffrent.

  • Hi , welcome to the online community! I hope you find it useful. In terms of support for your son, individuals on the spectrum can often display behaviour that may be challenging. There will generally be a reason for this and it is important to try and understand the trigger for the behaviour when developing strategies. You may like to have a look at the following link for more information on behaviour and strategies: 

    https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/behaviour

    I hope this helps.

    Best wishes,

    Anna Mod