Meltdowns in public

My young adult son had a very bad meltdown in public. He verbally assaulted someone and banged on the car and caused trouble in the street. He doesn't like the person he shouted at and, unfortunately, he came across them in the local area. They have reported him to the police. He is now very angry and wants justice. He says they swore at him and threatened him. He is telling lies to me and crying and incredibly anxious now. Waiting for the fall out next week. A social worker is now involved. We've tried various therapies and medications but to no avail. Will he always have this mindset? He always thinks he's been bullied by others and has to get justice.

Parents
  • Hi and welcome to the community.

    I'm sorry to hear about your son's situation.

    You - and he - might find the advice here helpful:

    NAS - Behaviour - includes advice about how autism can affect our behaviour, and strategies that might help, including in respect of meltdowns, anger management, and distressed behaviour (the latter can include targeting individuals due to personality clashes).

    NAS - Anxiety

    NAS - Criminal justice

    As an autistic person, your son has the right to be accompanied by an Appropriate Adult when being interviewed by the police. This can be you or another family member, for example.

    This is explained in the second resource above, via the "Police officers and professionals tab", and also here: Autism: a guide for police officers and staff.

Reply
  • Hi and welcome to the community.

    I'm sorry to hear about your son's situation.

    You - and he - might find the advice here helpful:

    NAS - Behaviour - includes advice about how autism can affect our behaviour, and strategies that might help, including in respect of meltdowns, anger management, and distressed behaviour (the latter can include targeting individuals due to personality clashes).

    NAS - Anxiety

    NAS - Criminal justice

    As an autistic person, your son has the right to be accompanied by an Appropriate Adult when being interviewed by the police. This can be you or another family member, for example.

    This is explained in the second resource above, via the "Police officers and professionals tab", and also here: Autism: a guide for police officers and staff.

Children