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HypoTouch & Vision - Getting him to sleep!

Bayleysmummy

Hi,

This is my first post as I really need to start asking for help Undecided

My 4 yr old son was diagnosed with ASD back in 2012. He is non verbal but makes noises of disapprovement now and is usually a very happy little man.

He seems hypo sensitive to touch as he bites his own hand a lot now and slaps the furniture.  He loves deep pressure hugs.  He also loves lights and colours and his stimming is more frequent now so I'm always assuming hypo vision. 

I have been using a pacifier for calming him at bedtime.  This used to have a magic affect but he is now biting the dummy (or anything else if the dummy is taken away) and by doing this he gets very stimulated and wound up.  His bedroom is now like a nun's cell as he now only has a bed & bedding due to being stimulated by things in his room.

I thought that light from outside would also not aid his sleep so he has blackout curtains and the landing light is turned off. 

Last night he woudld not settle with or without a dummy.  He was kicking doors and his headbord, slapping walls and this continued until 11pm when he finally fell asleep.   

Can anyone please suggest anythign for me to try?  If he is hypo vision should I put a night light in his room?

Any help would be greatly appreciated Smile

  • I would have the light on, my son is verbal ut not diagnosed, ad he always has to go bed with the light on,which then upsets is brother! as for the dummy,my son hd his till he was 5,i just diddnt want to take it off him,it was such a comfort to him,i took it off him because the speech therapist said this was best advice and i felt really bad taking it away, my son has always self stimulated from when he was around 6 months old, obiously i diddnt know that at the time! thought it was tummy troubles! hes starting to grow out of it now,he seems to just do it when hes super anxious now.

  • He has a set bedtime routine but his father and I are not together so I have been checking what he does with him.  It sounds like we have a similar routine but a landing light is always on at his father's house (I was told yesterday) so I will try this.  He has several chewy tubes but is not interested in them.  He seems to want to feel the bite himself - I even try to put my hand in his mouth but he won't bite it.

    I have him back with me tonight so I will try a light on. 

    He seems to understand everything anyone says to him.  He is lazy with PECS but I am trying to work with his school to try this again.  He looks very carefully at lips when you talk and will put his hand up to your mouth on certan words or sounds.  He is making more of a OoooAAAAhhh sound which he loves me to copy and I now know the sound he makes when he doesn't like something.

    Thanks for your suggestions x

  • Hi, I don't know anything about hypo vision - sorry.  His behaviour doesn't sound at all settled with the present arrangement.  When things changed it may have upset him.  He may not like the dark. ( When I was a child I was frightened of the dark.)  My son had a set bedtime routine.  As long as it didn't vary, unless he decided to vary it a little himself, then things were ok.   If  your son needs to bite things there a things you can get on amazon (toys for the mouth) that seem to help.  They've been mentioned in the posts on here.  If you've access to an OT then ask if you can try the weighted blankets + vests to see how he responds.  I wouldn't buy 1 straight away because he may not like it - you never can tell until you try.  I've also been told it's not a good idea to use them only when someone is getting upset as the blanket or vest is then associated with upsetting experiences.  Better to use them at different times of the day when the person wants to.  Whilst he may be on verbal, have you noticed what words and/or short phrases he does understand?  Does he understand some gestures, some sign language?  Pecs can be very useful.