Hi everyone,
I’m new here and feeling quite overwhelmed, so I hope it’s okay to post.
My son is 17 and autistic. Over the past couple of years he has become increasingly isolated, he doesn’t go out, has no friends, and now says he can’t communicate with people because of his speech, so he avoids interaction as much as possible.
Recently he has started self-harming, which has really worried me. I’ve tried to seek professional help, but because he is over 16, services are saying he has to agree to it himself, and at the moment he is refusing any kind of support.
I feel very stuck. I don’t want to push him and risk him withdrawing further, but I’m also really concerned about his safety and how alone he is becoming.
I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been through something similar with an older autistic teenager:
- How did you support them when they didn’t want help?
- Did anything help with communication difficulties at this stage?
- Were there any services or approaches that worked for your family?
I’m also open to any suggestions on how to cope with this as a parent, as it’s been quite isolating.
