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Hospitalised PDA child

Blueplanet

Please help! My 12 year old has had an autistic shutdown with severe PDA, low mood- severe anxiety, angry dysregulations, no self care for 4 months ( same clothes since admission, no brushing or bathing) on a hospital ward under CTO, unable to take medications or engage with any psychological interventions. He has become non verbal in hospital, communicating with typing only on Ipad. He is unable to clearly describe his emotions but is clearly depressed with extreme negative thought ruminations. 

A high achieving, regular school attender in primary but this year with transition to secondary school, has experienced bullying at school and refuses to attend- terrified about online schooling too. Stuck in hospital and his anxiety is worsening about not being able to go home. Community Teams feeling worried to let him home as he needed a very traumatising regimen of multiple sedative intramuscular injections to get him to hospital. I have informed the MHO of the situation but no one seems to have a clue how to move forward.

Any thoughts and suggestions about what I can do to help my son, is most appreciated. 

Parents

  • Hi BlueHawk, 

    Thanks so much, tremendously useful to know that I am doing most things already as per your suggestions! Though I have an allocated Autism Practitioner supporting us at home, there is no Autism Lead Nurse for this ward. Also, due to the crazy hierarchies which exist, our allocated Practitioner feels unable to suggest, assuming that a National Inpatient Psychiatric Unit would know what they are doing!!! 

    The main roadblock at this time is 'unpredictable/easy to get aggression*. I have tried explaining that it is likely that this is an anxiety response and the longer we keep him hospitalised, the more he is likely to have a low mood and fear of staying too long, resulting in head banging.... 

    SW/Community Teams are saying they are doing a risk assessment due to the 'violence' and it looks really tricky whether/when we will be allowed back home!

    We will just have to wait, fingers crossed! My main concern, needless to say, is that this extended stay in hospital (nearly 5 months now) is causing more regression than any benefit! I so wish that he starts talking again too ( has been non verbal since hospitalisation) :-(

    Thanks so much again, your kind response is hugely appreciated:-) 

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  • Hi BlueHawk, 

    Thanks so much, tremendously useful to know that I am doing most things already as per your suggestions! Though I have an allocated Autism Practitioner supporting us at home, there is no Autism Lead Nurse for this ward. Also, due to the crazy hierarchies which exist, our allocated Practitioner feels unable to suggest, assuming that a National Inpatient Psychiatric Unit would know what they are doing!!! 

    The main roadblock at this time is 'unpredictable/easy to get aggression*. I have tried explaining that it is likely that this is an anxiety response and the longer we keep him hospitalised, the more he is likely to have a low mood and fear of staying too long, resulting in head banging.... 

    SW/Community Teams are saying they are doing a risk assessment due to the 'violence' and it looks really tricky whether/when we will be allowed back home!

    We will just have to wait, fingers crossed! My main concern, needless to say, is that this extended stay in hospital (nearly 5 months now) is causing more regression than any benefit! I so wish that he starts talking again too ( has been non verbal since hospitalisation) :-(

    Thanks so much again, your kind response is hugely appreciated:-) 

Children
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