Published on 12, July, 2020
My son is 9 and we believe that he is on the ASD spectrum. He struggles to process and control his emotions when confronted with change - often resorting to violence against others in his family or himself. He can relate to others emotionally and has formed friendships but seems overwhelmed at times by anger and sadness when there are small changes to what he perceives as the routine e.g. visiting a supermarket.
We have got a referral for CAMHS on Dec 19th and my wife and I have to bring Sam with us. We have tried to ask the CAMHS team how to prepare him for the session or what to tell him about why he is being taken out of school. They have no materials and no advice for us - which surprised me enormously - so I was wondering if anyone else has faced this and what they did?
I am also interested in hearing about anger management techniques to defuse and de-escalate his rages - what do you use? We are trying distraction and humour with mixed results.
Thanks
Hi
Our 11 year old son has recently started attending CAMHS.
We spoke to him, and advised him that the appointment was to try and help him with his anxiety, which he accepted and agreed was a good idea.
At the appointment we were given a booklet each, one for parents and my son was given one, which helps kids understand more about ASD.
I was advised to walk away when my son is having meltdowns, which are a mix of abuse towards us, and throwing things, screaming etc. It's easier said than done TBH, but we were also advised to not try and negotiate or rationalise while he is in full meltdown, as that will only upset him more. So we just make sure he is safe and let him ride it out. There are times where I have been able to prevent meltdowns, by comforting and talking softly, but that doesn't always work.
Hope this helps.