8 year old son not understanding that I’m the parent

please help!

my 8 year old ASD son and I are constantly falling out. I’m a single mum and also have a 10 month old daughter. I’m really struggling with him right now as he will not do anything he’s told and just argues with me like an adult. Simple things like putting his toys away, he says it’s not fair because his friend got some of them out, then it escalates into a full blown meltdown! I ask him to go into his ‘sensory tent’ to calm down but he refuses. I tell him to go to his room but he will not go. The only thing I can do is ignore him. Then He just follows me around screaming at the top of his voice that ‘I made it worse’ or ‘I’m not doing it until you apologise!’ Or ‘you need to take responsibility for your part’ when all I asked him to do was put his toys away. He will not do anything he doesn’t want to! He terrifies his baby sister when he’s in meltdown. He doesn’t seem to understand that adults have authority and he needs to do as he’s told. Has anyone else had similar experiences? What can I do???

  • Sounds just like my house! I have an 8 year old girl who we believe is asd and a 7 year old and 14month old when it comes to tidying up the 8 year old is a nightmare .she screams it's not her job to do it there not her toys we treat her like a slave all the usual stuff, but as you say this quickly escalates to meltdown. 

    We are starting to use a pecs now, next, then board not to help understanding as she is fully aware but so she can see tidy up as an activity or step to the next thing she wants, this was suggested by a support worker I'm not sure if it will work but she likes the structure of the timetable at school so hopefully it will work at home!

    She Is also quite adult in many ways we joke she is 8 going on 18 (goes over her head) but very young in others I just wondered if you found that as well