10 Year old not yet diagnosed behavior issues

Hi

Hoping to get some advice on here from parents/carers with children with autism.

My partners son is 10 and we have suspected there may be something going on with him for a couple of years. Recently his behavior became so poor at school he was moved to lunch club (this is a type of exclusion). This was the 3rd tine in 2 years. So much has happened recently with us trying to get referrals etc and this is ongoing and we our trying to get support and a diagnosis for him. Most recently he "squared up to me". This was following him taking his little sisters sweets and me reprimanding him. This was the second time he has "squared up" to me and I have found myself having to removing myself from being around him. He does not seem to respect me as an adult and this is the case with many adults he comes into contact with. Both in school and out. My partner and I both accept in the long term our relationship would not survive if I have nothing to do with him which is why we our searching for support for us as well as him. Two questions, 1/ How are you supposed to deal with this type of aggressive behavior. Bearing in mind he wont always be 10, and 2/ Are there any Support groups in Kent???  

  • Dear Dean1968,

    I'm sorry to hear that you are having difficulties with your partner's son's behaviour.  It's not clear from your post whether he has a diagnosis or not, but the following may be of help.

    Individuals on the spectrum can often display behaviour that may be challenging. There will generally be a reason for this and it is important to try and understand the trigger for the behaviour when developing strategies.  You may like to have a look at the following link for more information on behaviour and strategies:

    http://www.autism.org.uk/living-with-autism/understanding-behaviour.aspx

    We have a page on our website that centres around physical challenging behaviour. Including the possible causes, as well as strategies and interventions you can adopt to try to improve his behaviour:
    http://www.autism.org.uk/about/behaviour/challenging-behaviour.aspx

    You may also find it useful to have a look at our behaviour top tips:  http://www.autism.org.uk/about/behaviour/guidelines.aspx

    Regarding support groups in Kent, you can search for services/professionals we are aware of in your area who may be able to provide help and support on the Autism Services Directory: www.autism.org.uk/directory.aspx

    And finally, if you would like to speak to someone, you might want to consider contacting our Autism Helpline team who can provide you with information and advice . You can contact the team by telephone on 0808 800 4104 (Monday to Thursday 10am to 4pm, Friday 9am to 3pm). Please note that the Helpline is often very busy and it may take a couple of attempts before you get through to speak to an advisor. Alternatively, should you prefer to send a message, you can do so via their webform:  https://www.autism.org.uk/services/helplines/main/questions.aspx

    I hope that helps.

    Regards,

    Kerri-Mod