Published on 12, July, 2020
No doubt this is a common issue among many of you, but I am needing some advice or guidance.
My 12-year old son is becoming more verbally aggressive and threatening, in particular to my wife (not his biological mother- she hasn't seen him for 3-years)
I have CAHMS involved and he has a support worker, but as you may be aware these organisations are low in resource, so it is a challenge to get things done quickly.
He has an episode this evening and the concerns are centred around his threats 'to stab you all' and 'kill you all with a knife' and also he wanted to kill himself as 'I've had enough and it's the end of my world'
As you can appreciate these are concerning words and whilst it may not be an immediate threat, the warning signs are growing louder. My wife says we need to get someone sufficiently trained within the police to speak to him to highlight the consequences of his behaviours, which may be beneficial, but from a long-term treatment perspective, what advice can you provide, if any?
I have done my own research and spoken to parents locally with Autistic children and it seems this is not a unique situation, but the safety of him and the rest of the family is essential here.
It must be a very real concern for you. I thought about building on your wife's idea about getting someone trained from within the police. From this site, it appears that there are now a few committed police officers, some in senior ranks, with personal experience of neurodiversity. This site is the National Police Autism Association. They provide trained co-ordinators. Now it probably varies from force to force. There is a contact page. I would hope that they might be interested in a preventative role, and possibly be able to put you in touch with someone in your local area. I must admit I am a bit unsure whether a police officer is the best person to do the talking, BUT I also think it is important that you follow through on your own instincts.
http://www.npaa.org.uk/