Help!

My lovely lad is 8 and has Aspergers.  He's the middle of 3 boys, my older lad has Autism & ADHD (he's 10).

DS2 is a really outdoorsy boy and generally struggles at this time of year when the weather isn't so good and there isn't so much daylight.  Anyway, he's always been wary of dogs but now he's refusing to go outside at all unless it's necessary (ie to the car to do the school run).  He won't play in the garden although it's fully enclosed.  He says he's scared of being chased by a dog.  

Any advice?  

He spent yesterday afternoon with us at our friends' home.  They have a wee yorkie and he spent the whole time playing with the dog and running about with its toys begging it to chase him!

We don't know what to do.  He won't go out of the house unless necessary.  We have to take everyone into consideration ... we need to be able to take the boys to the park or out as normal but we also don't want to make DS2 even more stressed.  He's been angry and aggressive with us all weekend ... we can calm him by holding him tightly and talking calmly to him but both DH and I have noticed that he's excessively fidgety as if he can't control himself.  

Parents
  • Can you ask CAMHS for some therapy to address his anxiety?  Maybe he needs some CBT?

    Many autistic children are scared of dogs, I think it's the unpredictability of them combined with the heightened awareness of danger (awareness of potential for bites).

    As he was OK with the Yorkshire terrier that will likely have been because it's way too small to see as seriously dangerous, plus he was inside with adults all around so he felt safer.

    It is worthwhile enquiring about therapy because he may become agoraphobic if it gets to rule his life.

Reply
  • Can you ask CAMHS for some therapy to address his anxiety?  Maybe he needs some CBT?

    Many autistic children are scared of dogs, I think it's the unpredictability of them combined with the heightened awareness of danger (awareness of potential for bites).

    As he was OK with the Yorkshire terrier that will likely have been because it's way too small to see as seriously dangerous, plus he was inside with adults all around so he felt safer.

    It is worthwhile enquiring about therapy because he may become agoraphobic if it gets to rule his life.

Children
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