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
  • Thank you everyone ... I really appreciate your comments.  Dunk, I especially appreciate you giving me an insight ... my lad really needs to be outdoors.

    We have several friends with dogs and about 10 days ago we spent an evening with friends who have a big old lab.  DS2 was really worried about getting bitten so I asked my friends to reassure him ... they sent a text "from the dog" promising that he wouldn't bite and was really looking forward to meeting him.  DS2 then wrote a letter to the dog reminding him he'd said he wouldn't bite and that he (DS2) in return wouldn't be unkind to him.  Our friends made the point of being outside with their dog when we arrived so that DS2 wouldnt' be intimidated by meeting him indoors (and he may have barked).  

    We're due to visit CAMHS again soon so thanks for the pointer ... I'd honestly not thought of that.  I've been so panicky about it today trying to "fix" it that all reason had gone out of the window.  

    Thank you.

    GG :-)

Reply
  • Thank you everyone ... I really appreciate your comments.  Dunk, I especially appreciate you giving me an insight ... my lad really needs to be outdoors.

    We have several friends with dogs and about 10 days ago we spent an evening with friends who have a big old lab.  DS2 was really worried about getting bitten so I asked my friends to reassure him ... they sent a text "from the dog" promising that he wouldn't bite and was really looking forward to meeting him.  DS2 then wrote a letter to the dog reminding him he'd said he wouldn't bite and that he (DS2) in return wouldn't be unkind to him.  Our friends made the point of being outside with their dog when we arrived so that DS2 wouldnt' be intimidated by meeting him indoors (and he may have barked).  

    We're due to visit CAMHS again soon so thanks for the pointer ... I'd honestly not thought of that.  I've been so panicky about it today trying to "fix" it that all reason had gone out of the window.  

    Thank you.

    GG :-)

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