Published on 12, July, 2020
So my son is autistic (I am too btw) and he is currently dealing with a lot of change that he is struggling to process. It's causing him to start becoming irrationally angry and lashing out and shouting about every little thing.
He has just finished nursery and he is really struggling to process not going back there ever again or seeing his friends there. He is also starting school for the first time in September and is really anxious and struggling to process that change. In addition, I have started working for the first time in 4 months when he is used to having me home all the time which has changed a lot of his usual daily routines
I just want to know 2 things. Firstly, is this normal behaviour for an autistic child facing a lot of change?Secondly, what can I do to help him process and cope with all the change and manage his emotions better? What techniques or ideas help with this?Any help would be greatly appreciated
with the worrying about leaving his friends he could get there addresses so that he can still see them after he leaves. you could also get the friends parents numbers and put it in a contact diary. if he doesnt have a mobile phone then you could use either your mobile phone or the main phone his friends parent could let him speak to his friend on the phone. otherwise if thats not an option theres email adresess or there house adress. alternatives to phones and email and house adresess
cam be through a video call rather than by phone aswell. this way he can still stay in touch.
you could also ask his friends parents if any of there kids might be going to the same school or not aswell
for changes it is normal for Autistic people to get Anxious,upset or angry maybe even more than one or even get ovetwhelmed if theres lots of changes. a social story can also help autistic people deal with changes and transitions. having a visual time table or story of routine can help but a social story for changes and transistioms can also help exsplain and help navigate through all the chamges, transition and emotioms he is going through at the moment
other things that cam help autistic people is something that helps provide predictability and security and there are things out there to help Autistic people with things like anxiety in the form of books, toys, and sensory activatys amd objects that are made to help you deal with anxiety, changes and transitions and try to feell relaxed aswell
a room where he can be on his own, a quiet room where everything is all quiet you can retreat to with little to no sensory stimuli that may be percieved as stressful or overwhelming or if not then a sensory room where he has things thst help him feell calm and not overwhelmed or do his own thing.
special interests can also help when Anxious aswell