Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi,
My 4 year old son who was diagnosed with Autism at the beginning of this year and started mainstream school in September. He seems to be doing quite well at school and seems fairly happy when he is there but presents difficult behaviour when at home. In the morning it is a struggle getting him going and he quite often he says he doesn't want to go to school. This morning he had a meltdown just before we left the house and I feel thoroughly stressed because I also have to get his brother and cousin to school too. He is also reverting back to comfort behaviours such as wanting a dummy during the daytime....I try to put him off as long as I can but he is relentless in asking for it and will cry and whine or shout if he doesn't get it. He does seem quite tired even though he is getting a good nights sleep but he's a very picky eater so I thought he may be lacking in certain nutrients. We saw the Nutritionist about this around 6 months ago but she was not overly concerned that his eating habits were affecting his health. Can anyone else relate to this scenario or know of any strategies to improve my sons motivation to cope with things in a better way?
Picky or fussy eating is very common. Even though he is getting a nutritionally sound diet he may be intolerant to some foods e.e food additives/colours/fruits.
Have a look at http://fedup.com.au/ They claim improvements in some autistic children but there are no guarantees.
What does he eat on a typical day?
I can imagine that breakfast time with three reluctant children will actually be quite stressful for a child with autism - and you too! He may well be finding school stressful too so it is not surprising that this will become a battleground. Do everything you can to de-stress this critical period. Make sure you prepare as much as possible the night before and try and develop a routine that they can all understand and comply with without fuss. Try and avoid last minute panics about PE kit, lunch boxes, missing socks etc.
Your stress will compound his stress and meltdowns will follow.