I have a 4 1/2 year old son who has ASD. I think he leans more towards Asperger's. Anyway I need help and I thought someone on here may have some suggestions. Here's my problem...
The Sunday before Christmas my son got sick with a cough and fever. He was very lethargic and didn't want to eat. By Tuesday he still wasn't getting any better so I took him to his ped. She said he had a double ear infection and strep throat (she cultured it). She put him on a strong antibiotic. He began to feel better the next day and finished out his meds 10 days later. Since getting sick his behavior has changed. He wakes up 3+ times a night screaming. Sometimes it is nightmares and I can tell he is awake although hysterical and other times it is night terrors and he is looking straight past me. His t-shirt is wet, not soaked but you can feel moisture, from sweat I guess. During the day he is not listening and acting out. I have never had the behavioral problems I am having with him before as far as deliberately misbehaving and yelling and screaming at me. He is highly emotional during the day and breaks down at the littlest thing.
I don't know if him getting sick is related at all but all I know is before he got sick he slept through the night no problem and was the most well mannered helpful child you could ask for. I know the nightmares and the behavior did start at the same time. His school even has had to have me come pick him up twice since schools been back in from Christmas break. His teacher said he was just wanting to sit in the corner and not interact with the class. She thought he wasn't feeling well but he never developed any physical symptoms of being sick besides the not wantign to particpate. Doctor just thinks it is a case of a 4 year old having nightmares and it will pass but these nightly episodes are horrible. Two nights ago he woke up screaming, "Momma I'm going to die" over and over again. It nearly brought me to tears. It takes 10 minutes or more to get him to calm down and he is hysterical, shaking, screaming, even wet himself once, which he hasn't done in a year.
Has anybody every experienced anything like this? Any ideas suggestions? He hasn't slept through the night since Christmas and it is wearing on him & me.
The Sunday before Christmas my son got sick with a cough and fever. He was very lethargic and didn't want to eat. By Tuesday he still wasn't getting any better so I took him to his ped. She said he had a double ear infection and strep throat (she cultured it). She put him on a strong antibiotic. He began to feel better the next day and finished out his meds 10 days later. Since getting sick his behavior has changed. He wakes up 3+ times a night screaming. Sometimes it is nightmares and I can tell he is awake although hysterical and other times it is night terrors and he is looking straight past me. His t-shirt is wet, not soaked but you can feel moisture, from sweat I guess. During the day he is not listening and acting out. I have never had the behavioral problems I am having with him before as far as deliberately misbehaving and yelling and screaming at me. He is highly emotional during the day and breaks down at the littlest thing.
I don't know if him getting sick is related at all but all I know is before he got sick he slept through the night no problem and was the most well mannered helpful child you could ask for. I know the nightmares and the behavior did start at the same time. His school even has had to have me come pick him up twice since schools been back in from Christmas break. His teacher said he was just wanting to sit in the corner and not interact with the class. She thought he wasn't feeling well but he never developed any physical symptoms of being sick besides the not wantign to particpate. Doctor just thinks it is a case of a 4 year old having nightmares and it will pass but these nightly episodes are horrible. Two nights ago he woke up screaming, "Momma I'm going to die" over and over again. It nearly brought me to tears. It takes 10 minutes or more to get him to calm down and he is hysterical, shaking, screaming, even wet himself once, which he hasn't done in a year.
Has anybody every experienced anything like this? Any ideas suggestions? He hasn't slept through the night since Christmas and it is wearing on him & me.
