My middle child is on the Autism Spectrum and has Tourette's Syndrome. One of her bigger issues as a child on the Spectrum are her emotional outburts (which are now infrequent). My other two do not have that spectrum piece.
For background for what I say -- In my experience with S, anything that increases her stress and worry (the anxiety piece) increases her tics (frequent hard eye squinting) which then gives her headaches. Stress and worry used to also increase the severity and frequency of her behaviors and outbursts. She'd just immediately react and act out because she didn't have any coping mechanism in 'her toolbox' as we call it to help her. Stress/worry + tics/headaches used to cause the biggest increase in negative behaviors because she just feels like crap all around - emotionally & physically. I say used to because we did have her on medication for a long while. Being on that medication got her to a place where she could take an active part in problem-solving when she got upset and worried. Now she knows what to do and can communicate before she gets to explosion point. She is no longer on medication because she has those tools and knows how to use them, and she feels so much more in control and happier.
Am I correct in thinking that you being able to present a realistic, do-able plan as a compromise would be necessary for him to be able to go home? Is feeling better part of what he wants? (I hope so because that really needs to be pressed)
The removal from home and a routine would absolutely cause any Autistic child to have an increase in negative behaviors and emotional outbursts. It is possible to live at home and get medication management and behavioral therapy. We did just that. BUT! In order for that to be successful, his home environment has to be one in which that can and will be done. The parents/guardians need to take an active, hands-on, 24/7 role in that process. Will the parents/guardians actually follow through with giving him meds, taking him to appointments or group sessions, applying suggestions, making changes at home, etc? The removal piece and many changes in placements concerns me. "as we have already been told by the Court Psychologist that this child is not competent for criminal charges purposes" concerns me. If his needs are greater than they think and he has an psych problem in addition to the Autism piece, he may truly need the residential to get him stable. We did not need residential at all, but we did have to make many a trip to Dartmouth Hospital to see the pediatric specialists there for ongoing checkups on S's meds and we kept a journal. We are very fortunate to have a great Autism Specialty team who has worked with my family for 10 years now, so that was already in place. They are a huge help and we have frequent contact and consults with them.
I'd look for a listing of Autism Specialists in your area. They are behavioral therapists, but they approach it with an understanding of Autism as the root of the behavior and working with the specific needs of an Autistic child to find ways for the child to navigate the world in a way that works for him vs fighting the Autistic behaviors (which people unfamiliar with Autism can unintentionally do) and inadvertantly making the behaviors worse.
For background for what I say -- In my experience with S, anything that increases her stress and worry (the anxiety piece) increases her tics (frequent hard eye squinting) which then gives her headaches. Stress and worry used to also increase the severity and frequency of her behaviors and outbursts. She'd just immediately react and act out because she didn't have any coping mechanism in 'her toolbox' as we call it to help her. Stress/worry + tics/headaches used to cause the biggest increase in negative behaviors because she just feels like crap all around - emotionally & physically. I say used to because we did have her on medication for a long while. Being on that medication got her to a place where she could take an active part in problem-solving when she got upset and worried. Now she knows what to do and can communicate before she gets to explosion point. She is no longer on medication because she has those tools and knows how to use them, and she feels so much more in control and happier.
Am I correct in thinking that you being able to present a realistic, do-able plan as a compromise would be necessary for him to be able to go home? Is feeling better part of what he wants? (I hope so because that really needs to be pressed)
The removal from home and a routine would absolutely cause any Autistic child to have an increase in negative behaviors and emotional outbursts. It is possible to live at home and get medication management and behavioral therapy. We did just that. BUT! In order for that to be successful, his home environment has to be one in which that can and will be done. The parents/guardians need to take an active, hands-on, 24/7 role in that process. Will the parents/guardians actually follow through with giving him meds, taking him to appointments or group sessions, applying suggestions, making changes at home, etc? The removal piece and many changes in placements concerns me. "as we have already been told by the Court Psychologist that this child is not competent for criminal charges purposes" concerns me. If his needs are greater than they think and he has an psych problem in addition to the Autism piece, he may truly need the residential to get him stable. We did not need residential at all, but we did have to make many a trip to Dartmouth Hospital to see the pediatric specialists there for ongoing checkups on S's meds and we kept a journal. We are very fortunate to have a great Autism Specialty team who has worked with my family for 10 years now, so that was already in place. They are a huge help and we have frequent contact and consults with them.
Quote:
| I just don't think people get the child is not being deviant to be deviant, but because of the medical diagnosis. |
from me I feel this needs its own post --
