Hi, my name is Gemzie246!

Gemzie246

hi i’m new here im looking for advice my son is 9 he’s autistic i’m really struggleing with him at the minute he’s got a thing abou tv the weather if he sees clouds he has huge melt down if the sun is creeping through he has a melt down i can’t get him to school as they keep ringing me to get him , and can’t get him to leave the house he’s having anxiety attacks and keeps saying night times coming this as only started the last few months but it’s impacting his daily life he has a appointment with st cadocs on 1st of june but i’m so worried about his health blinds and curtains have to be shut at all times and he has a ocd about locks on ts hard because i also have another child who’s 7 any advice or tips would be appreciated thanks

Mary_Scope

Hi @Gemzie246 and a warm welcome to the community from me!

Thank you for sharing a bit about your situation, it sounds like you and your son are going through a lot at the moment. But it is good that you have the appointment coming up soon, hopefully they will be able to provide some more support.

Between now and the appointment, the best thing may to focus entirely on lowering the demand at home so this may be things like validate his fears without arguing with them, keep the blinds closed to let his nervous system feel safe etc.

It may also be helpful to keep a "daily trigger journal" between now and the appointment to give the doctors a clear picture of your day to day life. In a notebook or on your phone, quickly jot down the time of each meltdown, the exact trigger (such as seeing a cloud through a gap in the curtain) and his specific words (like 'night is coming').

This will hopefully take the pressure off your memory and give the specialists the exact details they need to understand and support your son.

Has the school offered any help or support for your son? If not, it may be worth asking school for a meeting to share your concerns and if there is anything that they may be able to help your son.