Choose your battles with autistic child

JimJams

Just thought I would pass on some pearls of advice for anyone coping with an autistic child. I have learned the hard way to choose my battles carefully. I have to decide which battles really are important for me to win and which I can leave. My latest battle which I won sort of was not letting my son wash his hands in toilet pans. This was a 3-4 hour struggle but had to be won. You have to win the important ones, the ones that involve safety and health, some others you have got to let slip by for you and your childs sanity or you would be in a constant war zone.

Heather

Very wise words! But have you noticed how something you may take for granteed, to another person seems earth shattering? My son running around stark naked isn't a problem, but putting his hands in the boiling saucepan to see if I'm telling the truth, bothers me. When I hear others say they fight over putting socks on the right way, or whether their child eats nicely....it really doesn't matter! Totally agree with you Marie, choose your battles wisely!

JimJams

I have noticed that other people dont understand autism and the difficulties it brings for the child and parents. When I am trying to explain to people some of the difficulties they often say, every child goes through that, but they dont really have a clue what is involved with autism. It is definetely not for the faint hearted. You are right running around starkers is very low on the list of worries with autism and other conditions. But if I can offer you some hope, my son has ran about starkers for 3 years and just recently asked for pyjamas and has not been naked now for about 3 weeks and seems to now understand the importance of keeping covered up. I am so pleased with his progress with this and other areas

Heather

Does anyone know why, with concern to the running around naked, do the children not feel the cold?
Just had to insist my son puts something on as his toes are turning blue! I can understand not doing it for social reasons, but it's freezing out there!!!!!!!!!! Now all I have to do is keep the clothes on him!

JimJams

On a course I went to they said that autistic children have sensitivity issues and that if they are naked they are over sensitive, running around a lot, means they are undersensitive to movement and need the stimulation of running. I think wearing clothes when they are going through an oversensitive stage can feel really uncomfortable for them. The sensitivity issues can also change from one to another, and issues you thought they had got over can recur again at any time. I dont really know why my son decided to coverup when he did, but we have always pushed with him the need to cover up private parts etc and I think this has now clicked, bit like toilet training, they eventually understand what it is you want them to do, but just keep emphasising the point.