rocketgob

Hey all Sorry haven't been about for a few days - really struggling to hold things together right now - all I have had since 4.00am is Charlie screaming everytime anyone touches anything belonging to him (or so he thinks). His sleep patterns are killing me - 8pm - 2am then 2ish til 3.30 /4 EVERY damn night - I can't cope anymore - I have a 11month old too who is suffering because of him as when he is up he screams the house down. Then he bullies and intimidates her when they are up together. My other son who is 7 has started sleep walking and bed wetting again too. I do have a husband btw LOL - he is a diabetic who has clinical depression anyway and he also has insomnia and he has started a new job too. (He does have Charlie once he is up sometimes but by that time I have got my daughter to sort out as she is usually screaming hysterically as she gets woken up by him screaming and banging doors or going in shaking her cot) Sorry for moaning again - I know there are no answers, sometimes it just feels better to write things down, but then again it makes me realise how bad he is getting Sarah XXX

Oh and PS Karen - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! (I am not all that far behind you )

Thanks once again all of you for making me feel human again! <'> I am supposed to be starting a course after Easter at the place where he was assessed (not sure whether I can say the name on here LOL) but we are in the EXETER area of Devon! I am interested in the Early Bird scheme as well - sounds good. I was recommended the befriending scheme too but there isn't one down here :( but I do have Homestart helping one day a week too.

Thanks Karen - I think maybe I am trying to take everything in myself and it all seems such a mess at the mo - not Charlie - but me trying to get my head around it all. I will get there in the end!!

Thank you for that and @ the chicken!!!!!! There is no point trying to explain or reason is there? Sorry I sound like a right numpty but I guess I am on a sharp learning curve (just as you have all been). All I did was tell him no biting and put him in his pyjamas and took him to bed. That was a shock enough I think as he normally goes up with his brother and all he did was fell asleep. My interferring SIL says it doesnt matter if he is autistic he still has to learn right from wrong ... I have given up trying to explain to her (obviously she has 2 perfect kids herself )

can someone give me some advice / ideas about how to deal with Charlie's behaviours? It has been confirmed now that he is HFA BUT not sure where he sits on the spectrum yet and we have to wait til March / April to find out and get help. I can't wait and I am FED UP with people telling me that I have no control over him. I am desperate for some suggestion as to what approach to use when he is doing unacceptable things ... for example he bit his 11 month old sister on the arm 2 nights ago. he kicked his brother in the face. All for no reason - on both occassions he wasnt even in the same room as them - he just ran in and did it to them! I have had to come home from toddler group today cos the "looks" had started again from the other parents as he had a major wobbly because someone moved a car out of a line he was making. I just need some suggestions - all they told me is "things like the naughty step don't work" (like I hadn't figured that already!) HELP!!!! Sarah x

now there's a thought ....

<'> <'> Mumble - I hope you are feeling better now - your post made me really think about how things can be and how people can be so damn inconsiderate. Sorry I am not much use in giving you any advice, just hope you have got rid of your headache now hun xx

That is my baby boy - that was about 18 months ago when he would look at a camera - now he wont even make eye contact with a camera let alone a person

Sounds very organised to me! I wish my boys would organise themselves as well! I agree with Mumble totally and Clare - I think I may have a problem with checking posts too LOL!!! Trouble is kids keep interupting me (most inconsiderate IMO!! )

Thanks for that - that sums Charlie up too! Let me know how you get on! Sarah

Hiya - My DS is 3 and also has a major fixation with doors and clocks - I have had to wedge the doors as I have an 11 month old too and it gets dangerous! He finds doors on anything or makes anything into a door LOL! As for clocks - I have a projector one which he stares at for ages watching it change. It is hard sometimes - what I find harder is if anything happens like we had a power cut about a month back he flashes back to that day word for word and gives a blow by blow account of EXACTLY what happened. Back to the obsessions - I do find that they are worse when he is hyper and he has also been very hyper the last week too and I cant find an obvious reason. He also climbs ANYTHING and EVERTHING when he is hyper too! Sarah

I was just reading through all your posts and needed to ask you all what you think - my DS has a thing about playing with fingers - not his - anyone elses who is near him and then he presses your hand hard down on him usually on his face or chest. He like to lie on the sofa with a big body cushion and 3 blankets on top of him too. He has sleep issues which I was given medication for (and doesnt work and I won't use it again!) - he gets up at 3 / 3.30 every morning and I cant get him off again - do you think maybe if I tried a weighted blanket it might help? Sarah

Struggling right now. Charlie has started hitting himself too now and he is now down to 5 hours sleep a night. My DH starts a job today and I don't know how the hell I am going to cope with Charlie and my other 2 Sorry - feeling sorry for myself at the mo, needed somewhere to have a moan - I will snap out of it soon Sarah xx

Sorry to butt in LOL - I have been looking at these for my DS too - they do them on ebay too - don't know whether that would help? Sarah

Charlie loves playdough but ONLY the homemade type, which I prefer to do as I know EXACTLY whats in it as he does sniff and lick things LOL. I have a recipe for one that can be done in the microwave - only takes 2 mins and if wrapped in clingfilm and left in the fridge it lasts for weeks!!

Thankyou for your replies and it is good to hear that are other little uns out there too! I was beginning to feel like a paranoid mother ... mainly due to people telling me he is just naughty and needs better control GRRRR!!!

Hiya all Charlie (3) had his first assessment yesterday and it was decided that the initial diagnosis is that he is HFA but "not sure exactly where on the spectrum yet". We will be getting a report and then he is going for the four week block of assessments and also we have to go to some group thing for half a term to get help with day-to-day things. I was a little shocked, not at the fact he is on the spectrum but more that they told us straight away - I thought things would take a lot longer. I am a bit in limbo now ... not sure what happens once the assessments are done. Has anyone here had a dx at such a young age before? He's only just turned 3 at Christmas Sarah x

Charlie has suddenly started walking on tiptoes EVERYWHERE on one foot - he has been doing it for 3 days solid now. DH took him to A&E cos we thought he had hurt himself as he doesnt cry or show pain but they checked him out and he totally didnt react at all he just carried on talking to the lights and the clock in the cubicle (he does this when he is somewhere strange). They refused to xray him as he is young and basically made us feel like idiots. He is still doing it now and wont put his foot flat at all - I don't think he is putting it on as I have tried to catch a look when he thinks noone is watching and he is still doing it. I don't know whether to take him to the GP or not? Charlie is nearly 3 btw. Sarah x

Hi all Sorry another question... Charlie has his first appointment on Jan 10th with the paediatrician about his behaviour etc (HV thinks Aspergers but we shall see), just looking really for some information about what sort of thing to expect to happen at this appointment or is it different from area to area? (I am in Devon) Thanks Sarah x

Yay at last we have a date for Charlie's first paediatrician appointment - 10th January! One step further along ....

Thanks all of you for your replies - I am hoping this week will be a better week

Hi Pingu I just saw your other post and read this letter and wanted to say - excellent letter and I am shocked at how your husband was treated!! - I hope you get some justice out of all of this. Sarah x

Feeling totally stressed out today - just want to scream!!!!!!! Charlie has been so awkward this weekend its unreal - he has hurt his sister (who's only 10 months old), been an absolute nightmare breaking everything, screaming and just running riot - he has kicked me and headbutted me today AGAIN so I now have a nice shiner LOL, he is currently going through a no sleep phase (max 4 hours a night) which I am finding really hard to cope with on my own especially since he just stands and screams when you tell him to go back to bed which then wakes the others up too. My DH is here too but he is on sleeping medication as he doesn't sleep either (connection maybe??) and has clinical depression so he is out of it and doesnt hear a thing. I have stopped saying anything to anyone outside of the house about him as all they say is "oh its the 2's" or "oh he's just a normal little boy" or "my son was like that" GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR Just wish his appointments would hurry up so that I could have a better idea of how to deal with him Sorry for the meaningless ramble x

LOL - Charlie sniffs his clothes and toys too and as for meal times , well they are a nightmare - unless its white he wont eat it and he has to sniff every mouthfull!