LittleRae Report post Posted June 7, 2007 DS (11) has recently started to find fault with the cleanliness of his dishes and cutlery - he will go through each dish, fork, etc until he finds one that is clean enough. He often stops eating halfway through a meal to change his fork and in the past few days will refuse to eat at all if he cannot find one that pleases him. Now, before anyone casts aspersions on my dish-washing ability, these have all been washed at high temperature in a dishwasher and I cannot see any offending marks on them... He has also begun to refuse to eat when the windows/doors are open for fear of bugs. As I'm hoping summer will be along any minute, this will cause endless problems in the coming weeks. Any suggestions? He has been taking Strattera for 2-3 months and I wondered if it could be a delayed side effect? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seasparrow Report post Posted June 8, 2007 I have a problem with clean eating tools and bugs. I have had times where I can see marks/dirt when no1 else can. It takes me some effort to tell myself that it is ok. If something is visually dirty then no1 will eat with it. But the slightest blemish/smear/mark can also make me not use it. Teach him to wash up what he wants to use. His standards are very high. And why shouldn't they be As for bugs, I hate them. I dont like them in my room or anywhere near me, especially when I am eating. Bugs eat bad stuff. They fly from place to place standing on things that dogs leave on the street. They can also leave their own 'waste deposits' on any food that they land on. This is not good for me! Just last week I bought some net curtain that fits exactly over my bedroom window. I got some double sided tape and taped all around the window frame and stuck the net to it. I cut 2 holes in the net so I can open and close the windows and sealed the holes with velcro. I now have an bug-impenetrable cover on my window and it works perfectly! But they still come in from downstairs so I have to be vigilant. Try teaching him about bugs by getting bug books and going to the garden to try and identify them. Make bugs your 'friends'. I never did this and the bug thing has become a big obsession/problem for me. But in the 'not liking' them sense. Hope this helps Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chriss Report post Posted June 8, 2007 I got a shock when I read this thread as it put me in mind of my ex, who is my son's father. When we went to pubs or clubs he was forever going back to the bar saying his glass was dirty and there were some places he wouldn't set foot in as he said they were unhygenic. When I cooked for him he would examine the cutlery and crockery. I used to get very hurt by this. He has also offended my family and freinds by doing it in their homes too. He doesn't have a diagnosis and is unlikely to get one as he thinks there is nothing wrong with his behaviour. He also doesn't think there is anything wrong with our AS/OCD son ! The only thing I can suggest is cognitive behavioural therapy, i.e. trying to swap the negative thoughts he has with more positive ones. For example, explain how the dish washer works to get things super clean or by emphasising that eating healthily is more important than anything else in keeping himself well and it is very,very rare that anyone gets ill from cutlery. Is he learning some of this behaviour from anyone else? My ex has told our son not to touch handles in toilets with his bare hands as they are covered in germs. Sometimes there is no way round this so it has created major problems for us. I have told my son that daddy isn't always right about germs... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lil_me Report post Posted June 8, 2007 Strattera doesn't usually cause these side effects. My son has issues with all that you mentioned, clean cutlery etc and the bugs. I have pram nets to put over open windows, he can't cope with them open because of bugs and I can't cope with the heat! Washing up has to be done very perfect and he has his own he uses most of the time, then only he's touched them etc. He's possibly done what my son has and listened to a little too much about germs, bugs etc from somewhere. We have been doing bugs as friends etc, he's now fine with aphids, but the rest he's got major issues with, will swipe them off people walking past which can be a tad hazardous etc. CBT may help, depends on the child, always worth remembering that usually when a behaviour stops another starts which may be less favourable. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shnoing Report post Posted June 9, 2007 There's a theory that too much cleanliness is causing allergies. I'd recommend to find a good book about microbiology/germs and allergies and give it to him. It might be helpful. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
