pingu Report post Posted March 15, 2010 Hi everyone sorry i havent been around a lot recently. I took the advice of some members and found a forum where i could speak about the other 'problems' in our lives. but istill hope i'm welcome to post here about the problems that autism present on a daily basis. I just wanted to know if anyone else has a problem with there children having an incontrolable urge to smash things, not in any aggressive way - more of a 'stimming smash' everything thats broken has been taken outside and smashed to smitherines, rock band drums, which he broke accidentaly are now in a thousand pieces, as is his plug and play guitar and various other things. so i was just wondering if its just him releasing some pent up frustration or if its a common thing? he also has started to go on 'downers' especially when he comes back from an event like a sleepover, this is new stuff and really difficult to handle. I hope everyone else is ok take care pingu x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jb1964 Report post Posted March 15, 2010 Hi Pingu, Sorry don't have any advice but just wanted to say hi. Take care, Jb x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Samsam Report post Posted March 16, 2010 Hi everyone sorry i havent been around a lot recently. I took the advice of some members and found a forum where i could speak about the other 'problems' in our lives. but istill hope i'm welcome to post here about the problems that autism present on a daily basis. I just wanted to know if anyone else has a problem with there children having an incontrolable urge to smash things, not in any aggressive way - more of a 'stimming smash' everything thats broken has been taken outside and smashed to smitherines, rock band drums, which he broke accidentaly are now in a thousand pieces, as is his plug and play guitar and various other things. so i was just wondering if its just him releasing some pent up frustration or if its a common thing? he also has started to go on 'downers' especially when he comes back from an event like a sleepover, this is new stuff and really difficult to handle. I hope everyone else is ok take care pingu x My friends son did this so she bought him a punch bag and got him boxing lessons. It might that he doesn't have pent up anger but pent up energy and this is his way of releasing it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mygifts1306 Report post Posted March 16, 2010 Sorry this is outside my experiece and cant held. kind regards Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cmuir Report post Posted March 16, 2010 (edited) Hi I think it's important that kiddo learns that smashing things up regardless of reason is not acceptable (not only could he or someone else get hurt, but it's a costly business and others won't tolerate it). I know that sounds harsh, but it could cause future problems. Good suggestion in a post to channel his energy into something - punchbag, trampoline, running, karate/judo, etc. I got a book called Volcano in my tummy which is an exercise book on helping kids to identify feeling angry. I think it's good to identify that and then looks at alternative ways of how to diffuse/redirect those feelings. Could also be something that CAMHS could help with. Caroline. Edited March 16, 2010 by cmuir Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sally44 Report post Posted March 16, 2010 Can he tell you why he's doing it? Can he also tell you why he is so down when he comes back from a sleepover? Could there be a connection?? Is he aware of his differences and is getting depressed and frustrated about it? My son, when younger (around age 6), had a phrase of taking things into the garden to smash them. He said he wanted to 'know what they were made of'. Worringly this also included anything made from glass. Apparently smashing it 'proved to him' it was made of glass. So we had some good long discussions about not doing it. And it stopped. But I don't think this is why your child is doing it. More likely he is unhappy and frustrated about something to do with himself or his self image. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kathryn Report post Posted March 16, 2010 Hi Pingu, I suppose smashing things is a safe way of releasing frustration - i.e. taking it out on things rather than people. I think my offspring take their frustration out on pencils - I often find broken ones in their rooms when I'm tidying up, but I'm never aware of them actually doing it. K x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JsMum Report post Posted March 16, 2010 you could request for an Occupational Therapist assessment towards possible Therapies that look at multi sensory aproaches, maybe a controlled session where he is supervised and in a safe enviroment he could have a smashing fix, and in the process try other less cost effective treatments such as punchbag, trampolining exct.... Also sound therapy, using sound effects of things smashing for example throw a totch button on a music devise for example. I have on occations broke the odd plate in frustration, sounds great I must admit.(in my own privacy and not in front the kids!) Basically therapies and aproaches used to treat Sensory intregration Disorder would be something I would recommend. Also like others have said to look at dealing with feelings, emotions, pent up frustration ect,,, so maybe play threapy, art therapy along side to help meet emotional needs. JsMumxxx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites