All ideas/help/advice appreciated!

[Mishmash]

Hello, I posted this on the intro site as well - not sure how it all works yet. Any help with this one would be great!

 

A question - don't know if anyone else has had experience of this and can help? At the moment one of my sons anxieties (and he has a few) is that he is terrified to breathe out of his mouth in case he breathes on something and it comes to life or somehow gets into him??! He knows that this can't happen - but he doesn't! His way of dealing with it is that although he knows it won't happen, he has to mutter stuff (like a protection spell almost) to make sure.

 

Any thoughts would be really helpful! Sorry for rambling, just so pleased to have found somewhere to talk!

Thanks

Mishmash

[Sally44]

Firstly, ask him where he has seen this. It sounds quite specific so he may have seen it on TV or in a film. Then you can talk about that film.

Does he understand about actors and what they do? Can you watch one of the those programmes that shows you "behind the scenes" of Harry Potter or Doctor Who. We had to do that with my son to show him how Dr Who was an actor called David Tennent. And see if that helps.

 

Does he have any other behaviour around having to do certain things in a certain order or a certain number of times otherwise something 'bad' will happen? These types of things could be connected to OCD behaviour. Most children with an ASD have obsessions and have rituals and ridgid routines. Where OCD is different is that the person believes that if they do not do these things that something bad will happen to them or their families.

 

It might also be a good idea to screen what he is watching or reading. My son gets very scared at things he sees on TV. He also copies TV in that he uses scenes he has seen about people being angry or upset as some kind of lesson on what he should do. Which is not helpful!

[jfjyhtftr1]

That sounds very much like OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder to me). I have Aspergers and this sort of thing can be a real problem fr me. I'm afraid I can't really suggest a solution; I deal with it by being tough with myself and setting a deadline when I'm not going to do that particular action past. It's hard to break the cycle, but its a huge relief if I do, and of course the bad things never happen just because of me stopping.

[bid]

Could you get something like one of those 'cross-sections' books on the human body that shows how the respiratory system works? My son loved those books when he was young, he loved seeing 'inside' things.

 

Or do you know a GP or a nurse who could explain to him...would he be more likely to accept the explanation from a medical professional?

 

Good luck!

 

Bid

[Mishmash]

Thanks all for the different ideas. I do limit his TV/DVD watching he prefers to make stuff and if he does watch TV tends to also colour or something as well. Def got OCD tendencies, as mentioned I'm going through the process of assessment etc.

 

Thanks for your interest and ideas, even if no one comes up with anything mind blowing, it's so so good to know I'm not alone, and that no-one will say (as my extended family do - oh for godsake can'the just be normal?) (Whatever the hell normal is!)

So thank you all so much xxx