mom on a mission Report post Posted September 2, 2005 hi all , as you know my son is five now and has asd , we have faced lots of problems along the way and usually found away to deal with them however his latest thing has got me stumped , he has recently started to scream and cry (and i mean really cry) but at the same time he keeps shouting "shut up just shut up" and holding his ears or hitting himself in the head , the problem is that nobody is actually saying anything when he does this , its really distressing to see as he is extremly upset and unconsolable and appears very very afraid ( you know ! not knowing which way he should turn,sit down or stand up e.t.c) i just dont know what to do or what he wants to shut up how can i calm him down how do i know what is wrong ?have any of you had this problem and succeded in beating it or got any advice for me to try it would be much apprieated im willing to give anything a try. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oracle Report post Posted September 2, 2005 Matthew screams 'shut up shut up' but he directs it at someone. But Matthew also tells me that he has thoughts in his head that he does not like and will not go away. They sacre him. I know that you can not actully hear your thoughts but some people with ASD will tell you that they can. Maybe he is thinking things that he does not like and wants to stop doing this? I could be way of beam here but it is something that Matthew tells me about. He also hits his head and says make them stop. At five he may be too young to explain why he is doing this but you could explore things like his thoughts, if he can comprehen what thought is of course, and see what this brongs forward. <'> Carole Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Viper Report post Posted September 2, 2005 Just a thought but maybe he gets ringing in his ears that he can't understand so it frightens him. Can you ask him when he is calm, what he shouts at and why he gets scared. If he were older I would think it were schitzophrenia but that occurs later in life, I think. Viper. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lil_me Report post Posted September 2, 2005 (edited) My sons uses shut up at anything that makes a noise, from people talking to the small buzzing noise the fridge makes, the central heating starting, to cars in the street, can be anything thats making a noise. The problem as you say is getting him to say what it is, or point to it, or another signal. My friends son uses shut up when he wants someone to stop doing something for example if she is washing up and he wants her to stop, think these children have heard the phrase and associate it with when they want people to do something. If he's willing to use ear plugs or defenders it might help if its noise issues in the home, with my son I have to cover his ears with many things. Think I'd go through the basics and keep a diary see if I could see a pattern, thats how I've worked through several problems, not always found an answer or solution but When it happens Where it happens What he does How long for Whats on in the house Whats going on outside Schizophrenia is very rare in children, affecting only about 1 in 40,000, compared to 1 in 100 in adults. Edited September 2, 2005 by lil_me Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nellie Report post Posted September 2, 2005 Is it possible that he's hearing a noise that you can't hear or are unaware of. Some people on the spectrum have oversensitive hearing where the slightest noise, even a buzz from an electrical appliance may upset them. Maybe ear defenders would help. The other possibility is that although he is saying "shut up" he doesn't mean "shut up, he just means stop doing 'that'! He might not be able to think or concentrate whilst anything else is going on. Could you try putting him in a quiet place to hide from everything. Small pop up tents are supposed to be ideal for kids to escape from the hurly burly of life. Hope you find the cause and solution soon. Nellie <'> Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Viper Report post Posted September 2, 2005 I thought along the same lines Nellie. Ben is very sensitive to a cat scarer in our neibourhood, it gives off a high pitched bleep at intervals that I can't hear unless I really strain. Viper. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lil_me Report post Posted September 2, 2005 (edited) Agree with you there nellie, the single channeled aspect of my sons problems makes him unable to think of anything but a sound or smell, sensory overload. He's so sensitive to things I don't notice, this morning it was a neighbour cutting a lawn, yesterday it was the smell of the milk aisle in the supermarket, he was holding his nose, shouting go away and gagging. My son used to love his tent, so we got him a play bed with a tent under it to hide in when needed Edited September 2, 2005 by lil_me Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mom on a mission Report post Posted September 2, 2005 hi thanks for the advice he doesnt understand thoughts as such yet so it would be difficult to explain i have tried asking him when hes calm but he just lets out a scream and starts hitting at his head , it could possibly be the noise of running water ,he does have a fear of water running in case it over flows but usually im not allowded to take my eyes off the tap its not usually the sound unless his fear has intensified even more, i will keep a note of what i can see and hear when it happens thats a good idea , i am wandering if it is connected to returning to school next week as he has major problems with school and keeps telling me hes not going back (iam going to home educate him but ideally i want to hold off untill after christmas for lots of reasons) its just so strange its come from nowhere, i just wish i could understand what hes afraid of i guess time will tell me its just horrible to see him so distraught, thanks for the advice atleast i know theres other kids out there that do similar things i have to say he had me worried that he was the only one as ive never heard of any child doing anything like that before. thank you Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lil_me Report post Posted September 2, 2005 (edited) My sons hit himself in the head from being a very young, I know how heart breaking it can be <'> but the main thing is trying to get to the reason and giving him another thing to focus his attention on. We use his playstation etc for this usually. Taking advantage of the single channeled behaviour and giving him a different focus, if he'll wear headphones all the better to block noises, my son won't Edited September 2, 2005 by lil_me Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zemanski Report post Posted September 2, 2005 Com used to tell himself not to do things as he did them at around the age of 2, as if he were verbalising his conscience - no, don't put the loo roll down the toilet! later, when he did it in outbursts (shouting 'stop it' and hitting his head) I just assumed it was his way of trying to take control of himself. He does it a lot less now. Zemanski Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
