Does any one else have any of these issues or am I all alone?

Debz - posted on 02/27/2012

My nephew has asberger. You are not alone! The best way I found was to explain everything. Asberger children tend to need to know everything that is "outside their normal routine. Re his skin condition, ask him if it hurts? Is it itchy? Explain why the skin cream will help and encourage him to put it on himself. Same with the dentist, explain why he needs it done, take him in to your appointments so he can see you have it done, and explain why. Asberger can display in an over intelligence in certain areas, knowledge can help. Hope this helps you x

Heather - posted on 02/27/2012

One thing that helps with my 5 year old who's autistic is deep pressure stimulation (like a bear hug) before a difficult task. Also he is getting old enough now to do a lot by himself so as much as possible I let him do things himself like washing in the bath, brushing his hair and putting on his eucerin ointment. Hope this helps!

Bonnie Jean - posted on 01/11/2010

Has your Occupational Therapist put your child on a sensory diet specific for your child??

Bonnie Jean - posted on 01/11/2010

Using the body wash cloths helps you can get them at drug stores or stores like Target in the U.S. using a sensory table will also help to desensitize the water thing starting with rice.

Karen - posted on 01/11/2010

hi sorry i dont have any advice 4 u but i am going through the same problems my daughter is 5 she has aspergers as well when i was reading yr post i could have been about my daughter she hates the dentist i cant even get her through the door bath time is a nightmare she hates having her washed or brushed she oftern goes 2 school without her hair being done because its easyer not 2 and yes she loves hugs and kisses as long as they r on her terms she also doesnt feel the cold she would go out in this snow in a summer dress if u didnt stop her and never sleeps with any blankets on its been lovely reading yr post and knowing someone else is going through the same things oh and i forgot haircuts r a major no no as well

Victoria - posted on 01/06/2010

I don't know if this will help with your son's teeth brushing, but what we did with Mitchell was to get him a vibrating tooth brush....cause Toddlers apparently when you hand them something that vibrates their first inclination is to put it in their mouth. So we gave him the tooth brush to play with ( not during teeth brushing time) so he put it in his mouth and got used to the sensation. Then we started using it as a tooth brush during his routine....it worked really well with him. As far as the hair washing thing...I tell him to look up at the ceiling and use my hand and am VERY careful to make sure NO water gets on his face. again he doesn't like having the water in his face, but he doesn't melt down over it. But no kid likes soapy water in their face......Mitchell does better then my neice did as a toodle and she is "normal" or typical....so i never saw it as a HUGE deal....



Mitchell is amazingly adaptable. He like things his way and will try to have them that way, but he will do what is asked of him with minimal complaint. I also noticed that as his vocabulary increased he was less prone to melt downs. So what we try to do is acknowledge that we know what he wants like " computer?? No you have to eat now, You can use the computer later". And once we started telling him we knew what he wanted, but could not do that right that minute.......he really did stop with the melt downs.....and his were never really tantrum style melt downs....just crying......



Hope some of this helps....good luck!

Megan - posted on 01/06/2010

definitely am my son screams bloody murder every bath time. its all kosher up until the water over his head thing. its weird cuz when he was younger he loved the pool and to be dunked after you blew in his face. i've noticed that if i ask forhim to grab the lotion or offer to let him rub it on in it works too well to the point of him asking for more and more and crying cuz i made him stop getting more

Taryn - posted on 01/05/2010

U ARE NOT ALONE...I felt the same way until I read what your going hru. My son is 3 and was diagnosed with autism early last year. I have to fight with him for every bath esspecially to wash his hair. He despises water on his head, he doesnt like havin his hair combed or brushed either. They have also been unable to check his hearing due to his aggressive behavior. Hisservice coordinater however is scheduling an appt for him at a facility that not only works with mentally challenged youth but also partially sedates the fiesty ones...thank GOD for people with resources because Id just be stuck between a rock and a hard place without them..

Marie - posted on 01/05/2010

o my god i thought i was the only one with a son like that.your son and mine sound the same write me and we can talk more .got to get him from school

Victoria - posted on 01/05/2010

Wow I read all of this and I wonder about my son's diagnosis. He is autistic, nothing else thrown in there. He is 7 and just now learning to speak. He has Pt, OT, and Speech at school and at home. And has for the last 2-3 years. He can sign and does well communicating his needs. He used to "point" a lot but we stopped that when he started yanking our ams when we would hold his hand and he wanted something not within his reach. He used to "scream" when he was frustrated but we've curbed that as well. he gives hugs and lets us hug him. He has no issues with bath water, hair washing, or teeth brushing. He is afraid of the dentist tho and has to be put in a papoose (sp?) to have his teeth checked. He hates to have his feet touch the bare floor but he will do it if neccessary. I guess my thing is there are a lot of things my son "prefers" and a lot of things he is "uncomforable" with, but he will do them or let them be done to him anyway with minimal complaint. He is potty trained and only wears a pull up to bed (he is also a type 1 diabetic and if his sugar spikes during the night he will wet himself) His only issue that holds him apart from other kids is his speech. He was much worse when he was younger, a flight risk and all that, but he is so much better now.........he just can't talk....it's frustrating to me, cause it feels like he should be on the highly functional side of the spectrum, but he can't communicate effectively so where does that leave him??

Teresa - posted on 01/05/2010

As far as teh dentist thing, my son has to have Diazepam before every visit and we do his fillings in the hospital while he is out. He too is a big cudler, but can turn on you in just seconds. Hope the dentist thing gets better

Cathy - posted on 01/05/2010

I have also learned that you must let him know what is going to hapen and when.....example you are going to get a bath in 5 minutes, than help him pick out a nice towel, maybe some sort of fun sponge and the toys for that day. You can change them to keep him interested, but my son had to stay with the same routine or he would panic. good luck , you must be creative and understanding and most of all the calmer you are the calmer he will be.

Cathy - posted on 01/05/2010

How about washing his hair in the sink or on the side of the tub and let him play in the tub with shaving cream, special soap that they can write on the shower walls with. Something to make it fun and distract him from the bath itself......make sure he earns the play time in the tub........that was the only place I could get a minute to breathe was when my son (now 14) was in the tub playing..........I would even let him stay for an hour as long as he was happy. worth a try.

Alicia - posted on 01/05/2010

Quoting Lise:

It's SO common! If you want to work on it, I recommend getting a behaviorist. That's what I do, and I have kids who now love getting haircuts and tolerate the dentist - even sit still for x-rays!

What is a behabiorist? Is it like an occupational therapist?

Melodie I don't have much to add that hasn't already been said except a few trick I use for hair care. I use a shampoo made by Mustela. It is actually made for infants and is a foaming shampoo. I also keep his hair very short. So it is one bucket of water to wet his hair - firm contact while scrubbing with the shampoo-then it only takes one bucket to rinse completely because it is foaming. That really helps with Liam. He still cries but it isn't a meltdown and is over very quickly. You might want to try a haircut requiring scissors instead of a razor if he's noise sensitive. I also take him to a salon that only cuts kids hair. They have little t.v.s at each cutting station to distract the kiddos. They are also used to screaming kids so it's not as big a deal he does loose it. If you call ahead you can explain his needs and ask if anyone has experience working with autistic children. That's how we found our stylist. She's great.

Good luck

Deborah - posted on 01/04/2010

You are definately not alone. I have a 9 yr old daughter who was diagnosed w/ Aspergers and anxiety disorder at 6 yrs. I can only get her to take a shower about once every 10 days, and she never brushes her teeth. We have tried everything. She hates the dentist. She has another checkup in a week and I am dredding it.

Emilie - posted on 12/28/2009

You are not alone. We have similar issues. I doubt I have any new advice, just wanted to let you know that you are not alone.

Christina - posted on 12/27/2009

I agree that perserverance is key, with being sympathetic, just not being a push-over. My son is 3.5, and he still has long hair, because we haven't found a barber who is willing to cut his hair. I wash his hair no less than 3 times a week to keep his nerves stable about it.

He learned to embrace teeth brushing from his favorite cartoon, Blues Clues. He also learned about potty training from that show. If you find a link to your child's interest, you may have a gateway to his ways of understanding.

About lotions, we have a sensory diet, you can ask your child's therapist about this, and it helps him to cope with baths and lotioning, especially because he has excema. I just think it helps to be patient, not yelling, and consistent with the things that bother him/her the most. And try to go around things if possible, for example.. my son likes to shower rather than bathe and its ok. It's about him, not me.

Mary Ann - posted on 12/27/2009

My daughter has Asperger's & we've just discovered using a foam visor for her baths & a massage shower head so that we can control the water. It's made it a lot easier. She's 8 & baths have been a battle for years!

Mindy - posted on 12/27/2009

no u are not alone! my son is 5 also and hates anything on him, he hates me washing his hair and he also has eczema and hates when i try to put any creams on him for it. hang in there!

Heidi - posted on 12/26/2009

Quoting Lise:

Quoting Heidi:

So right there with ya on this one. The haircuts and hair washing are nightmares. We worked with a behaviorist and an OT to no avail. It takes two of us to cut his hair, one holding and one cutting. Washing is a battle and we use a washrag so he can cover his eyes and we just get it done as quickly as possible. The screams have calmed down and the whole neighborhood can no longer hear him lol.
As for things like dentists, immunizations, blood draws etc, we sedate. I hated doing that but he was so violent that we had no choice. I want him to be safe but I also needed to not walk out of the Dr office with a black eye or bleeding and, I suppose, the Dr needed to not be clutching his groin area and crying from being kicked repeatedly lol.
As parents of Special Kids we do whatever works and do whatever we have to to get the job done and to make it as least painful (for everyone) as possible :)

Did the behaviorist you work/worked with try desensitization? 

Yes, we tried several things and didnt really get results. My son tends to have severe anxiety with certain things.  Techniques that worked in theory with him stopped working as soon as we introduced the actual final step ( technique for hair washing seemed to work wonders...til we actually got near the shower to move on to the next step) same with the haircuts. I need to add here my son is High functioning Autistic with severe ADHD, Sensory Integration Disorder as well as possible Bipolar Disorder ( he is too young to actually diagnose Bi-polar).  He is wonderfully intelligent and loving but he can also be aggressive, combative, non-compliant and disruptive at home, in public and at school.

Lise - posted on 12/26/2009

Quoting Heidi:

So right there with ya on this one. The haircuts and hair washing are nightmares. We worked with a behaviorist and an OT to no avail. It takes two of us to cut his hair, one holding and one cutting. Washing is a battle and we use a washrag so he can cover his eyes and we just get it done as quickly as possible. The screams have calmed down and the whole neighborhood can no longer hear him lol.
As for things like dentists, immunizations, blood draws etc, we sedate. I hated doing that but he was so violent that we had no choice. I want him to be safe but I also needed to not walk out of the Dr office with a black eye or bleeding and, I suppose, the Dr needed to not be clutching his groin area and crying from being kicked repeatedly lol.
As parents of Special Kids we do whatever works and do whatever we have to to get the job done and to make it as least painful (for everyone) as possible :)

Did the behaviorist you work/worked with try desensitization? 

Heidi - posted on 12/26/2009

So right there with ya on this one. The haircuts and hair washing are nightmares. We worked with a behaviorist and an OT to no avail. It takes two of us to cut his hair, one holding and one cutting. Washing is a battle and we use a washrag so he can cover his eyes and we just get it done as quickly as possible. The screams have calmed down and the whole neighborhood can no longer hear him lol.
As for things like dentists, immunizations, blood draws etc, we sedate. I hated doing that but he was so violent that we had no choice. I want him to be safe but I also needed to not walk out of the Dr office with a black eye or bleeding and, I suppose, the Dr needed to not be clutching his groin area and crying from being kicked repeatedly lol.
As parents of Special Kids we do whatever works and do whatever we have to to get the job done and to make it as least painful (for everyone) as possible :)

Lise - posted on 12/26/2009

It's SO common! If you want to work on it, I recommend getting a behaviorist. That's what I do, and I have kids who now love getting haircuts and tolerate the dentist - even sit still for x-rays!

Mel - posted on 12/22/2009

Oh Man - I hear ya!!! My son who is also 5 hasnt been fomally diagnosed yet. He has been diagnosed with Sensory Processing disorder and other things like Autism/Aspergers have been thrown around. But my son refuses to let ME brish his teeth, he will bite kick, scream like he is being murdered and at the moment I have given up. Water on the head - same thing, washing the face - same thing, He has no social skills and doesnt interact with others, would prefer to just ride his bike of scooter while the other kids are playing on the playground. HE NEVER STOPS TALKING!!!!! EVER!!!!! He will allow cuddles, but kisses are limited to him only kissing me on the cheek - never the lips, and I cant kiss him on the face. He cant stand loud noises and particular frequencies, shopping malls are hard especially when they are very busy and loud, tantrums, perculiar noises, flapping of hands and feet, lotions and sunscreen are impossible, tags on any clothing - forget about it - with food, he is very picky, so yeah, I can relate totally with you and your boy. I just try to limit doing the things that cause the most disturbance to him. Obviously he has no tags on clothes, try and do late night shopping when kids are in bed and hubby is home, have now stated a reward system/star chart for hair washing, he still screams at bites but am hoping that once the patter of rewards come into it, he will tolerate it. Still have made no prgress with teeth brushing, i have no more ideas on that. Can I ask you what NOS is, im so new to all this Aspergers/Austism thing that Im not up on all the acronyms. I can only hope that things improve for you and your son. Its so hard isnt it??? ANd for me its getting harder, what about you???

Sue - posted on 12/21/2009

Oh gosh, I love this web board! I am a grandmother raising my 8yr old AS grandson who was finally diag. when he was 6. I am still in learning mode and its so comforting to come here and find that all the symptoms he has are "normal" for AS children. He wont go to the dentist, tried it once, he had a major meltdown and the dentist handed me a prescription for Valium and told me to leave. I didnt even get a chance to tell him he had AS and needed special attention (obvioulsly we havent gone back to that dentist). I havent found a dentist in our town yet who knows how to handle him so I dont know what to do.

He doesnt like water in a tub or shower (but likes to swim) and getting his hair down was like I was killing him he would scream so loud. I started setting a timer for him to hold, and would work as fast as I could to get it washed. Lying him on the kitchen counter with his head lying over the sink resting on one of those cloth metal things you use to put a baby on in a big tub to bath, gosh I cant even think of what they are called. But it works cause the cloth is all hole material so the water will run right thru it as I was his hair. It has gotten much better in the past two years i must say. He will get the timer and climb up on the cupboard now. I cut his hair since he wont go to a barber and much too stressful for him. Anything new or different causes stress. He didnt like to be held much as a baby, c ried alot, hated noise etc. This too has improved as he gets older. Consistency is so very important with AS children I have found with my experience with grandson.

He is so highly intelligent that sometimes I forget he has issues to deal with. My biggest issue is still with bowl movements, he goes in his pants and will wipe it around the house if I dont smell it before he does it. I wish someone can tell me how to get him potty trained for bowl movements (he says he doesnt "feel" like he has to or it coming out. Anyone else have this experience with their child? I could use some advice. Thanks

Pam - posted on 12/18/2009

try brushing therapy to get him past the tactile problems. Use a lot of pressure when applying the cream. Sounds like he is unable to handle the light touch but seeks pressure.

Jackie - posted on 12/18/2009

My daughter was EXACTLY the same way for quite awhile. Gosh, it was so long ago, and so different, that it's almost like I'm speaking of a different child. When she was younger, our OT therapist implemented the VERY simple wilbarger treatment. It worked wonders!!! She completely came out of her sensory defensiveness. I went from being terrified I was going to break her arm from holding her while trying to wash her hair or her drowning if I let her go since she was trying so hard to get away from me to her L-0-V-I-N-G water. She has been seen by some of the most prestigious physicians in the country. Dr. Peratta and Dr. Johnson at the John Merck Clinic and I spoke of the effect the Wilbarger treatment had on her. When we spoke, I was complaining that it worked TOO well, that she was now sensory offensive, constantly seeking water play or any type of tactile stimulation. They assured me that NONE of our children with autism will every be perfectly in the middle; it's the nature of the disorder. They stated that it was a blessing to have her on the offensive side than defensive side now because at least now I have access to her. So, they were right. She is a sweet, happy, playful, cuddly little girl that loves life, as opposed to the girl back then that would crawl up on me but freak out if I tried to put my arms around her. The treatment changed everything. It's free, easy, and only takes about a month, maybe two depending on the child. http://www.thetherapyplace.net/newslette... Please consult your OT about it.

Benita - posted on 12/18/2009

My son was very difficult like this at this age and all I can say is persevere, stand strong and don't stop trying to get him to get used to new things- in fact go out of your way, I dragged my screaming distraught, angry boy through the supermarket for years- then finally he became used to the experience and now he loves shopping any where. I can even take him clothes shopping for myself! He hated his hair being washed or cut and it did drive me a little crazy continually struggling on, but it works, eventually. He is now at eight washing his own hair and loves to go to the hairdresser. I don't mean to sound demeaning, but my son is a bit like puppy, he needs to keep repeating the experience until he experiences a good memory from it, and it gets better from there. I simply do not give up, and i know we can do anything we put our minds to- eventually. If I didn't keep dragging him through the supermarket ignoring other peoples judgements he never would know about the joy he finally found in going to the shops.

Carol - posted on 12/17/2009

My grandson will be 15 in 2 months and has Asperger's. He has many of these issues, but some of them are getting better. At his first dentist appointment, I was told that he would have to have anesthesia for anyone to be able to work on his teeth. Fortunately I found a pediatric dentist who had a lot of experience with these issues and was great. The staff took Nicolas into a private, soundproofed room. They gave him music and toys. They explained every tool and procedure to him until he was comfortable with it. They were very patient. He has been going to the same dentist and having the same person clean his teeth for years. Now he gets his teeth cleaned and checked without a problem. However he won't brush or floss his teeth. The dentist and his staff talk to him about this, instead of blaming it on my parenting. His hair may get rinsed with clear water during a shower, but seldom shampoo. Right now he has a buzz cut, so if he rinses it daily, it's not too bad. He's certainly way too old for me to bathe him. He goes to a special school for austic children. The teachers do talk to the kids about these issues. That helps. He used to throw violent fits in the pediatrician's office. Sometimes it took me and 3 nurses to hold him down. His pediatrician is very knowledgeable about autism and all of the related behaviors. Nicolas has been going to him for years and sees the same nurses each time. That has also gotten much better. There are lots of foods that he won't eat because of their texture. Fortunately I'm only cooking for me and him. So I can fix him what he will eat most of the time. He will only wear certain fabrics and hates socks. I am so thankful that his current school lets the kids participate in gym in whatever clothes they like. Otherwise his wardrobe is mostly jeans and t-shirts, like most kids his age. Noise still makes him really tense, sometimes to the point that he starts crying. But he no longer goes into violent rages like he did when he was younger. He can't stand shopping or any other kind of crowd. In addition to the noise, he gets disorientated easily (isn't sure how to get from where he is to some place else). The only stores that he can tolerate are stores that he has been to many, many times or very small stores where he can easily see the entire store from anywhere in the store. If he has to go shopping for some reason, I try to take him when the store is least likely to be busy. But it's really easier not to take him shopping at all. Our agreement is that I will buy groceries or whatever and he will bring them into the house and put everything away. I think that as he got older it got better because we sometimes found ways to make a situation tolerable. Some situations just aren't worth the effort to try to change them anymore - like clothes. Since he is old enough to stay home alone, I can leave him there rather than force him into a bad situation. Finding professionals who understand his needs and consistently seeing the same ones. Nicolas is like a normal teenager in many ways - constantly testing limits, thinks I know nothing, is rebellious, etc. Most of the time I can let him do what he wants and then let him deal with the consequences of that. This morning he refused to wear a long sleeved shirt or a winter coat. And, where we live, he needed them. He was shivering in the car. He'll probably dress more appropriately tomorrow. You are definitely not the only one dealing with these issues. But, my experience is that It does get better as they get older. Thank God!!! Hang in there.

Ciqui/Frances - posted on 12/17/2009

My son in 18 and i still have some issues. He used to hate getting his hair cut......I found out it wasn't the barber it was the clipper machine since he is very sensitive to noise, so now he only lets my husband cut his hair becuase he can cover his ears and can clean his mouth and move about and can get up and come back when he calms down. instead of trying to wash your sons hair why not take a towel with soap and let him wash his own hair and then give him a cup and he can rinse it off. you can also do the same with the lotions. Believe me it will take alot of patience, but at the same time he will do it at his own pace the thing is that he has the feeling that he is in control and do it like he likes to do it, not like we do....believe me when mines was five he did not like the line at the end of his socks so he would fold them underneath his feet then put his shoes on. If I tried to fix all hell broke loose. Patience your not alone......

Melanie - posted on 12/16/2009

Def not alone. My son bites his dentist and you need a crow bar just to open his mouth. For months we didn't even know how many teeth he had because you couldn't get near his mouth. Our speech therapist suggested we massage around the mouth just for a couple of seconds several times a day to get him used to touch. After what seemed like forever we can now brush his teeth but still not see insinde his mouth. Small steps i keep telling myself. I think you may find your son is going to need to feel comfortable before you can change anything. It's a long road and you're going to hit a few bumps along the way. My son loves cuddles & kisses on his terms only though and we can't change anything without violent outbursts. x

Sheila - posted on 12/16/2009

He is just over 5 and a half. He has been receiving OT since right after his third birthday. Diagnosed with autism age 4. He has other issues that are more physiological...crossed eyes, flat feet, loose joints(can't remember technical term) balance/depth perception issues. He has literally been examined head to toe! He's my little hero.

Sheila.

Melodie - posted on 12/16/2009

Quoting Sheila:

My son USED to hate getting his hair wash, now he tolerates it. I learned from the OT that I was being TOO gentle. He needs his hair washed in as little time as it takes, and instead of light massaging (my attempts to be gentle) it has to be more like I am kneading pizza dough. I learned from our OT that my son responds best to deep pressure and the light touch I was using was causing him the distress. Literally, a small jug of water...quick douse, quick shampoo, and then here comes the jug again. The whole time, a dry towel to make sure his face doesn't get wet.

My son visits the midnight salon for haircuts. I wait until I know he is in a deep sleep, and then snip, snip, snip! Thankfully, he has curly hair, so I don't have to be even. during the day, he will allow me to trim over his ears (but he counts the snips) and then on a separate day, I cut at the neckline. Used to have to cut his nails in his sleep too, but we can do that while awake now.

My son cannot stand lotions, shaving cream...sunscreen..Thankfully, both kids have their dad's mediterainean (sp?) skin so neither burn.

He will open his mouth for some minor cleaning, counting...but when the time comes, he is being referred to a dentist with hospital priviledges and he will be under full sedation. It would be too dangerous for both himself and the dental staff to have it any other way.

Good luck to you!

Sheila

Just as a reference, how old is your son?

Sheila - posted on 12/16/2009

My son USED to hate getting his hair wash, now he tolerates it. I learned from the OT that I was being TOO gentle. He needs his hair washed in as little time as it takes, and instead of light massaging (my attempts to be gentle) it has to be more like I am kneading pizza dough. I learned from our OT that my son responds best to deep pressure and the light touch I was using was causing him the distress. Literally, a small jug of water...quick douse, quick shampoo, and then here comes the jug again. The whole time, a dry towel to make sure his face doesn't get wet.

My son visits the midnight salon for haircuts. I wait until I know he is in a deep sleep, and then snip, snip, snip! Thankfully, he has curly hair, so I don't have to be even. during the day, he will allow me to trim over his ears (but he counts the snips) and then on a separate day, I cut at the neckline. Used to have to cut his nails in his sleep too, but we can do that while awake now.

My son cannot stand lotions, shaving cream...sunscreen..Thankfully, both kids have their dad's mediterainean (sp?) skin so neither burn.

He will open his mouth for some minor cleaning, counting...but when the time comes, he is being referred to a dentist with hospital priviledges and he will be under full sedation. It would be too dangerous for both himself and the dental staff to have it any other way.

Good luck to you!

Sheila

Renee - posted on 12/16/2009

My son has autism and has hair cut and dentist issues as well. The shower is better than the bath tub for my son and sometimes he throws a fit even in the shower if the water is hitting his face directly. Also in the bathtub don't run the water while he is in there that makes it generally worse for most kids on the spectrum. So I've tried to show him to just rinse his hair quickly and get it over with, he mostly complies but not without a struggle. As for the haircut, we found a really knowledgeable hair person at a place called Sniip its and she did a great job, he did cry but she just kept going and got it done without anyone getting hurt. On the dentist, after my son kicked several dentists in the face I realized we needed complete sedation and found a dentist who does complete sedation on children. They knocked him out, cleaned his teeth, x-rays, sealant on the back teeth and popped some baby teeth out that were lose all in about an hour. I would highly recommend this procedure since my son did not get hurt and the dentist was safe too. A good OT can help with the hair issues too. Other than sedation I don't know what to tell you about the dentist that was our only option left.

Shelly - posted on 12/16/2009

My son has Aspergers and yes he is somewhat like that. He was diagnosed with this disorder when he was about 6 and we had been trying to figure out what was wrong with him since he was 4. When we first noticed something wasn't right with him was when he was in early headstart, he was 3 and i would have to go pick him up every other day because he was hitting and not minding or tearing up the room. I didn't do anything that first year because i thought he was just getting used to being around all those other kids and having to share. When the second year of early headstart started he did good for the first month and then it started, he was hitting, screaming and tearing up the room. My son would get so mad he was like a totally different boy. He would get raging mad and choke himself until he turned blue, he would also jump on my stepson who is one month younger than him and alot smaller. After 2 years of all this anger and me having to leave work and pick him up or not even go because he woke up mad he was finally diagnosed. My son would go off if anyone looked his way and if someone laughs while he is in the room he gets mad because he thinks your laughing at him. He would get angry to the point of threating to kill someone. My son doesn't like to take baths either and that issue hasn't changed much. I would like to tell you that with time and alot of effort from everyone involved things will improve. You might want to think about socializing him alot so that he will be more relaxed when he goes to the dentist and places like that.

Rachel - posted on 12/15/2009

YES!!! My son will not let the dentist by him will Not sit to get his hair cut.. I'm about to start having him work with a OT and they will give me lessons on some good sensory massages.. I do notice if I give him a nice tight squeeze or massage around his head it's easier to clean his hair, brush his teeth or brush his hair.. The whole sound of the buzzers or the dentist freaks him out.. Try to give him a tight hug with the towel while drying him off after the bath then while dressing him massage and rub the lotion on after you heated it up in your hands.. That's my trick!
I had to call a special dentist that works with kids with autisim. Which the Dr, who evaluated him reffered me to. OT really made a difference for my son.
Hope all goes well!

Melodie - posted on 12/15/2009

Quoting Rosemary:

Quoting Melodie:

Does any one else have any of these issues or am I all alone?

My 5 year old has Asperger's with anxiety NOS and ADHD. He refuses to let the dentist clean his teeth and it gets worse every time. He has always hated water on his head but lately it is getting worse, he fights so badly in the bath that he quite frequently hits his face on the side of the bath tub trying to get away while I'm trying to wash his hair or rinse his head. He will allow hugs and kisses and loves to cuddle with mom and dad but hates for anything out of the ordinary to touch him like lotions or creams. He has exema and has a need for treatment from time to time and he fights while I am applying the cream. I'm sure there is more that I am not thinking of right now but you get my point. Anyone else have ony of these same issues?

no you are not alone. you may need to find a dentist that can put your child to sleep for the work. also there is so many things on sensory issues. there is a shampoo out there that you dont need water. some hospitals have it sorry i cant remember the name. have you tried to let him put lotion on you then you put it on him, make it like a game. that was how i used to be able to get my guy to do certain things. there is so much info out there if you have any resources to ask for help with ideas it can help. take care i hope this helps some.

Thank you so much.  I have tried the lotion thing but he just doesn't seem to want to cooperate.  I will have to check on the other things.  Thanks again.

Rosemary - posted on 12/15/2009

Quoting Melodie:

Does any one else have any of these issues or am I all alone?

My 5 year old has Asperger's with anxiety NOS and ADHD. He refuses to let the dentist clean his teeth and it gets worse every time. He has always hated water on his head but lately it is getting worse, he fights so badly in the bath that he quite frequently hits his face on the side of the bath tub trying to get away while I'm trying to wash his hair or rinse his head. He will allow hugs and kisses and loves to cuddle with mom and dad but hates for anything out of the ordinary to touch him like lotions or creams. He has exema and has a need for treatment from time to time and he fights while I am applying the cream. I'm sure there is more that I am not thinking of right now but you get my point. Anyone else have ony of these same issues?

no you are not alone. you may need to find a dentist that can put your child to sleep for the work. also there is so many things on sensory issues. there is a shampoo out there that you dont need water. some hospitals have it sorry i cant remember the name. have you tried to let him put lotion on you then you put it on him, make it like a game. that was how i used to be able to get my guy to do certain things. there is so much info out there if you have any resources to ask for help with ideas it can help. take care i hope this helps some.