Here is what many families with Autistic children hear very often. In my case, this is what wakes me up at 5am every morning. I can only guess at what causes this but it goes on for an hour or more sometimes. When he is like this he is inconsolable. I have no idea how to help him when he is like this. He typically will not tolerate being touched at this point. I would think this is a result of over-stimulation or maybe anxiety. Hell, it could be both or none of them….. I know for sure that it breaks my heart and stresses me out….
Many people just have no idea what this is like. No mater how much you love your child a person can only take so much of this kind of noise….So here is about a 30 glimpse in just one of the issues I deal with on a daily basis. Imagine waking up out of a dead sleep to this…….
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDwI-hcnXF4[/youtube]
Rob, what's he waking up to? I'm thinking about his sensory issues and putting my (AS) self in his place: just this morning I woke up to the water heater clunking away through the pipes downstairs, vibrating throughout the house. It really, really annoys me to wake up to that. I hate it. I also make sure my room is dark so that even when I wake up, excess light doesn't irritate me – because it does, believe me. If I wake up to a room flooded with sunlight, I'll be really annoyed. Put these two together like this morning, resulting in me waking up to early and therefore still tired AND frustrated that I've been woken up early and tired again after dreading it happening every time I go to bed (I just want to sleep!), and I'll wake up ready to scream my head off. I want to wake up in the semi-darkness, to no irritating noises, at my own time and pace.
I'll think some more about this and post a blog. HTH.
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That is some great insight. Truth be told, I don\’t have a clue what is triggering them aside from the issues themselves. There doesn\’t appear to be a rhyme or reason but I will now be paying more attention to things like that to see if there is a correlation. Thanks for sharing your valuable insight. 😉
Wow.
I know that cry. Almost made me cry, to hear that cry. J-man does it every once in a while…it isn't as frequent as for you, but I could still feel my heart racing.
No advice. For J-man, I usually just sit on the floor quietly and am calm and ready. He needs time to 'bring himself down', and eventually he comes in for hugs and snuggles. But if I approach him, it is all avoid avoid avoid. But each kid is like a fricken snowflake, ehe?
I once met a little boy who's favourite thing was being held by his ankles and swung from side to side like a pendulum!
A rocking chair might be something he would enjoy..
I really wish I could help more, if I wasn't starting a new job next week you'd have the offer of a live in nanny/OT.
Thank you……Again 🙂
This is heartbreaking and I can relate. My little guy gets so worked up that he gets stuck and needs help to get out of his crying. I scoop him up and do something like walk outside to look at the birds in the tree, or feed the fish etc. It's like a circuit breaker for his brain. Still takes a little while for him to settle but it's just a matter of finding something to hold his attention long enough to change his thinking. I know you said you cant hold him, but perhaps try Julias deep pressure suggestion, of wrapping him tightly then finding a distractor?
My heart really goes out to you. Hang in there. You have a lot of people holding you in their thoughts.
It's heartbreaking…..He actually sat down on top of the heater vent. He likes the warm air. Yes deep pressure usually helps but when he is like this nothing seems to help. He loves being upside down…….which makes sense.
He also like the pressure on his joints. So I can softly pull on them (very carefully). He likes the pressure in his legs the most so I usually start with his feet and work my way up.
It helps just not every time. Thanks again as always…
Hi Rob, I know you said he won't tolerate being touched but will he tolerate being squeezed? Or wrapped up in his blankets and squashed? You can see by the way he retreats into the shadow of the cupboard that he's overstimulated and this may help calm him. He might not let you squeeze all of him at first but if you squeeze his hand or arm and see how he reacts then gradually work your way up his arm. Deep pressure is calming and organising for the nervous system and waking up is obviously distressing and confusing for Emmett.