Just curious if any of you can pick up when a meltdown is coming. It's strange since Sat I have had a feeling something was brewing .Yesterday morning I said to DH i can sense a meltdown coming..yep sure enough we had a beauty n the middle of the swimming pool of all places. He has overcome his fear of water , he still doesn't like showers and baths but will manage to do it without to much complaints and kicking and screaming. However last night he had his first lesson in his new group. It was at a different time slot and with a new teacher and in the deep end of the pool.
As I was walking him down he started with the 'Im going to die" talk and I spoke to him about it , he happily went into the pool and well that was that. I turned around not even 5 minutes later and he was screaming, refusing to do anything and just having a major meltdown.. I felt like jumping in with him.
Luckily enough I am a swim teacher there so the staff know me and Hamish and were great with him. He was brought to me arms and legs flying everywhere. We managed to calm him down enough for him to catch his breath and he started up again. Dh came and picked him up and took him home as we had DD in the pool still.
He fell asleep in the car.
This morning he was set off again by Lachie making noises and just basically being a noisy toddler.
Amazingly though this afternoon he is calm and the my feeling of something not quite right has gone..
Hugs Suse. My dad used to helpfully tell me that if I hit Riley more he'd be better behaved! Luckily he is now more educated about sensory issues and much more understanding.
Tania- I can tell when a meltdown is brewing usually and the OT has been great in helping us with strategies to try and divert them, they sometimes work! Sometimes I just leave places crying LOL.
Has anyone had problems with their child wetting their pants ? Riley is TT but if he is busy or doing something he likes he just wets himself and doesn't seem to care until i mention it and then he says "Don't scream". He is still in night nappies and I worry he will be until he's 17!
It sound like a few people are having a tough time. I hope things improve soon for everyone. ATM J is stressing that I will make him go on the Santa train at myer. He went on it about five times last year! He has been stressing
For days!
Tania - we're not too good with identifying meltdowns yet - some we can see coming and can divert (usually if he's had a bad night's sleep we can expect lots of frayed nerves), but some things are so random. Obviously not to him LOL. This morning's toe smashing episode was because he was washing his hands after going to the toilet, got distracted from his routine and wanted to turn the light on and off. With wet hands. Then totally lost it when I tried to guide him back to washing his hands. Part of it was what I call routine divergence stress and part of it was because he was fixating on something which was then denied. In hindsight it's obvious, but who could have predicted that he'd a) divert from routine or b) find something new to fixate from at exactly that point in time, when he'd done exactly the same routine without incidence several times that morning. Other times it's just random frustration which is even harder to predict, he'll be playing happily with a toy or puzzle, it won't behave in the way he wants it to and bam, things are getting flung willy nilly. Usually too quickly to even attempt diversion. The only predictable factor in this is his general mood, often relating to sleep. If he's otherwise having a good day and has slept well, he can cope with more variance or frustration before he loses it, and is thus easier to distract and divert.
Thanks for the hugs guys - really needed it today. I know it will get better, and we've had some great improvement, but it's still really rough at the moment. Kinda feel like everything revolves around Euan and we're walking on eggshells waiting for the next bomb to drop. Mixing metaphors a bit there. Mrsmac - had to giggle at your dad's words of wisdom, it makes mum's comment much more understanding by comparison. What frustrates me is that she's so fantastic with Euan (they have an amazing bond), and would walk on hot coals for him, she's so supportive of how we raise him and what we do, and helps out so unconditionally, and is very keen to learn more about autism, but on the flip side, she'll say or do things that suggest that she really doesn't get it. At all. So I feel really churlish for getting occasionally frustrated, because she is so damn supportive, but... There's always a 'but'.
Sorry I've missed out a few days here! I've been sick which doesn't help.
Remember T? The 12 year old who has SI only just recently diagnosed? Well.... she's staying here atm because her mum just can't continue. She needed a break, so I said T could stay with us.
Suse, its so hard, but as you go you will pick up those triggers and then you have to decide whether or not its worth it.
mrsmac.... M is just out of night nappies. Its been 4 weeks now and she's 6. WOO HOO!!!! So there is hope. JJ is in pull ups overnight .
Us... well we have to go to the USA in a few weeks, so we've been doing social stories about the plane, talking about seeing Grandma in hospital, talking about going to Disneyland. The last few days we've been looking at images and videos of Disneyland so the kids can grasp the magnitude of it before getting there. I just found out today that Disneyland has a special pass for kids on the spectrum or with sensory integration. It basically means they don't have to wait in lines. They may have to wait, but they can have their place marked and go away and come back when they are going to get on the ride. Its awesome.... I'm so relieved.
Christy - I have used those passes before at Disneyland. They are great. You just get them at the information centre. make sure that you bring some sort of proof of her disability, as she doesn't have a physical disability it is not so obvious.
we have been invited to the variety Club Christmas bash. Is anyone else in Melb going?
also has anyone else got a companion card? I have extra copies of the paperwork here if anyone needs it.
I should add - Not everyone here will qualify for one. J does not qualify, but I use them at work
I have some of those hospital bracelet type things for our trip to put on the girls in case of wandering. I think I will go and have the GP and her OT write me a letter to carry in my wallet for airport security etc, jic she has a meltdown and we need to do something about it.
Suse, its so hard, but as you go you will pick up those triggers and then you have to decide whether or not its worth it. 
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